The is a railway line operated by
West Japan Railway Company
, also referred to as , is one of the Japan Railways Group (JR Group) companies and operates in western Honshu. It has its headquarters in Kita-ku, Osaka. It is listed in the Tokyo Stock Exchange, is a constituent of the TOPIX Large70 index, and ...
(JR West) in the mountainous area of the
Chūgoku region
The , also known as the region, is the westernmost region of Honshū, the largest island of Japan. It consists of the prefectures of Hiroshima, Okayama, Shimane, Tottori, and Yamaguchi. In 2010, it had a population of 7,563,428.
History
''Ch ...
in Japan. It begins at
Bitchū Kōjiro Station on the west side of
Niimi
is a city located in northwestern Okayama Prefecture, Japan.
As of March 31, 2017, the city has an estimated population of 30,583 (14,628 males, 15,955 females), with 12,857 households and a population density of 39 persons per km2. The total ...
,
Okayama Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Okayama Prefecture has a population of 1,906,464 (1 February 2018) and has a geographic area of 7,114 km2 (2,746 sq mi). Okayama Prefecture borders Tottori Prefecture to the ...
, connecting through
Miyoshi Station in
Miyoshi,
Hiroshima Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Hiroshima Prefecture has a population of 2,811,410 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 8,479 km² (3,274 sq mi). Hiroshima Prefecture borders Okayama Prefecture to the ...
, and terminating at
Hiroshima Station
is a railway station in Minami-ku, Hiroshima, Japan, operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West). Hiroshima Station is the terminal station for several lines, and all San'yō Shinkansen trains stop here.
Station layout
Hiroshima Stati ...
in
Hiroshima
is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 1,199,391. The gross domestic product (GDP) in Greater Hiroshima, Hiroshima Urban Employment Area, was US$61.3 billion as of 2010. Kazumi Matsui ...
. In addition to the
Chūgoku Expressway
The (part of Asian Highway Network ) is an expressway in Japan, which extends from Suita, Osaka to Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi. It connects Kansai and Chūgoku regions in western Honshu, Japan's main island. Other major cities along the expressw ...
, 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
A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman '' provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...
of (in Hiroshima Prefecture) and (in Okayama Prefecture), which the line connects.
Since 2007, the
ICOCA
The card is a rechargeable contactless smart card used on the JR West rail network in Japan. The card was launched on November 1, 2003 for usage on the Urban Network, which encompasses the major cities of Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe (Keihanshin). It ...
card can be used in all stations between Hiroshima Station and Karuga Station (stations in the
Hiroshima City Network
The is the common name for the JR West rail lines in the Hiroshima metropolitan area. The network was created on October 5, 2002, and modeled after the Urban Network in the Kyōto-Osaka-Kōbe area of Japan. Unlike the Urban Network, the Hiroshim ...
).
The majority of the line was out of service after a bridge was destroyed in the
2018 Japan floods
In late June through mid-July 2018, successive heavy downpours in southwestern Japan resulted in widespread, devastating floods and mudflows. The event is officially referred to as by the Japan Meteorological Agency. As of 20 July, 225& ...
. The entire line reopened in October 2019.
Stations
Listed in order from
Bitchū Kōjiro Station to
Hiroshima Station
is a railway station in Minami-ku, Hiroshima, Japan, operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West). Hiroshima Station is the terminal station for several lines, and all San'yō Shinkansen trains stop here.
Station layout
Hiroshima Stati ...
, though the chart shows through Niimi Station for convenience as most schedules show through Niimi and the train will indicate the last stop as Niimi.
*A ● indicates a station at which the train stops, and | indicates a station at which that particular train does not stop. Local trains stop at all stations.
*Stations Karuga to Hiroshima are part of the
Hiroshima City Network
The is the common name for the JR West rail lines in the Hiroshima metropolitan area. The network was created on October 5, 2002, and modeled after the Urban Network in the Kyōto-Osaka-Kōbe area of Japan. Unlike the Urban Network, the Hiroshim ...
.
Former connecting lines
*
Sankō Line
The is a former railway line and current bus line in western Japan operated by the West Japan Railway Company (JR West). The 108.1 km (67.2 mi) line connected in Shimane Prefecture to in Hiroshima Prefecture and featured 30 tunnels. ...
(closed 1 April 2018) – Miyoshi Station
Rolling stock
The following
diesel multiple unit
A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple-unit train powered by on-board diesel engines. A DMU requires no separate locomotive, as the engines are incorporated into one or more of the carriages. Diesel-powered single-unit railcars are also ...
(DMU)
rolling stock
The term rolling stock in the rail transport industry refers to railway vehicles, including both powered and unpowered vehicles: for example, locomotives, freight and passenger cars (or coaches), and non-revenue cars. Passenger vehicles ca ...
currently operate on the Geibi Line:
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.
Geibi Railway
* 18 April 1915: The Geibi Railway opened between Higashi Hiroshima (different from the current
Higashi-Hiroshima Station) and
Shiwachi.
* 1 June 1915: The line is extended from Shiwachi to Miyoshi (the current
Nishi Miyoshi Station).
* 15 April 1916:
Hesaka Station opens.
* 15 July 1920: The line between
Hiroshima
is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 1,199,391. The gross domestic product (GDP) in Greater Hiroshima, Hiroshima Urban Employment Area, was US$61.3 billion as of 2010. Kazumi Matsui ...
and Higashi Hiroshima opens.
JNR
The abbreviated JNR or , was the business entity that operated Japan's national railway network from 1949 to 1987.
Network Railways
As of June 1, 1949, the date of establishment of JNR, it operated of narrow gauge () railways in all 46 pre ...
Hiroshima Station opens.
* 7 June 1922: The line between Miyoshi (the current Nishi Miyoshi Station) and Shiomachi (the current
Kamisugi Station) opens.
* 8 December 1923: The line between Shiomachi (the current Kamisugi Station) and
Bingo Shōbara opens.
* 20 September 1924:
Nakafukawa Station and
Yamanouchi Station open.
* 1 February 1925: Wadamura Station becomes
Shimowachi Station.
* 20 March 1929:
Yaga Station and
Kamifukawa Station open.
* 1 January 1930: Shirakiyamaguchi Station, Mita Yoshinaga Station, and Tōkaichi Station open.
* 22 April 1930: Takō Station (the current
Shiomachi Station) opens.
* 25 April 1930: Mikkaichi Station opens.
Shōbara Line
* 1 June 1933: Tōkaichi Station is renamed Bingo Tōkaichi Station and Mikkaichi Station is renamed Bingo Mikkaichi Station. The Geibi Railway line between Bingo Tōkaichi Station (the current
Miyoshi Station) and Bingo Shōbara Station is nationalized and renamed the Shōbara Line.
* 1 January 1934: Shiomachi Station is renamed
Kamisugi Station, and Takō Station is renamed
Shiomachi Station.
* 15 March 1934: The line between Bingo Shōbara Station and
Bingo Saijō Station opens.
* 20 December 1935: The line between Bingo Saijō Station and
Bingo Ochiai Station opened.
Sanshin Line
* 10 February 1930: The Sanshin Line opens between
Bitchū Kōjiro Station and
Yagami Station.
* 25 November 1930: The line opens between Yagami Station and
Tōjō Station.
* 15 June 1935: The line between Tōjō Station and
Onuka Station opens.
* 10 October 1936: The line between Onuka Station and Bingo Ochia Station opens. The Shōbara Line is absorbed into the Sanshin Line, which now includes everything between Bitchū Kōjiro Station and Bingo Tōkaichi Station.
* 21 November 1936:
Dōgoyama Station opens.
Geibi Line
* 1 July 1937: The Geibi Railway line between
Hiroshima Station
is a railway station in Minami-ku, Hiroshima, Japan, operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West). Hiroshima Station is the terminal station for several lines, and all San'yō Shinkansen trains stop here.
Station layout
Hiroshima Stati ...
and Bingo Tōkaichi Station is nationalized, and the Sanshin Line is absorbed into the Geibi Line. Kawatachi Station is renamed
Kamikawatachi Station, Mita Yoshinaga Station is renamed
Kamimita Station
is a JR West Geibi Line station located in Koaza Yoshinaga, Ōaza Mita, Shiraki-chō, Asakita-ku, Hiroshima, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.
History
Kamimita Station was originally designed as a place for cars to stop, but with the gasoline rati ...
, Shirakiyamaguchi Station is renamed
Shirakiyama Station, and Yaguchi Station is renamed
Akiyaguchi Station
is a West Japan Railway Company, JR West Geibi Line train station, station located in 1-chōme, Kuchita, Asakita-ku, Hiroshima, Asakita-ku, Hiroshima, Hiroshima, Hiroshima, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The "Aki" in the station title is from the ...
.
* 10 August 1941:
Kamifukawa Station and
Yaga Station close.
* 28 October 1942: Yaga Station closes, and a
signal box
In signal processing, a signal is a function that conveys information about a phenomenon. Any quantity that can vary over space or time can be used as a signal to share messages between observers. The '' IEEE Transactions on Signal Processing' ...
is installed.
* 2 April 1943: Yaga Station reopens.
* 10 August 1948: Kamifukawa Station reopens.
* 1 February 1952:
Hirako Station opens.
* 1 October 1953:
Ichioka Station opens.
* 10 November 1954: The former Miyoshi Station is renamed
Nishi Miyoshi Station.
* 10 December 1954: Bingo Tōkaichi Station is renamed
Miyoshi Station.
* 20 July 1955:
Uchina Station opens.
* 11 November 1955: The ''Chidori'' service begins.
* 20 December 1956: Bingo Kumano Station is renamed
Hibayama Station.
* 13 April 1959: The ''Chidori'' is upgraded to a local express train.
* 15 March 1962: The ''Taishaku'' service begins.
* 5 March 1968: The ''Taishaku'' and ''Chidori'' services are upgraded to regular express trains.
* 1 March 1983: The line between Miyoshi Station and Hiroshima Station uses
CTC.
* 31 October 1983: The line between Bitchū Kōjiro and Miyoshi uses CTC.
* 15 March 1985: The ''Miyoshi'' express service begins.
* 1 November 1986: Freight service is discontinued on the Geibi Line.
* 1 April 1987: The Geibi Line becomes part of
West Japan Railway Company
, also referred to as , is one of the Japan Railways Group (JR Group) companies and operates in western Honshu. It has its headquarters in Kita-ku, Osaka. It is listed in the Tokyo Stock Exchange, is a constituent of the TOPIX Large70 index, and ...
following privatization of
Japanese National Railways
The abbreviated JNR or , was the business entity that operated Japan's national railway network from 1949 to 1987.
Network Railways
As of June 1, 1949, the date of establishment of JNR, it operated of narrow gauge () railways in all 46 pre ...
.
* 1 April 1991: ''Wanman''
driver-only operation
One-person operation (OPO), also known as driver-only operation (DOO), one-man operation (OMO), single person train operation (SPTO), or one-person train operation (OPTO), similarly to Driver Controlled Operation, is operation of a train, bus ...
commences on the line between and .
* 1 November 1991: The line between Miyoshi and Hiroshima is converted to ''wanman''
driver-only operation
One-person operation (OPO), also known as driver-only operation (DOO), one-man operation (OMO), single person train operation (SPTO), or one-person train operation (OPTO), similarly to Driver Controlled Operation, is operation of a train, bus ...
.
* 22 March 2002: The ''Chidori'' and ''Taishaku'' express services are absorbed into the ''Miyoshi'' express service.
* 1 October 2003: The ''Miyoshi Liner'' and ''Tsūkin Liner'' services begin.
* 23 April 2006: The Geibi Line is moved between Kamikawatachi and Kōtachi following widening of Hiroshima Prefectural Route 37 between Hiroshima and Miyoshi.
* 19 July 2006: Services between Bingo Ochiai and Bingo Saijō are suspended due to storm damage of the Geibi Line. An interim bus service begins the following day.
* 1 April 2007: Train service is resumed between Bingo Ochiai and Bingo Saijō.
* 1 July 2007: ''Miyoshi'' express services are discontinued, and ''Tsūkin Liner'' rapid services are integrated into ''Miyoshi Liner'' rapid services.
* 7 July 2018: The
2018 Japan floods
In late June through mid-July 2018, successive heavy downpours in southwestern Japan resulted in widespread, devastating floods and mudflows. The event is officially referred to as by the Japan Meteorological Agency. As of 20 July, 225& ...
result in damage to the line in several places, most significantly destroying the bridge over the Misasagawa River between Shirakiyama and Karuga stations, resulting in the closure of the entire line.
* 23 July 2018: The Hiroshima – Shimofukawa section of the line is reopened. JR West advises replacement of the Misasagawa Bridge is expected to take up to a year.
* 25 August 2018: The Karuga – Shimofukawa section of the line is reopened.
* 27 August 2018: The Bitchū Kōjiro – Tōjō section of the line is reopened.
* 31 August 2018: The Tōjō – Bingo Ochiai section of the line is reopened.
* 4 October 2018: The Bingo Shōbara – Miyoshi section of the line is reopened.
* 20 December 2018: The Bingo Ochiai – Bingo Shōbara section of the line is reopened.
* 4 April 2019: The Miyoshi – Nakamita section of the line is reopened. However, trains only operate in the morning and evening hours (Operations were suspended from 25 July to 31 August).
* 23 October 2019: The Nakamita – Karuga section of the line is reopened. The entire line reopened after 1 year and 3 months from the 2018 Japan floods.
* 9 March 2020: A KiHa 120 car derails near Bingo Yawata station, causing a temporary closure of the line between Tōjō and Bingo Ochiai.
* 8 June 2021: JR West initiated a work group with local communities along the
Bingo-Shōbara –
Niimi
is a city located in northwestern Okayama Prefecture, Japan.
As of March 31, 2017, the city has an estimated population of 30,583 (14,628 males, 15,955 females), with 12,857 households and a population density of 39 persons per km2. The total ...
section to assess the future of the line. According to JR West data, on average only 81 passengers use the line between
Bitchū-Kōjiro and
Tōjō, 11 between Tōjō and
Bingo-Ochiai and 215 between Bingo-Ochiai and
Miyoshi. Due to the lack of patronage, JR West is considering to abolish the aforementioned section and replace it with bus services.
See also
*
List of railway lines in Japan
List of railway lines in Japan lists existing railway lines in Japan alphabetically.
The vast majority of Japanese railways are classified under two Japanese laws, one for and another for . The difference between the two is a legal, and not alway ...
References
{{Hiroshima transit
Lines of West Japan Railway Company
1067 mm gauge railways in Japan
Railway lines opened in 1915