is a railway line owned 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

Aioi, Hyōgo is a city in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 28,208 in 13143 households and a population density of 310 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Geography Aioi is located in southwestern Hyōgo Pre ...

Okayama, Okayama is the prefectural capital, capital Cities of Japan, city of Okayama Prefecture in the Chūgoku region of Japan. The city was founded on June 1, 1889. , the city has an estimated population of 720,841 and a population density of 910 persons per ...

in Japan. A loop line off the

Sanyō 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 ...

, the Akō Line commences at Aioi, is situated south of the main line approximately paralleling the

Seto Inland Sea The , sometimes shortened to the Inland Sea, is the body of water separating Honshū, Shikoku, and Kyūshū, three of the four main islands of Japan. It serves as a waterway connecting the Pacific Ocean to the Sea of Japan. It connects to ...

, and rejoins the main line at Higashi-Okayama. The entire line is single track. Only one train runs the entire length of the line, with service divided at Banshū-Akō, and no trains terminate at either of the official terminals. Trains from the east continue from

Himeji 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 ...

on the Sanyō Main Line and terminate at Akō, while westbound services originating from Akō continue past Higashi-Okayama and continue on the Sanyō Main Line to

Okayama is the capital city of Okayama Prefecture in the Chūgoku region of Japan. The city was founded on June 1, 1889. , the city has an estimated population of 720,841 and a population density of 910 persons per km2. The total area is . The city is ...

and beyond. "Rapid" and "Special Rapid" trains from

Kyoto Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the c ...

and beyond make local stops between Aioi and Banshū-Akō, and the segment of the line is part of JR West's Kinki region Urban Network.

Stations

The line is split into two sections at Banshū-Akō Station, where passengers would have to interchange for train services to/from the Keihanshin region and the Okayama region.

History

The initial section between Aioi and Banshu-Ako opened in 1951, and the line was opened progressively, to Hinase in 1955, Inbe in 1958, and Higashi-Okayama in 1962. The Aioi - Banshu-Ako section was electrified in 1961, and the rest of the line in 1969. CTC signalling was commissioned between Higashi-Okayama and Banshu-Ako in 1983.

Former connecting lines

* Banshu-Ako Station: The Ako Railway operated a gauge line to Une on the Sanyo Main Line between 1921 and 1951. * Nishi-Katakami Station: The Dowa Mining Co. opened a line to Yanahara, to haul iron sulphide ore, between 1923 and 1931. The line is also connected to Wake station on the Sanyo Main Line. Passenger services commenced in 1931, freight services ceased in 1988 and the line closed in 1991.

References

This article incorporates material from the corresponding article in the Japanese Wikipedia. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ako Line Rail transport in Hyōgo Prefecture Lines of West Japan Railway Company 1067 mm gauge railways in Japan Railway lines opened in 1951

Stations

History

Former connecting lines

See also

References