The is a railway line operated by
West Japan Railway Company
, also referred to as , is one of the Japan Railways Group (JR Group) companies and operates in western Honshu. It has its headquarters in Kita-ku, Osaka. It is listed in the Tokyo Stock Exchange, is a constituent of the TOPIX Large70 index, and ...
(JR West) in the mountainous area of the
Chūgoku region
The , also known as the region, is the westernmost region of Honshū, the largest island of Japan. It consists of the prefectures of Hiroshima, Okayama, Shimane, Tottori, and Yamaguchi. In 2010, it had a population of 7,563,428.
History
'' ...
of Japan. It begins at the south end of
Okayama Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Okayama Prefecture has a population of 1,906,464 (1 February 2018) and has a geographic area of 7,114 km2 (2,746 sq mi). Okayama Prefecture borders Tottori Prefecture to the nor ...
at
Kurashiki Station in
Kurashiki
is a historic Cities of Japan, city located in western Okayama Prefecture, Japan, sitting on the Takahashi River, on the coast of the Seto Inland Sea, Inland Sea. As of March 31, 2017, the city has an estimated population of 483,576 and a populat ...
, passing through
Niimi Station on the west side of
Niimi
is a city located in northwestern Okayama Prefecture, Japan.
As of March 31, 2017, the city has an estimated population of 30,583 (14,628 males, 15,955 females), with 12,857 households and a population density of 39 persons per km2. The total a ...
, and terminating at
Hōki-Daisen Station in
Yonago
is a city in western Tottori Prefecture, Japan, facing the Sea of Japan and making up part of the boundary of Lake Nakaumi. It is adjacent to Shimane Prefecture and across the lake from its capital of Matsue. It is the prefecture's second large ...
,
Tottori Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Tottori Prefecture is the least populous prefecture of Japan at 570,569 (2016) and has a geographic area of . Tottori Prefecture borders Shimane Prefecture to the west, Hir ...
, linking Okayama Prefecture and Yonago across the
Chūgoku Mountains
is a mountain range in the Chūgoku region of western Japan. It runs in an east–west direction and stretches approximately from Hyōgo Prefecture in the east to the coast of Yamaguchi Prefecture. The range also reaches under the Pacific Ocea ...
. The Hakubi Line follows the
Takahashi River
The is a Class A major river in the western part of Okayama Prefecture. It acts as the main drainage for the Takahashi River Drainage System, and is one of the three main drainage rivers in Okayama Prefecture (the others being the Yoshii River a ...
between Kurashiki and Niimi, and the
Hino River
The is a major river in the western part of Tottori Prefecture. The river flows east-northeast for , and is the longest river in the prefecture. The Hino River emerges from the Chūgoku Mountains. The source of the river is at an elevation of ...
between
Shōyama and Hōki-Daisen.
Since 2007, the
ICOCA
The card is a rechargeable contactless smart card used on the JR West rail network in Japan. The card was launched on November 1, 2003 for usage on the Urban Network, which encompasses the major cities of Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe (Keihanshin). I ...
card can be used in all stations between Kurashiki Station and
Bitchū-Takahashi Station.
Line data
The Okayama Division of JR West has jurisdictional control over operations between Kurashiki and Niizato stations, with the Yonago Division having control between Kami-Iwami and Hōki-Daisen Station. The boundary is midway between Niizato and Kami-Iwami Stations. The line color for the portion covered by the Okayama Division is vermillion orange, while the section covered by the Yonago Division is the standard blue.
Services
Limited express
* ''
Yakumo''
* ''
Sunrise Izumo
The is an overnight sleeping car train service in Japan operated jointly by Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central) and West Japan Railway Company (JR West) since July 1998.
Operations
The ''Sunrise Izumo'' runs daily between and in Shim ...
''
Stations
Rolling stock
*
115 series
The is a DC electric multiple unit (EMU) train type developed by Japanese National Railways (JNR) and now operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR-West), and the Shinano Railway.
Operations
JR East
JR East operated their last 115 series t ...
*
213 series
*
285 series
*
381 series
*
KiHa 120
*
KiHa 126
The experimental "
Smart BEST
The Smart BEST is an experimental Japanese two-car self-charging battery electric multiple unit (BEMU) train developed and manufactured by Kinki Sharyo in 2012 to demonstrate the feasibility of battery train technology for use on non-electrifie ...
" battery electric train was tested on the Hakubi Line between October and December 2012.
History
The first section of the Hakubi Line to open was the northern section, initially named the , between
Hōki-Mizoguchi and
Hōki-Daisen on 10 August 1919.
The northern section was then progressively extended south, to
Ebi Station on 25 March 1922, to
Neu Station on 30 July 1922, to
Kurosaka Station on 10 November 1922, to
Shōyama Station on 28 November 1923, to
Kami-Iwami Station on 6 December 1924, and to
Ashidachi Station on 1 December 1926.
The first section of the southern part of the Hakubi Line, named the , was opened on 17 February 1925, between Shisawa (now
Gōkei) and
Kurashiki
is a historic Cities of Japan, city located in western Okayama Prefecture, Japan, sitting on the Takahashi River, on the coast of the Seto Inland Sea, Inland Sea. As of March 31, 2017, the city has an estimated population of 483,576 and a populat ...
.
The southern section was gradually extended north, extending to
Bitchū-Kawamo on 31 July 1927, with connection between the north and south sections being made on 25 October 1928, from which date the entire line was named the Hakubi Line.
The Kiyone to Bitchu-Takahashi section was double-tracked between 1968 and 1973, with the Kurashiki to Kiyone and Niimi to Nunohara sections being double-tracked in 1979, and the Ishiga to Ikuta section double-tracked between 1982 and 1983 in conjunction with a realignment which shortened the route by 1.2 km. CTC signalling was commissioned on the entire line in 1972, and the Kurashiki to Hokidaisen section was electrified in 1982.
Timeline
* 10 August 1919: The Hakubi North Line opens between
Hōki-Mizoguchi and
Hōki-Daisen Stations.
* 25 March 1922: The Hakubi North Line opens between Hōki-Mizoguchi and
Ebi Stations.
* 30 July 1922: The Hakubi North Line opens between Ebi and
Neu Stations.
* 10 November 1922: The Hakubi North Line opens between Neu and
Kurosaka Stations.
* 28 November 1923: The Hakubi North Line opens between Kurosaka and
Shōyama Stations.
* 6 December 1924: The Hakubi North Line opens between Shōyama and
Kami-Iwami Stations.
* 17 February 1925: The Hakubi South Line opens between
Kurashiki
is a historic Cities of Japan, city located in western Okayama Prefecture, Japan, sitting on the Takahashi River, on the coast of the Seto Inland Sea, Inland Sea. As of March 31, 2017, the city has an estimated population of 483,576 and a populat ...
and Shisawa Station (now
Gōkei Station
250px, enclosure(2008-08-06).
is a passenger railway station located in the city of Sōja, Okayama Prefecture, Japan. It is operated by the West Japan Railway Company (JR West). The station is named after the Gōkei area, a scenic valley about ...
).
* 1 April 1925: The Hakubi North Line opens at
Kamisuge Station
is a passenger railway station located in the town of Hino, Tottori Prefecture, Japan. It is operated by the West Japan Railway Company (JR West).
Lines
Kamisuge Station is served by the Hakubi Line, and is located 98.9 kilometers from the ...
.
* 17 May 1925: The Hakubi South Line opens between Shisawa and
Minagi Stations.
* 20 June 1926: The Hakubi South Line opens between Minagi and
Kinoyama Station
is a passenger railway station located in the city of Takahashi, Okayama Prefecture, Japan. It is operated by the West Japan Railway Company (JR West).
Lines
Kinoyama Station is served by the Hakubi Line, and is located 38.8 kilometers from ...
s.
* 1 December 1926: The Habuki North Line opens between Kami-Iwami and
Ashidachi Stations.
* 31 July 1927: The Hakubi South Line opens between Kinoyama and
Bitchū-Kawamo Stations.
* 25 October 1928: Service starts between Bitchū-Kawamo and Ashidachi stations. The line is completed and renamed the Hakubi Line.
See also
*
List of railway lines in Japan
List of railway lines in Japan lists existing railway lines in Japan alphabetically.
The vast majority of Japanese railways are classified under two Japanese laws, one for and another for . The difference between the two is a legal, and not alwa ...
References
{{West Japan Railway Company Lines
Railway lines opened in 1919
Lines of West Japan Railway Company
1067 mm gauge railways in Japan