Kishin_Line
Kishin Line
Railway line in Hyogo & Okayama Prefectures, Japan
Kishin Line (姫新線, Kishin-sen) is a railway line operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West) between Himeji, Hyōgo and Niimi, Okayama, Japan. The name of the line comes from the first kanji of Himeji (姫路) and Niimi (新見) which the line connects.
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| Kishin Line | |
|---|---|
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 A Himeji-bound KiHa 127 series train | |
| Overview | |
| Native name | 姫新線 |
| Status | In operation |
| Locale | Hyōgo Prefecture and Okayama Prefecture |
| Termini |
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| Stations | 36 |
| Service | |
| Operator(s) |  JR West |
| Rolling stock | KiHa 40 series DMU, KiHa 120 series DMU, KiHa 122/127 series DMU |
| History | |
| Opened | 21 August 1923; 100 years ago (1923-08-21) |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 158.1 km (98.2 mi) |
| Number of tracks | Entire line single tracked |
| Character | Rural |
| Track gauge | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) |
| Electrification | None |
| Operating speed | 100 km/h (62 mph) (Himeji–Kōzuki) 85 km/h (53 mph) (Kōzuki–Niimi) |
- S: Trains stop
- s: Some trains stop
- ｜: Trains pass
New KiHa 122 and KiHa 127 series diesel multiple units (DMUs) were introduced on the line between Himeji and Kōzuki from spring 2009. Journey times were reduced from spring 2010 after the entire fleet of new trains had been delivered.[1]
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The first section of the line opened was from Tsuyama to the north in 1923, and the line was progressively extended until it reached Niimi in 1929. The section from Himeji opened in stages from 1930, and the line was completed in 1936.
CTC signalling was commissioned in 1986, and freight services ceased the following year.
Former connecting lines
- Shingu Station: The Tatsuno Electric Railway Co. opened a 17 km 1,435 mm gauge line electrified at 600 V DC from Shingu-Cho to Aboshiko between 1909 and 1915 which connected at this station, as well as the Sanyo Main Line at Aboshi. The line closed in 1934.
- キハ122、127系気動車の新製投入について Archived 2009-01-15 at the Wayback Machine, JR West press release, 26 August 2008. Retrieved on 27 August 2008. (in Japanese)