Hakubi Line

Hakubi Line
V
Limited Express Yakumo
Overview
Type	Regional rail
Locale	Okayama and Tottori Prefectures
Termini	Kurashiki Station Hōki-Daisen Station
Stations	28
Operation
Opened	1919
Owner	JR West
Operator(s)	JR West Ibara Railway (between Kiyone and Sōja)
Rolling stock	115 series 213 series 285 series 381 series KiHa 120 KiHa 126 EF64 EF65
Technical
Line length	138.4 km (86.0 mi)
Number of tracks	2 (Kurashiki – Bitchū-Takahashi) 2 (Ikura – Ishiga) 2 (Niimi – Nunohara) 1 for rest of line
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Minimum radius	200 m
Electrification	1,500 V DC
Operating speed	110 km/h (70 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.

Since 2007, the ICOCA 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.

Stations

Station	Japanese	Distance (km)	Connecting lines	Location
Kurashiki	倉敷	0.0	Sanyō Main Line Mizushima Main Line (Kurashiki-shi Station)	Kurashiki	Okayama Prefecture
Kiyone	清音	7.3	Ibara Line	Sōja
Sōja	総社	10.7	Kibi Line Ibara Line
Gōkei	豪渓	15.3
Hiwa	日羽	19.0
Minagi	美袋	22.7
Bitchū-Hirose	備中広瀬	29.6		Takahashi
Bitchū-Takahashi	備中高梁	34.0
Kinoyama	木野山	38.8
Bitchū-Kawamo	備中川面	42.7
Hōkoku	方谷	47.4
Ikura	井倉	55.2		Niimi
Ishiga	石蟹	59.7
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	Sanin Main Line	Yonago

Rolling stock

• 115 series
• 213 series
• 285 series
• 381 series
• KiHa 120
• KiHa 126

The experimental "Smart BEST" battery electric train was tested on the Hakubi Line between October and December 2012.^[1]

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.^[2] 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.^[2]

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.^[2] 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.^[2]

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

• List of railway lines in Japan

References

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

1. 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.
2. Ishino, Tetsu, ed. (1998). 停車場変遷大辞典 国鉄・JR編 [Station Transition Directory - JNR/JR]. Japan: JTB. p. 96-97. ISBN 4-533-02980-9.