Akō Line

Akō Line (赤穂線, Akō-sen) is a railway line owned by West Japan Railway Company (JR West) between Aioi, Hyōgo to Okayama, Okayama in Japan. A loop line off the Sanyō Main Line, the Akō Line commences at Aioi, is situated south of the main line approximately paralleling the Seto Inland Sea, and rejoins the main line at Higashi-Okayama.

Akō Line
213 series EMU on an Akō Line local service at Osafune Station
Overview
Native name赤穂線
TypePassenger/freight
SystemUrban Network (Aioi - Banshū-Akō)
LocaleHyogo Prefecture and Okayama Prefecture
TerminiAioi
Higashi-Okayama
Stations19
Operation
Opened1951
OwnerJR West
Operator(s)JR West
JR Freight
Rolling stock113 series EMU
115 series EMU
117 series EMU
213 series EMU
221 series EMU
223-1000 series EMU
223-2000 series EMU
223-6000 series EMU
225-0 series EMU
225-100 series EMU
Technical
Line length57.4 km (35.7 mi)
Track gauge1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification1,500 V DC, overhead line
Operating speed85 km/h (55 mph)

The entire 57.4-kilometre (35.7 mi) line is single track. Only one train runs the entire length of the line, with service divided at Banshū-Akō, and no trains terminate at either of the official terminals. Trains from the east continue from Himeji on the Sanyō Main Line and terminate at Akō, while westbound services originating from Akō continue past Higashi-Okayama and continue on the Sanyō Main Line to Okayama and beyond. "Rapid" and "Special Rapid" trains from Kyoto and beyond make local stops between Aioi and Banshū-Akō, and the segment of the line is part of JR West's Kinki region Urban Network.

Stations

The line is split into two sections at Banshū-Akō Station, where passengers would have to interchange for train services to/from the Keihanshin region and the Okayama region.

Common name Official line name No. Station Japanese Distance
(km)		 Transfers Location
City Prefecture
Sanyō Main Line Sanyō Main Line Himeji 姫路 Sanyō Shinkansen
JR Kobe Line ( A85 )
Bantan Line
Kishin Line		 Himeji Hyōgo
Agaho 英賀保
Harima-Katsuhara はりま勝原
Aboshi 網干
Tatsuno 竜野 Tatsuno
Aioi 相生 0.0 Sanyō Shinkansen
Sanyō Main Line		 Aioi Hyōgo
Akō Line Akō Line
Nishi-Aioi 西相生 3.0
Sakoshi 坂越 7.8 Ako
Banshū-Akō 播州赤穂 10.5 Akō Line (for Okayama)
Akō Line Akō Line (for Himeji)
Tenwa 天和 14.5
Bizen-Fukukawa 備前福河 16.4
N16 Sōgo 寒河 19.6 Bizen Okayama
N15 Hinase 日生 22.1
N14 Iri 伊里 27.7
N13 Bizen-Katakami 備前片上 31.0
N12 Nishi-Katakami 西片上 32.3
N11 Inbe 伊部 34.5
N10 Kagato 香登 38.5
N09 Osafune 長船 42.3 Setouchi
N08 Oku 邑久 45.9
N07 Odomi 大富 48.0
N06 Saidaiji 西大寺 51.2 Higashi-ku, Okayama
N05 Ōdara 大多羅 54.1
N04 Higashi-Okayama 東岡山 57.4 Sanyō Main Line Naka-ku, Okayama
Sanyō Main Line Sanyō Main Line
N03 Takashima 高島
N02 Nishigawara 西川原
N01 Okayama 岡山 Sanyō Shinkansen
Sanyō Main Line
Tsuyama Line
Uno Line ( Seto-Ōhashi Line)
Kibi Line (Momotaro Line)
Okayama Electric Tramway Higashiyama Main Line		 Kita-ku, Okayama

History
Opening ceremony for the Ako Railway at Banshu-Ako station, 14 April 1921
Dowa Mining Co. diesel rail car

The initial section between Aioi and Banshu-Ako opened in 1951, and the line was opened progressively, to Hinase in 1955, Inbe in 1958, and Higashi-Okayama in 1962. The Aioi - Banshu-Ako section was electrified in 1961, and the rest of the line in 1969.

CTC signalling was commissioned between Higashi-Okayama and Banshu-Ako in 1983.

Former connecting lines
  • Banshu-Ako Station: The Ako Railway operated a 13 km (8.1 mi) 762 mm (2 ft 6 in) gauge line to Une on the Sanyo Main Line between 1921 and 1951.
  • Nishi-Katakami Station: The Dowa Mining Co. opened a 34 km (21 mi) line to Yanahara, to haul iron sulphide ore, between 1923 and 1931. The line also connected to Wake station on the Sanyo Main Line. Passenger services commenced in 1931, freight services ceased in 1988 and the line closed in 1991.
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See also

Main line alternate routes

References

This article incorporates material from the corresponding article in the Japanese Wikipedia.

  • Miki, Masafumi (July 2004). "Railway Operators in Japan 13: Chugoku Region". Japan Railway & Transport Review (39): 36–43. Archived from the original on 2006-10-07. Retrieved 2007-02-26.
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