Ibara Line
Ibara Railway IRT 355 Series DMU
Overview
Status	Operational
Owner	Ibara Tetsudo
Locale	Okayama Prefecture Hiroshima Prefecture
Termini	Sōja Kannabe
Stations	15
Service
Operator(s)	Ibara Tetsudo
History
Opened	11 January 1999; 25 years ago (1999-01-11)
Technical
Line length	41.7 km (25.9 mi)
Number of tracks	1
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Operating speed	95 km/h (60 mph)

The Ibara Line (井原線, Ibara-sen) is Japanese railway line between Sōja Station, Sōja and Kannabe Station, Fukuyama. This is the only railway line Ibara Railway (井原鉄道, Ibara Tetsudō) operates.

History

Japanese National Railways started the construction of the line in 1966, but financial constraints halted work in 1980. The Ibara Railway Co. was established in 1986 and construction resumed under the newly founded third sector company, and the line opened on January 11, 1999, dual track and electrified as far as Kiyone.^[1]

Basic data

• Operators, distances: Sōja — Kannabe; 41.7 km / 25.9 mi.
  • Ibara Railway (Category-1)
    • Kiyone — Kannabe: 38.3 km / 23.8 mi.
  • Ibara Railway (Category-2), West Japan Railway Company (Category-1), Japan Freight Railway Company (Category-2)
    • Sōja — Kiyone: 3.4 km / 2.1 mi. (Shared with Hakubi Line.)
• Gauge: 1,067 mm / 3 ft. 6 in.
• Stations: 15
• Double-track line: Sōja — Kiyone
• Electric supply: Sōja — Kiyone (1500 V DC)
  • All the Ibara Railway trains are DMUs.
• Railway signalling
  • Kiyone — Kannabe: Simplified automatic
  • Sōja — Kiyone: Automatic

Stations