Geibi Line

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Geibi Line
A Geibi Line KiHa 120 DMU
Overview
Native name	芸備線
Status	In operation
Owner	JR West
Locale	Hiroshima and Okayama Prefectures
Termini	Bitchū-Kōjiro Hiroshima
Stations	44
Service
Type	Commuter rail line
System	Hiroshima City Network (Karuga–Hiroshima)
Operator	JR West
Rolling stock	KiHa 120 series DMU, KiHa 40 series DMU
History
Opened	28 April 1915; 111 years ago (1915-04-28)
Technical
Line length	159.1 km (98.9 mi)
Number of tracks	Entirely Single-tracked
Character	Rural and urban
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification	None
Operating speed	85 km/h (53 mph)
Signalling	Automatic closed block
Train protection system	ATS-SW
Route map km - Niimi - Nunohara Two tunnels Hakubi Line 0.0 Bitchū Kōjiro Merge to Hakubi Line 3.9 Sakane 6.4 Ichioka 10.0 Yagami 13.6 Nochi 18.8 Tōjō 25.3 Bingo Yawata 29.0 Uchina 33.6 Onuka 37.8 Dōgoyama Four tunnels 44.6 Bingo Ochiai Kisuki Line Three tunnels 50.2 Hibayama 53.2 Bingo Saijō Saijō River 57.4 Hirako 68.5 Taka 68.5 Bingo Shōbara 70.5 Bingo Mikkaichi 72.2 Nanatsuka 75.2 Yamanouchi Chūgoku Expressway 80.1 Shimowachi Fukuen Line / Basen River 83.2 Shiomachi 84.7 Kamisugi Chūgoku Expressway 88.0 Yatsugi 90.3 Miyoshi Sankō Line 91.9 Nishi Miyoshi Two tunnels 99.6 Shiwachi 102.2 Kamikawatachi 106.5 Kōtachi 109.9 Yoshidaguchi 116.1 Mukaihara 122.0 Ibaraichi 126.0 Shiwaguchi 129.5 Kamimita 134.0 Nakamita 136.3 Shirakiyama 138.5 Karuga 140.7 Kamifukawa 143.5 Nakafukawa 144.9 Shimofukawa 146.8 Kumura Sanyō Expressway 149.3 Akiyaguchi 152.1 Hesaka 156.9 Yaga Hiroshima Prefectural Route 70 159.1 Hiroshima Hiroden Main Line San'yō Main Line Sanyō Shinkansen This diagram: view talk edit

The Geibi Line (芸備線, Geibi-sen) is a railway line operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West) in the mountainous area of the Chūgoku region in Japan. It begins at Bitchū-Kōjiro Station on the west side of Niimi, Okayama Prefecture, connecting through Miyoshi Station in Miyoshi, Hiroshima Prefecture, and terminating at Hiroshima Station in Hiroshima. In addition to the Chūgoku Expressway, the Geibi Line is considered the main commuter and local rail line covering the route between northern Hiroshima Prefecture and the city of Hiroshima. The name of the line refers to the ancient provinces of Aki (安芸) (in Hiroshima Prefecture) and Bitchū (備中) (in Okayama Prefecture), which the line connects.

Since 2007, the ICOCA card can be used in all stations between Hiroshima Station and Karuga Station (stations in the Hiroshima City Network).

The majority of the line was out of service after a bridge was destroyed in the 2018 Japan floods. The entire line reopened in October 2019.

The line is one of the least used and least profitable in the JR West network, with average daily ridership of just 13 people (slightly more than two per train) on its least trafficked segment. The segment between Bitchu-Kojiro and Bingo-Yawata runs at an annual loss of JPY 700 million, while the segment between Tojo and Bingo-Shobara is both circuitous and speed-restricted, making it less attractive than bus service. However, local authorities along the route have refused to discuss alternative transportation options with JR West.

Station list

Listed in order from Bitchū-Kōjiro Station to Hiroshima Station, though the chart shows through Niimi Station for convenience as all Geibi Line trains originate and terminate at Niimi.

• ● indicates a station at which a Rapid train stops, and ｜ indicates a station at which a Rapid train does not stop. In addition, Rapid trains are only operated from Niimi to Bingo-Ochiai in one direction, and thus the stations it skips are marked ↓. Stations marked with ▼ are where Rapid Shōbara Liner trains (operating from Hiroshima to Bingo-Ochiai) skip and Rapid trains from Bingo-Ochiai to Hiroshima stop. Local trains stop at all stations.
• The section of the Geibi Line between Karuga and Hiroshima forms part of the Hiroshima City Network.

Rolling stock

The following diesel multiple unit (DMU) rolling stock currently operate on the Geibi Line:

KiHa 120	KiHa 47	KiHa 47
Type 120 DMU	Hiroshima livery	Metropolitan area livery

History

The Geibi Line consists of the section opened by the Geibi Railway, which connected Hiroshima Station and Bingo-Shōbara, the Shōbara Line between Bingo-Shōbara and Bingo-Ochiai which was partly built by the Geibi Railway and then nationalised and extended by the Japanese Government Railways (JGR) and the Sanshin Line built by the JGR between Onuka and Bitchū-Kōjiro. In 1936, the line between Hiroshima and Bitchū-Kōjiro was completed, and the Geibi Railway was nationalised the following year, bringing the entire line under the control of the JGR. Opening dates for individual sections are given below.

See also

• List of railway lines in Japan

References