Ibara Line

Ibara Line
Ibara Railway IRT 355 Series DMU
Overview
Status	Operational
Owner	Ibara Tetsudo
Locale	Okayama Prefecture Hiroshima Prefecture
Termini	Sōja Kannabe
Stations	15
Service
Operator(s)	Ibara Tetsudo
History
Opened	11 January 1999; 26 years ago (1999-01-11)
Technical
Line length	41.7 km (25.9 mi)
Number of tracks	1
Character	Rural
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification	None
Operating speed	95 km/h (60 mph)

The Ibara Line (井原線, Ibara-sen) is a Japanese railway line between Sōja Station, Sōja and Kannabe Station, Fukuyama. It is the only railway line operated by the Ibara Railway (井原鉄道, Ibara Tetsudō).

History

Japanese National Railways started the construction of the line in 1966, but financial constraints halted work in 1980. The Ibara Railway Co. was established in 1986 and construction resumed under the newly founded third-sector railway company. The line opened on January 11, 1999, dual track and electrified as far as Kiyone.[1]

Basic data

• Operators, distances: Sōja — Kannabe; 41.7 km / 25.9 mi.
  • Ibara Railway (Category-1)
    • Kiyone — Kannabe: 38.3 km / 23.8 mi.
  • Ibara Railway (Category-2), West Japan Railway Company (Category-1), Japan Freight Railway Company (Category-2)
    • Sōja — Kiyone: 3.4 km / 2.1 mi. (Shared with Hakubi Line.)
• Gauge: 1,067 mm / 3 ft. 6 in.
• Stations: 15
• Double-track line: Sōja — Kiyone
• Electric supply: Sōja — Kiyone (1500 V DC)
  • All the Ibara Railway trains are DMUs.
• Railway signalling
  • Kiyone — Kannabe: Simplified automatic
  • Sōja — Kiyone: Automatic

Stations

Name		Distance (km)	Connections	Location
Sōja	総社	0.0	JR West: Hakubi Line・Kibi Line	Okayama	Sōja
Kiyone	清音	3.4	JR West: Hakubi Line
Kawabejuku	川辺宿	6.0			Kurashiki
Kibinomakibi	吉備真備	8.2
Bitchū-Kurese	備中呉妹	11.1
Mitani	三谷	15.1			Yakage, Oda District
Yakage	矢掛	18.2
Oda	小田	23.4
Sōunnosato-Ebara	早雲の里荏原	26.8			Ibara
Ibara	井原	30.5
Izue	いずえ	32.3
Komoriutanosato-Takaya	子守唄の里高屋	34.1
Goryō	御領	37.6		Hiroshima	Fukuyama
Yuno	湯野	39.5
Kannabe	神辺	41.7	JR West: Fukuen Line

See also

• List of railway companies in Japan
• List of railway lines in Japan

References

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

1. "開業18年で乗客2000万人…井原鉄道、記念式典を実施" [20 million passengers in 18 years since opening, Ibara Railway holds commemorative ceremony]. Response.jp (in Japanese). 22 May 2017. Archived from the original on 22 May 2017. Retrieved 4 November 2022.

External links

• Official website (in Japanese)