Sanyo Electric Railway Main Line

Sanyo Electric Railway Main Line
Sumaura-koen Station, looking east
Overview
Native name	山陽電気鉄道本線
Type	Commuter rail
Locale	Hyogo Prefecture
Termini	Nishidai Sanyo Himeji
Stations	43
Operation
Owner	Sanyo Electric Railway
Technical
Line length	54.7 km (34.0 mi)
Number of tracks	2
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
Minimum radius	160 m
Electrification	1,500 V DC, overhead catenary
Operating speed	110 km/h (70 mph)[1]
Route map Sanyo Main Line (JR Kobe Line) Daikai Dentetsu HyōgoUntil 1968 Sanyo Main (JR Kobe) Line Daikai-dōriUntil 1952 NagataUntil 1968 Kōsoku Nagata Kobe Kosoku Line 0.0 Nishidai Nishidai depot Kobe Municipal Subway: Seishin-Yamate Line 1.0 Itayado 1.8 Higashi-Suma Higashi-Suma depot 2.6 Tsukimiyama 3.3 Sumadera Sanyo Main Line 3.7 Sanyo SumaSuma IchinotaniUntil 1946 AtsumorizukaUntil 1948 Sakaihama 5.1 Sumaura-kōen Sumaura Ropeway Higashi-ShioyaUntil 1932 6.8 Sanyo ShioyaShioya 7.8 Takinochaya 8.6 Higashi-Tarumi 9.6 Sanyo TarumiTarumi GoshikiyamaUntil 1951 10.7 Kasumigaoka UtashikiyamaUntil 1964 11.5 Maiko-kōenMaiko 12.4 Nishi-Maiko Asagiri 14.3 Ōkuradani Akashi KōjomaeUntil 1948 14.9 Hitomarumae YūenchimaeUntil 1946 15.7 Sanyo AkashiAkashi AkashiUntil 1939 Sanyo 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 Befu Railway: Noguchi Line 32.2 BefuBefuguchi 34.1 Hamanomiya JNR: Takasago Line Onoe 35.5 Onoenomatsu Kako River 37.3 TakasagoTakasago-kitaguchi JNR: Takasago Line 38.5 Arai 39.7 Iho 41.3 Sanyo Sone 42.8 Ōshio 44.2 Matogata 46.2 Yaka 47.6 Shirahamanomiya 49.0 Mega Shikamakō r)Bantan Line "Shikamakō Line" 50.9 ShikamaShikama (JNR) Aboshi Line Shikama depot 52.3 KameyamaKameyama (JNR) 53.4 TegaraTegarayama Sanyo Shinkansen Himeji Sanyo Main Line JR-W: Bantan Line/Kishin Line Dashōgun Himeji City Monorail 54.7 Sanyo Himeji

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) Sanyo Main Line, with closest sections between Sanyo Suma and Sanyo Akashi stations, and competes with the JR line for its entire stretch.

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.

Rapid service

Abbreviations are tentative for this article.

All day operation:

Hanshin-Sanyō Limited Express (直通特急, Chokutsū Tokkyū) (HS)

Umeda of Hanshin - 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.

Local (普通, Futsū) (Lo)

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.

Hanshin trains (HT)

Hanshin's Limited Express trains from Umeda stop at all stations in the line to Sumaura-kōen.

Morning and night only:

Sanyo Limited Express (山陽特急, Sanyōtokkyū) (sy)

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) (sl)

Hanshin Sannomiya - Sanyo Himeji, more stops than HS, sy. 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

Abbreviations of rapid service trains, see above section. Lower cases show limited hour/service.

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.

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.

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