The Ube Line(宇部線, Ube-sen) is a railway line in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan, operated by the West Japan Railway Company (JR West). The line connects Shin-Yamaguchi Station in Yamaguchi and Ube Station in Ube.

Stations

All stations are in Yamaguchi Prefecture.

NameDistance (km)TransfersLocation
Shin-Yamaguchi新山口0.0Sanyō Shinkansen Sanyō Main Line, Yamaguchi LineYamaguchi
Kami-Kagawa上嘉川2.8
Fukamizo深溝5.9
Suō-Sayama周防佐山7.5
Iwakura岩倉8.8
Ajisu阿知須10.2
Kiwa岐波12.7Ube
Maruo丸尾15.2
Tokonami床波18.9
Tokiwa常盤20.7
Kusae草江22.5
Ubemisaki宇部岬23.7
Higashi-Shinkawa東新川25.3
Kotoshiba琴芝26.0
Ube-Shinkawa宇部新川27.1
Inō居能28.9Onoda Line (through service from Ube-Shinkawa)
Iwahana岩鼻30.3
Ube宇部33.2Sanyō Main Line

Rolling stock

History

The Ube Light Railway Co. opened the Ube – Ube-Shinkawa section in 1914, extending the line to Tokonami in 1923 and Ogori (now Shin-Yamaguchi) in 1925. The line was electrified at 1500 VDC in 1929.

In 1928 the Ube Electric Railway Co. opened a 1 km line from Ube-Shinkawa to Ubeko, with a 2 km branch to the Okinoyama coal mine, both electrified at 1500 VDC.

Both companies merged in 1941, becoming the Ube Railway Co. which was nationalised in 1943.

Passenger services to Ubeko ceased in 1952, and both branches closed in 1961.

CTC signalling was commissioned in 1983, and freight services ceased in 1999.

"One-man" driver only operation commenced on the section between Ube-Shinkawa and Inō on 1 June 1990, using 105 and 123 series EMUs. The entire line was switched to driver only (conductorless) operation on 14 March 1992.

Former connecting lines

  • Ube station – The Funaki Railway Co. opened a 6 km 762mm gauge line in 1916. The line was converted to 1067mm gauge in 1922, and extended 12 km to Kibe in 1926. The last 8 km closed in 1944, and the balance of the line in 1961.

See also

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