The Sanyo Electric Railway Main Line(山陽電気鉄道本線, Sanyō Denki Tetsudō Honsen) is a railway line in Japan operated by the private railway operator Sanyo Electric Railway. It stretches from Kobe west to Himeji via Akashi, Kakogawa and other municipalities in Hyōgo Prefecture. The line runs parallel to West Japan Railway Company (JR West) JR Kobe Line, with closest sections between Sanyo Suma and Sanyo Akashi stations, and competes with the JR line for its entire stretch. Despite the name, no part of the line is located in the San’yō region.

Operation

While Nishidai is the nominal start of the line, all trains run beyond Nishidai station to Sannomiya station within the Kobe Rapid Railway or further within the Hanshin or Hankyū networks.

The line accepts trains of Hanshin via Kobe Rapid, down (west) to Sumaura-kōen. In the Sanyo Main Line, all Hanshin trains stop all stations on their way, though in Hanshin's Main Line some are operated as Locals and some as Limited Express.

Services

All day operation

Local(普通, Futsū)

Hankyu Sannomiya or Hanshin Sannomiya or Sanyo Suma - Sanyo Himeji, makes every stop on the Sanyo Railway Main Line and the Kobe Kosoku Line. At night, down (westbound) trains start at Kōsoku Kobe and up (eastbound) trains terminate at Shinkaichi on the Kobe Kosoku Line.

Direct Limited Express(直通特急, Chokutsū Tokkyū)

Hanshin-Umeda - Sanyo Himeji. Jointly operated by Hanshin Electric Railway and Sanyo, this train makes limited stops on both the Hanshin's Main Line and the Sanyo's Main Line. In Hanshin's official route maps the name is shorted to "Limited Express".

Hanshin Limited Express(阪神特急, Hanshin Tokkyū)

Hanshin's Limited Express trains from Umeda stop at all stations on this line to Sumaura-kōen. In Hanshin's official route maps the name is also shorted to "Limited Express".

Morning and night only

Sanyo Limited Express(山陽特急, Sanyōtokkyū)

Mainly operated between Higashi-Futami and Sanyo Himeji, there is a westbound train from Kosoku Kobe for Sanyo Himeji in the early morning. The same stops as the Hanshin-Sanyo Limited Express (HS) but does not go east beyond Kosoku kobe.

S Limited Express(S特急, S Tokkyū)

Hanshin Sannomiya - Sanyo Himeji. This service makes more stops than the Hanshin Limited Express. Operates up (eastbound) in the mornings from Shikama, Takasago or Higashi-Futami to Sanyo Suma or Hanshin Sannomiya, and down (westbound) late nights from Sannomiya to Sanyo Himeji.

Stations

Legend:

  • ● : All trains stop
  • ▲ : Some trains stop
  • : All trains pass
No.StationJapaneseDistance (km)ServicesTransferLocation
Hanshin Ltd. Exp.S Ltd. Exp.Direct Ltd. Exp.Sanyo Ltd. Exp.City / Town
Through services:from Nishidai to Hanshin Kobe Kosoku Line: Local / S Limited Express for Hankyu Sannomiya or Hanshin Sannomiya Hanshin Limited Express / Direct Limited Express for Hanshin-Umeda on Hanshin Main Line
SY 01 HS 39Nishidai西代0.0Hanshin Kobe Kosoku Line (through service)Nagata-ku, Kōbe
SY 02Itayado板宿1.0Kobe Municipal Subway Seishin-Yamate LineSuma-ku, Kōbe
SY 03Higashi-Suma東須磨1.8
SY 04Tsukimiyama月見山2.6
SY 05Sumadera須磨寺3.3
SY 06Sanyo Suma山陽須磨3.7Sanyo Main Line (JR Kobe Line) (Suma Station, JR-A68)
SY 07Sumaura-kōen須磨浦公園5.1Sumaura Ropeway
SY 08Sanyo Shioya山陽塩屋6.8Sanyo Main Line (JR Kobe Line) (Shioya Station, JR-A69)Tarumi-ku, Kōbe
SY 09Takinochaya滝の茶屋7.8
SY 10Higashi-Tarumi東垂水8.6
SY 11Sanyo Tarumi山陽垂水9.6Sanyo Main Line (JR Kobe Line) (Tarumi Station, JR-A70)
SY 12Kasumigaoka霞ヶ丘10.7
SY 13Maiko-kōen舞子公園11.5Sanyo Main Line (JR Kobe Line) (Maiko Station, JR-A71)
SY 14Nishi-Maiko西舞子12.4
SY 15Ōkuradani大蔵谷14.3Akashi
SY 16Hitomarumae人丸前14.9
SY 17Sanyo Akashi山陽明石15.7Sanyo Main Line (JR Kobe Line) (Akashi Station, JR-A73)
SY 18Nishi-Shimmachi西新町16.9
SY 19Hayashisaki-Matsuekaigan林崎松江海岸18.4
SY 20Fujie藤江駅20.4
SY 21Nakayagi中八木21.8
SY 22Eigashima江井ヶ島23.5
SY 23Nishi-Eigashima西江井ヶ島24.9
SY 24Sanyo Uozumi山陽魚住25.6
SY 25Higashi-Futami東二見27.3
SY 26Nishi-Futami西二見28.6
SY 27Harimachō播磨町29.9Harima, Kako District
SY 28Befu別府32.2Kakogawa
SY 29Hamanomiya浜の宮34.1
SY 30Onoenomatsu尾上の松35.5
SY 31Takasago高砂37.3Takasago
SY 32Arai荒井38.5
SY 33Iho伊保39.7
SY 34Sanyo Sone山陽曽根41.3
SY 35Ōshio大塩42.8Himeji
SY 36Matogata的形44.2
SY 37Yaka八家46.2
SY 38Shirahamanomiya白浜の宮47.6
SY 39Mega妻鹿49.0
SY 40Shikama飾磨50.9Aboshi Line
SY 41Kameyama亀山52.3
SY 42Tegara手柄53.4
SY 43Sanyo-Himeji山陽姫路54.7JR West (Himeji Station) Sanyo Shinkansen Sanyo Main Line (JR Kobe Line) (JR-A85) Bantan Line Kishin Line

History

The Hyogo Electric Tramway(兵庫電気軌道) opened the section from the Hyogo Electric Railway Station (since closed) to Sanyo Suma on 15 March 1910 as 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge, dual track electrified at 600 V DC. All subsequent extensions were electrified dual track. The line was extended to Akashi in 1917.

In 1923, the Kobe Electric Railway opened the Akashi to Himeji section, and merged with the Hyogo Electric Railway in 1927. The Sanyo Electric Railway was created in 1934.[citation needed]

The line voltage was increased to 1,500 V DC in 1948. In 1968, the Higashi Suma to Hyogo Electric Railway Station section was closed and the line was connected to the Hanshin Main Line, enabling through services to Umeda in Osaka.[citation needed]

Station numbering was introduced on Sanyo Electric Railway lines from 1 April 2014, with Main Line stations numbered SY01 to SY43.

Accidents

On 12 February 2013, at around 15:50, a non-stop 6-car limited express service bound for Umeda collided with the rear end of a truck which was protruding onto a level crossing to the west of Arai Station. The first two cars of the train derailed and slid 170 m before hitting the edge of the station platform and coming to rest. 15 people were injured in the collision, including the train driver and truck driver.