The is a railway line in western Japan, which connects Kyoto and Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi, operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West). It is the major railway line of the San'in region, approximately paralleling the Japan Sea, crossing Kyoto, Hyōgo, Tottori, Shimane, and Yamaguchi prefectures. The main portion from Kyoto to Hatabu is the longest single continuous railway line in Japan at , although no regularly scheduled train operates over the entire line.
The section between Kyoto and Sonobe, connecting Kyoto and its northern suburbs, is a part of JR West's Urban Network and is nicknamed the Sagano Line.
Basic data Distances: Operators West Japan Railway Company (Category 1) Kyoto - Hatabu: Nagatoshi - Senzaki: Japan Freight Railway Company (Category 2) Hōki-Daisen - Higashi-Matsue: Yonago - Higashi-Matsue temporary closed Okami - Masuda: Track: Double: Kyoto – Sonobe, Ayabe – Fukuchiyama, Hōki-Daisen – Yasugi, Higashi-Matsue – Matsue, Tamatsukuri-Onsen – Kimachi Single: the rest Electric supply: Kyoto – Kinosaki-Onsen, Hōki-Daisen – Nishi-Izumo: 1,500 V DC Railway signalling: Kyoto – Nishi-Izumo: Automatic Nishi-Izumo – Hatabu, including "Senzaki branch line": Special Automatic; a simplified automatic system Maximum speed in service: Kyoto – Saga-Arashiyama: Saga-Arashiyama – Umahori: Umahori – Ayabe: Ayabe – Fukuchiyama: Fukuchiyama – Tottori: Tottori – Izumoshi: Izumoshi – Masuda: Masuda – Hatabu: Nagatoshi – Senzaki:
Stations
From Kyoto to Sonobe (Sagano Line)
Stations on this segment - Umekōji-Kyōtonishi - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
From Sonobe to Kinosaki-Onsen This section is designated the letter "E".
Rapid trains are operated as local trains and stop at every station between Sonobe and Fukuchiyama.
For Limited Express Maizuru, Hashidate, Kinosaki, Kounotori and Hamakaze stopping patterns, please check their respective articles.
StationDistance(km)Transfers Location Sonobe 園部 34.2 ( Sagano Line) Nantan Kyoto Funaoka 船岡 38.2 Hiyoshi 日吉 41.9 Shinkyūdaigakumae 鍼灸大学前 44.3 Goma 胡麻 47.1 Shimoyama 下山 51.9 Kyōtamba, Funai Wachi 和知 58.6 Aseri 安栖里 60.7 Tachiki 立木 65.5 Yamaga 山家 69.0 Ayabe Ayabe 綾部 76.2 Maizuru Line Takatsu 高津 80.3 Isa 石原 82.8 Fukuchiyama Fukuchiyama 福知山 88.5 Kamikawaguchi 上川口 95.2 Shimo-Yakuno 下夜久野 102.4 Kami-Yakuno 上夜久野 109.8 Yanase 梁瀬 115.6 Asago Hyōgo Wadayama 和田山 119.0 Bantan Line Yabu 養父 124.2 Yabu Yōka 八鹿 131.2 Ebara 江原 138.7 Toyooka Kokufu 国府 142.4 Toyooka 豊岡 148.4 Willer Trains Miyatoyo Line Gembudō 玄武洞 153.7 Kinosaki-Onsen 城崎温泉 158.0
From Kinosaki-Onsen to Yonago This section is designated the letter "A".
For Limited Express Hamakaze, Super Hakuto, Super Inaba, Super Oki and Super Matsukaze stopping patterns, please check their respective articles. StationDistance(km)TransfersLocation Kinosaki-Onsen 城崎温泉 158.0 ToyookaHyōgo Takeno 竹野 166.0 Satsu佐津173.4 Kami, MikataShibayama柴山175.7 Kasumi香住180.0 Yoroi鎧185.4 Amarube餘部187.2 Kutani久谷191.8 Shin'onsen, MikataHamasaka浜坂197.9 Moroyose諸寄199.8 Igumi居組204.2 Higashihama東浜207.5 Iwami, IwamiTottoriIwami岩美211.9 Ōiwa大岩214.8 Fukube福部219.1 TottoriTottori鳥取230.3 Inbi LineKoyama湖山234.5Tottoridaigakumae鳥取大学前235.8Suetsune末恒239.6Hōgi宝木244.7Hamamura浜村247.6Aoya青谷252.8Tomari泊258.9Yurihama, TōhakuMatsuzaki松崎264.6Kurayoshi倉吉270.1KurayoshiShimohōjō下北条275.2Hokuei, TōhakuYura (Conan Station)由良（コナン駅）280.1Urayasu浦安285.8Kotoura, TōhakuYabase八橋287.6Akasaki赤碕291.3Nakayamaguchi中山口295.5Daisen, SaihakuShimoichi下市297.7Mikuriya御来屋303.6Nawa名和304.7Daisenguchi大山口308.8Yodoe淀江312.7YonagoHōki-Daisen伯耆大山318.2 Hakubi LineHigashiyama-kōen東山公園321.2Yonago米子323.0 Sakai Line
From Yonago to Masuda This section is designated the letter "D". TL: AL: CL: All trains stop at stations signed "+". Most trains stop at "‡". Most trains do not stop at "*". No trains (other than local) stop at "-". Rapid Commuter Liner runs from Nishi-Izumo to Yonago, one direction alone For Limited Express Yakumo, Super Oki, Super Matsukaze and Sunrise Izumo stopping patterns, please check their respective articles.
StationDistance(km)TLALCLTransfers Location Yonago 米子 323.0 + + + Sakai LineYonagoTottori Yasugi 安来 331.8 + + + Yasugi Shimane Arashima 荒島 336.6 + + + Iya 揖屋 342.2 + + + Matsue Higashi-Matsue 東松江 345.3 + + + Matsue 松江 351.9 + + + Nogi 乃木 354.6 + + - Tamatsukuri-Onsen 玉造温泉 358.5 + + - Kimachi 来待 364.5 + + - Shinji 宍道 368.9 + + + Kisuki Line Shōbara 荘原 373.0 + + + Izumo Naoe 直江 379.1 + + + Izumoshi 出雲市 384.6 + + + Kita-Matsue Line (Dentetsu-Izumoshi) Nishi-Izumo 西出雲 389.4 ‡ Izumo-Jinzai 出雲神西 391.4 * Kōnan 江南 393.5 * Oda 小田 400.1 * Tagi 田儀 404.0 * Hane 波根 411.5 * Ōda Kute 久手 413.7 * Ōdashi 大田市 417.2 + Shizuma 静間 420.2 * Isotake 五十猛 422.8 * Nima 仁万 428.9 + Maji 馬路 431.9 * Yusato 湯里 434.8 * Yunotsu 温泉津 437.9 + Iwami-Fukumitsu 石見福光 440.8 * Kuromatsu 黒松 443.6 * Gōtsu Asari 浅利 448.0 * Gōtsu 江津 454.3 + Sankō Line (closed 1 April 2018) Tsunozu 都野津 458.7 + Uyagawa 敬川 460.5 * Hashi 波子 463.3 + Kushiro 久代 465.6 * Hamada Shimokō 下府 469.7 * Hamada 浜田 473.3 + Nishi-Hamada 西浜田 478.7 + Sufu 周布 482.8 * Orii 折居 487.6 + Miho-Misumi 三保三隅 492.6 + Okami 岡見 497.6 * Kamate 鎌手 502.7 * Masuda Iwami-Tsuda 石見津田 507.2 * Masuda 益田 514.5 + Yamaguchi Line
From Masuda to Shimonoseki Station Distance(km) Transfers Location Sanin Main Line Masuda 益田 514.5 Yamaguchi Line Masuda Shimane Todakohama 戸田小浜 524.3 Iinoura 飯浦 528.0 Esaki 江崎 533.8 Hagi Yamaguchi Susa 須佐 540.4 Utagō 宇田郷 549.2 Abu, Abu Kiyo 木与 555.6 Nago 奈古 560.2 Nagato-Ōi 長門大井 564.5 Hagi Koshigahama 越ヶ浜 569.1 Higashi-Hagi 東萩 572.0 Hagi 萩 575.8 Tamae 玉江 578.2 Sammi 三見 583.9 Ii 飯井 588.1 Nagato-Misumi 長門三隅 594.5 Nagato Nagatoshi 長門市 599.6 Mine Line, Sanin Main Line "Senzaki branch line" Kiwado 黄波戸 604.9 Nagato-Furuichi 長門古市 609.0 Hitomaru 人丸 613.5 Igami 伊上 617.9 Nagato-Awano 長門粟野 622.1 Shimonoseki Agawa 阿川 627.4 Kottoi 特牛 631.1 Takibe 滝部 635.1 Nagato-Futami 長門二見 639.9 Ukahongō 宇賀本郷 643.5 Yutama 湯玉 645.7 Kogushi 小串 650.2 Kawatana-Onsen 川棚温泉 652.9 Kuroimura 黒井村 655.4 Umegatō 梅ヶ峠 658.8 Yoshimi 吉見 662.7 Fukue 福江 665.6 Yasuoka 安岡 668.2 Kajikuri-Gōdaichi 梶栗郷台地 679.6 Ayaragi 綾羅木 670.7 Hatabu 幡生 673.8 Sanyō Main Line Shimonoseki 下関 677.3
Senzaki Branch Line Station Distance(km) Transfers LocationNagatoshi 長門市 0.0 Mine Line, Sanin Main Line Nagato Yamaguchi Senzaki 仙崎 2.2
History The line was built by three different private companies, which were subsequently nationalised and connected by the Japanese Government Railway (JGR). The Kyoto Railway opened the section to Sonobe between 1897 and 1899. The Bantsuru Railway opened the Ayabe to Fukuchiyama section (as part of the current Maizuru Line) in 1904. Both companies were nationalised in 1907.
The first section opened by the JGR was between Yonago and Mikuriya in 1902, and the line was then progressively extended eastward, reaching Tottori in 1907 and Iwami in 1908, the same year the current Bantan Line opened to Wadayama and Yoka. Construction of that line continued westward, and the two lines were connected in 1912. In the meantime, the Sonobe to Ayabe section was opened in 1910, and the Fukuchiyama to Wadayama section the following year. In addition, construction from Yonago progressed westward, opening to Matsue in 1908 and Izumoshi in 1910, resulting in the continuous line upon the 1912 connection mentioned above. At the western end, the Choshu Railway opened the Hatabu to Kogushi section in 1914.
From Izumoshi, construction continued progressively westward, opening to Masuda in 1923, and to Todakohama in 1925, the year that the Choshu Railway was nationalised and the Kogushi to Takibe section opened, with construction then continuing from both directions until the two sections were connected in 1933, completing the current line.
Double-tracking The Yonago to Hoki-Daisen section was double-tracked between 1962 and 1966, with the Ayabe to Fukuchiyama section double-tracked in between 1968 and 1969, and the Tamatsukuri-Onsen to Kimachi section in 1970. The Matsue to Higashi-Matsue section was double-tracked in 1979, and the Yonago to Yasugi section in 1980. The original Saga-Arashiyama to Umahori section was built on the banks of the Hozugawa in a narrow gorge. A new double-track alignment was opened in 1989, and the original alignment became the Sagano Scenic Railway. Further double-tracking occurred in stages, with the entire Kyoto to Sonobe section double-tracked by 2010.
Electrification The Hoki-Daisen to Izumoshi section was electrified in 1982 in conjunction with the electrification of the Hakubi Line. The Fukuchiyama to Kinosaki section was electrified in 1986 in conjunction with the electrification of the Fukuchiyama Line. The Sonobe to Fukuchiyama section was electrified between 1985 and 1986, and the Kyoto to Sonobe section in 1990.
Former connecting lines
Fukuchiyama Station: The Hokutan Railway operated a line to Koumori between 1923 and 1971. Ebara Station: The Izushi Railway operated an line to Izushi between 1929 and 1970. Iwami Station: The Iwai Prefectural Government opened a gauge line to Iwai Onsen in 1925. In June 1934, 149 of the 216 buildings at Iwai Onsen burnt down, and then in September that year Typhoon Muroto caused such extensive damage to the line that it was out of service until February 1936. In 1944, the line was closed and materials recycled for the Japanese war effort. Kurayoshi Station: In 1912, a line to Kamii opened, and was extended to Sekigane in 1941 and a further (as a passenger-only section) to Yamamori in 1958. Freight services ceased in 1974 and the line closed in 1985. Yonago Station: The Hakuhi Electric Railway operated a line, electrified at 600 V DC, to Hosshoji between 1924 and 1967. A electrified branch from Aga to Mori operated between 1930 and 1944. Arashima Station: The Hirose Railway opened an line, electrified at 600 V DC to Izumo Hirose in 1928. In 1954, the company merged with the Ichibata Electric Railway, and the line closed in 1960. Izumoshi Station: On the northern side of the station, the Taisha Line opened in 1912, on the opposite bank of the Ogamogawa to the Izumo-Taisha Station on the Ichibata Electric Railway line. Freight services ceased in 1974, and the line closed in 1990. Gotsu Station: The Sanko Line operated 1930 - 2018. Nishi-Hamada Station: A freight-only line to Hamada Minato to service the port operated between 1955 and 1982. Hatabu Station: The Choshu Railway opened a line from Higashi-Shimonoseki to Kogushi via Hatabu in 1914. A proposed extension to Nagato was not built due to funding constraints. The part from Hatabu to Kogushi was nationalised in 1925, with the Hatabu station being moved to its present location in 1928, and the line becoming a part of the San'in Main Line in 1933. The remaining Choshu Railway line from Hatabu to Higashi-Shimonoseki was electrified at 600 V DC in 1926. The company merged with the Sanyo Electric Railway (today Sanden Kotsu, not to be confused with the eponymous company operating in the Hyōgo Prefecture) in 1928, and the line was extended to Karato in 1932 in order to connect it to the Sanyo Electric Chōfu to Hikoshima-Guchi line. The line was closed in 1971.
References This article incorporates material from the corresponding article in the Japanese Wikipedia.