Sanyo Electric Railway Main Line
Sumaura-koen Station, looking east
Overview
Native name山陽電気鉄道本線
OwnerSanyo Electric Railway
LocaleHyogo Prefecture
Termini
Stations43
Service
TypeCommuter rail
Technical
Line length54.7 km (34.0 mi)
Number of tracks2
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Minimum radius160 m
Electrification1,500 V DC, overhead catenary
Operating speed110 km/h (70 mph)[1]
Route map

Legend
Sanyo Main Line (JR Kobe Line) Right arrow
Left arrowDaikai
 Dentetsu Hyōgo
Until 1968
Down arrowSanyo Main (JR Kobe) Line
 Daikai-dōri
Until 1952
 Nagata
Until 1968
Left arrowKōsoku Nagata
Up arrowKobe Kosoku Line
0.0
 Nishidai
Nishidai depot
Left arrowKobe Municipal Subway: Seishin-Yamate LineRight arrow
1.0
 Itayado
1.8
 Higashi-Suma
Higashi-Suma depot
2.6
 Tsukimiyama
3.3
 Sumadera
Up arrowSanyo Main Line
3.7
 Sanyo Suma
Right arrowSuma
 Ichinotani
Until 1946
 Atsumorizuka
Until 1948
 Sakaihama
5.1
 Sumaura-kōen
Left arrowSumaura Ropeway
 Higashi-Shioya
Until 1932
6.8
 Sanyo Shioya
Right arrowShioya
7.8
 Takinochaya
8.6
 Higashi-Tarumi
9.6
 Sanyo Tarumi
Right arrowTarumi
 Goshikiyama
Until 1951
10.7
 Kasumigaoka
Utashikiyama
Until 1964
11.5
 Maiko-kōen
Right arrowMaiko
12.4
 Nishi-Maiko
Asagiri
14.3
 Ōkuradani
Akashi Kōjomae
Until 1948
14.9
 Hitomarumae
Yūenchimae
Until 1946
15.7
 Sanyo Akashi
Left arrowAkashi
 Akashi
Until 1939
Left arrowSanyo Main Line
16.9
 Nishi-Shimmachi
18.4
 Hayashisaki-Matsuekaigan
20.4
 Fujie
21.8
 Nakayagi
23.5
 Eigashima
24.9
 Nishi-Eigashima
25.6
 Sanyo Uozumi
27.3
 Higashi-Futami
Higashi-Futami depot
28.6
 Nishi-Futami
29.9
 Harimachō
Left arrowBefu Railway: Noguchi LineRight arrow
32.2
 Befu
Right arrowBefuguchi
34.1
 Hamanomiya
Left arrowJNR: Takasago LineDown arrow
Onoe
35.5
 Onoenomatsu
Kako River
37.3
 Takasago
Right arrowTakasago-kitaguchi
Up arrowJNR: Takasago LineRight arrow
38.5
 Arai
39.7
 Iho
41.3
 Sanyo Sone
42.8
 Ōshio
44.2
 Matogata
Matogata Tunnle 192m
46.2
 Yaka
47.6
 Shirahamanomiya
Mega Tunnel 181m
49.0
 Mega
Ichi River
Shikamakō
r)Down arrowBantan Line "Shikamakō Line"
50.9
 Shikama
Right arrowShikama (JNR)
Aboshi LineRight arrow
 Shikama depot
52.3
 Kameyama
Right arrowKameyama (JNR)
53.4
 Tegara
Right arrowTegarayama
Left arrowSanyo ShinkansenRight arrow
Himeji
Left arrowSanyo Main LineRight arrow
JR-W: Left arrowBantan Line/Kishin LineRight arrow
Right arrowDaishōgun
Left arrowHimeji City MonorailUp arrow
54.7
 Sanyo Himeji
This diagram:

The Sanyo Electric Railway Main Line (山陽電気鉄道本線, Sanyō Denki Tetsudō Honsen) is a railway line in Japan operated by the private railway operator Sanyo Electric Railway. It stretches from Kobe west to Himeji via Akashi, Kakogawa and other municipalities in Hyōgo Prefecture. The line runs parallel to West Japan Railway Company (JR West) JR Kobe Line, with closest sections between Sanyo Suma and Sanyo Akashi stations, and competes with the JR line for its entire stretch. Despite the name, no part of the line is located in the San’yō region.

Operation

Nishidai is nominal as the start of the line, thus all trains of Sanyo start or end beyond, in Kobe Rapid Railway, or further Hanshin stations, namely Sannomiya stations on Hankyū's Kobe Main Line and on Hanshin's Main Line for Locals, Umeda terminal of Hanshin in Osaka.

The line accepts trains of Hanshin via Kobe Rapid, down (west) to Sumaura-kōen. In the Sanyo Main Line, all Hanshin trains stop all stations on their way, though in Hanshin's Main Line some are operated as Locals and some as Limited Express.

Services

All day operation

Local (普通, Futsū)
Hankyu Sannomiya or Hanshin Sannomiya or Sanyo Suma - Sanyo Himeji, makes every stop on the Sanyo Railway Main Line and the Kobe Kosoku Line. At night, down (westbound) trains start at Kōsoku Kobe and up (eastbound) trains terminate at Shinkaichi on the Kobe Kosoku Line.
Direct Limited Express (直通特急, Chokutsū Tokkyū)
Hanshin-Umeda - Sanyo Himeji. Jointly operated by Hanshin Electric Railway and Sanyo, this train makes limited stops on both the Hanshin's Main Line and the Sanyo's Main Line. In Hanshin's official route maps the name is shorted to "Limited Express".
Hanshin Limited Express (阪神特急, Hanshin Tokkyū)
Hanshin's Limited Express trains from Umeda stop at all stations on this line to Sumaura-kōen. In Hanshin's official route maps the name is also shorted to "Limited Express".
Morning and night only
Sanyo Limited Express (山陽特急, Sanyōtokkyū)
Mainly operated between Higashi-Futami and Sanyo Himeji, there is a westbound train from Kosoku Kobe for Sanyo Himeji in the early morning. The same stops as the Hanshin-Sanyo Limited Express (HS) but does not go east beyond Kosoku kobe.
S Limited Express (S特急, S Tokkyū)
Hanshin Sannomiya - Sanyo Himeji. This service makes more stops than the Hanshin Limited Express. Operates up (eastbound) in the mornings from Shikama, Takasago or Higashi-Futami to Sanyo Suma or Hanshin Sannomiya, and down (westbound) late nights from Sannomiya to Sanyo Himeji.

Stations

Legend:

No. Station Japanese Distance (km) Services Transfer Location
Hanshin Ltd. Exp. S Ltd. Exp. Direct Ltd. Exp. Sanyo Ltd. Exp. City / Town
Through services: from Nishidai to Hanshin Kobe Kosoku Line:
SY 01
HS 39 		Nishidai 西代 0.0 ● ● ▲ Hanshin Kobe Kosoku Line (through service) Nagata-ku, Kōbe
SY 02 Itayado 板宿 1.0 ● ● ● Kobe Municipal Subway Seishin-Yamate Line Suma-ku, Kōbe
SY 03 Higashi-Suma 東須磨 1.8 ● ｜ ｜
SY 04 Tsukimiyama 月見山 2.6 ● ● ●
SY 05 Sumadera 須磨寺 3.3 ● ｜ ｜
SY 06 Sanyo Suma 山陽須磨 3.7 ● ● ● Sanyo Main Line (JR Kobe Line) (Suma Station, JR-A68)
SY 07 Sumaura-kōen 須磨浦公園 5.1 ● ｜ ｜ Sumaura Ropeway
SY 08 Sanyo Shioya 山陽塩屋 6.8 ｜ ｜ Sanyo Main Line (JR Kobe Line) (Shioya Station, JR-A69) Tarumi-ku, Kōbe
SY 09 Takinochaya 滝の茶屋 7.8 ● ▲
SY 10 Higashi-Tarumi 東垂水 8.6 ｜ ｜
SY 11 Sanyo Tarumi 山陽垂水 9.6 ● ● Sanyo Main Line (JR Kobe Line) (Tarumi Station, JR-A70)
SY 12 Kasumigaoka 霞ヶ丘 10.7 ● ｜
SY 13 Maiko-kōen 舞子公園 11.5 ｜ ● Sanyo Main Line (JR Kobe Line) (Maiko Station, JR-A71)
SY 14 Nishi-Maiko 西舞子 12.4 ｜ ｜
SY 15 Ōkuradani 大蔵谷 14.3 ｜ ｜ Akashi
SY 16 Hitomarumae 人丸前 14.9 ｜ ｜
SY 17 Sanyo Akashi 山陽明石 15.7 ● ● Sanyo Main Line (JR Kobe Line) (Akashi Station, JR-A73)
SY 18 Nishi-Shimmachi 西新町 16.9 ｜ ｜
SY 19 Hayashisaki-Matsuekaigan 林崎松江海岸 18.4 ｜ ｜
SY 20 Fujie 藤江駅 20.4 ● ｜
SY 21 Nakayagi 中八木 21.8 ｜ ｜
SY 22 Eigashima 江井ヶ島 23.5 ｜ ｜
SY 23 Nishi-Eigashima 西江井ヶ島 24.9 ｜ ｜
SY 24 Sanyo Uozumi 山陽魚住 25.6 ｜ ｜
SY 25 Higashi-Futami 東二見 27.3 ● ● ●
SY 26 Nishi-Futami 西二見 28.6 ● ｜ ｜
SY 27 Harimachō 播磨町 29.9 ● ｜ ｜ Harima, Kako District
SY 28 Befu 別府 32.2 ● ｜ ｜ Kakogawa
SY 29 Hamanomiya 浜の宮 34.1 ● ｜ ｜
SY 30 Onoenomatsu 尾上の松 35.5 ● ｜ ｜
SY 31 Takasago 高砂 37.3 ● ● ● Takasago
SY 32 Arai 荒井 38.5 ● ▲ ｜
SY 33 Iho 伊保 39.7 ● ｜ ｜
SY 34 Sanyo Sone 山陽曽根 41.3 ● ｜ ｜
SY 35 Ōshio 大塩 42.8 ● ● ● Himeji
SY 36 Matogata 的形 44.2 ● ｜ ｜
SY 37 Yaka 八家 46.2 ● ｜ ｜  
SY 38 Shirahamanomiya 白浜の宮 47.6 ● ▲ ｜
SY 39 Mega 妻鹿 49.0 ● ｜ ｜
SY 40 Shikama 飾磨 50.9 ● ● ● SY Aboshi Line
SY 41 Kameyama 亀山 52.3 ● ｜ ｜
SY 42 Tegara 手柄 53.4 ● ｜ ｜  
SY 43 Sanyo Himeji 山陽姫路 54.7 ● ● ● JR West (Himeji Station)

History

The Hyogo Electric Tramway (兵庫電気軌道) opened the section from the Hyogo Electric Railway Station (since closed) to Sanyo Suma on 15 March 1910 as 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge, dual track electrified at 600 V DC. All subsequent extensions were electrified dual track. The line was extended to Akashi in 1917.[1]

In 1923, the Kobe Electric Railway opened the Akashi to Himeji section, and merged with the Hyogo Electric Railway in 1927. The Sanyo Electric Railway was created in 1934.[citation needed]

The line voltage was increased to 1,500 V DC in 1948. In 1968, the Higashi Suma to Hyogo Electric Railway Station section was closed and the line was connected to the Hanshin Main Line, enabling through services to Umeda in Osaka.[citation needed]

Station numbering was introduced on Sanyo Electric Railway lines from 1 April 2014, with Main Line stations numbered SY01 to SY43.[2]

Accidents

On 12 February 2013, at around 15:50, a non-stop 6-car limited express service bound for Umeda collided with the rear end of a truck which was protruding onto a level crossing to the west of Arai Station. The first two cars of the train derailed and slid 170 m before hitting the edge of the station platform and coming to rest. 15 people were injured in the collision, including the train driver and truck driver.[3][4]

References

  1. ^ a b Terada, Hirokazu (July 2002). データブック日本の私鉄 [Databook: Japan's Private Railways]. Japan: Neko Publishing. p. 144. ISBN 4-87366-874-3.
  2. ^ 全駅に駅ナンバリングを導入します [Station numbering to be introduced for all stations] (PDF). News release (in Japanese). Japan: Sanyo Electric Railway. 7 February 2014. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  3. ^ "15 hurt in Japan train-truck collision". The Japan Times Online. Japan: The Japan Times Ltd. 12 February 2013. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
  4. ^ 列車脱線、乗客ら１５人重軽傷＝踏切で接触事故、ホームに乗り上げる－兵庫県警 [15 injured in train derailment]. Jiji.com (in Japanese). Japan: Jiji Press Ltd. 13 February 2013. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
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