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) between

Himeji, Hyōgo 260px, Himeji City Hall is a city located in Hyōgo Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 525,682 in 227,099 households and a population density of 980 persons per km². The total area of the city is ...

and Niimi, Okayama, Japan. The name of the line comes from the first kanji of Himeji () and Niimi () which the line connects.

Stations

*S: Trains stop *s: Some trains stop *｜: Trains pass

Rolling stock

New KiHa 122 and KiHa 127 series

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 ...

s (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.キハ122、127系気動車の新製投入について
, JR West press release, 26 August 2008. Retrieved on 27 August 2008.

History

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 , stylized as SANYO, is a Japanese electronics company and formerly a member of the ''Fortune'' Global 500 whose headquarters was located in Moriguchi, Osaka prefecture, Japan. Sanyo had over 230 subsidiaries and affiliates, and was founded b ...

at Aboshi. The line closed in 1934.

References

{{West Japan Railway Company Lines Rail transport in Hyōgo Prefecture Rail transport in Okayama Prefecture Lines of West Japan Railway Company 1067 mm gauge railways in Japan Railway lines opened in 1923 1923 establishments in Japan