Hakubi Line
Image
Limited Express Yakumo
Overview
OwnerLogo of the West Railway Company (JR West) JR West
LocaleOkayama and Tottori Prefectures
Termini
Stations28
Service
TypeRegional rail
Operator(s)JR West
Ibara Railway (between Kiyone and Sōja)
Rolling stock115 series
213 series
285 series
381 series
KiHa 120
KiHa 126
EF64
EF65
History
Opened10 August 1919 (1919-08-10)
Technical
Line length138.4 km (86.0 mi)
Number of tracks2 (Kurashiki – Bitchū-Takahashi)
2 (Ikura – Ishiga)
2 (Niimi – Nunohara)
1 for rest of line
Track gauge1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Minimum radius200 m (660 ft)
Electrification1,500 V DC
Operating speed110 km/h (68 mph) – 120 km/h (75 mph)

The Hakubi Line (伯備線, Hakubi-sen) is a railway line operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West) in the mountainous area of the Chūgoku region of Japan. It begins at the south end of Okayama Prefecture at Kurashiki Station in Kurashiki, passing through Niimi Station on the west side of Niimi, and terminating at Hōki-Daisen Station in Yonago, Tottori Prefecture, linking Okayama Prefecture and Yonago across the Chūgoku Mountains. The Hakubi Line follows the Takahashi River between Kurashiki and Niimi, and the Hino River between Shōyama and Hōki-Daisen.

As of April 2023, the ICOCA card can be used in all stations between Kurashiki Station and Niimi Station.[1]

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

Stations

Line No. Station Japanese Distance
(km)		 Connecting lines Location
Sanyō Main Line V01 Okayama 岡山 -15.9 Sanyō Shinkansen
Sanyō Main Line
Tsuyama Line
Kibi Line (Momotaro Line)
Okaden:
■ Higashiyama Line
■ Seikibashi Line (Both at Okayama-Ekimae)		 Kita-ku,
Okayama		 Okayama
V02 Kitanagase 北長瀬 -12.5
V03 Niwase 庭瀬 -9.4
V04 Nakashō 中庄 -4.7 Kurashiki
V05 Kurashiki 倉敷 0.0 San'yō Main Line
Mizushima Main Line (Kurashiki-shi Station)
Hakubi Line
V06 Kiyone 清音 7.3 Ibara Line Sōja
V07 Sōja 総社 10.7 Kibi Line (Momotaro Line)
Ibara Line
V08 Gōkei 豪渓 15.3  
V09 Hiwa 日羽 19.0  
V10 Minagi 美袋 22.7  
V11 Bitchū-Hirose 備中広瀬 29.6   Takahashi
V12 Bitchū-Takahashi 備中高梁 34.0  
V13 Kinoyama 木野山 38.8  
V14 Bitchū-Kawamo 備中川面 42.7  
V15 Hōkoku 方谷 47.4  
V16 Ikura 井倉 55.2   Niimi
V17 Ishiga 石蟹 59.7  
V18 Niimi 新見 64.4 Kishin Line
Nunohara 布原 68.3  
Bitchū-Kōjiro 備中神代 70.8 Geibi Line
Ashidachi 足立 77.0  
Niizato 新郷 82.8  
Kami-Iwami 上石見 86.7   Nichinan Tottori Prefecture
Shōyama 生山 95.4  
Kamisuge 上菅 98.9   Hino
Kurosaka 黒坂 103.7  
Neu 根雨 111.3  
Muko 武庫 116.0   Kofu
Ebi 江尾 118.1  
Hōki-Mizoguchi 伯耆溝口 127.3   Hōki
Kishimoto 岸本 132.3  
Hōki-Daisen 伯耆大山 138.4 San'in Main Line Yonago

Rolling stock

The experimental "Smart BEST" battery electric train was tested on the Hakubi Line between October and December 2012.[2]

History

The first section of the Hakubi Line to open was the northern section, initially named the Hakubihoku Line (伯備北線, lit. "Hakubi North Line"), between Hōki-Mizoguchi and Hōki-Daisen on 10 August 1919.[3] 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.[3]

The first section of the southern part of the Hakubi Line, named the Hakubinan Line (伯備南線, lit. "Hakubi South Line"), was opened on 17 February 1925, between Shisawa (now Gōkei) and Kurashiki.[3] 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.[3]

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 and Shisawa Station (now Gōkei Station).
  • 1 April 1925: The Hakubi North Line opens at Kamisuge Station.
  • 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 Stations.
  • 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

References

  1. ↑ "ご利用可能エリア│ICOCA：JRおでかけネット". www.jr-odekake.net. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
  2. ↑ 近畿車輛株式会社が開発した自己充電型バッテリー車両の走行試験について [Test running of battery train developed by Kinki Sharyo]. Press release (in Japanese). Japan: West Japan Railway Company. 30 October 2012. Archived from the original on 6 June 2013. Retrieved 20 September 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Ishino, Tetsu, ed. (1998). 停車場変遷大辞典 国鉄・JR編 [Station Transition Directory – JNR/JR]. Japan: JTB. pp. 96–97. ISBN 4-533-02980-9.
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