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| Hakubi Line | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Limited ExpressYakumo | |
| Overview | |
| Owner |  JR West |
| Locale | Okayama andTottori Prefectures |
| Termini | |
| Stations | 28 |
| Service | |
| Type | Regional rail |
| Operator(s) | JR West Ibara Railway (betweenKiyone andSōja) |
| Rolling stock | |
| History | |
| Opened | 10 August 1919; 105 years ago (1919-08-10) |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 138.4 km (86.0 mi) |
| Number of tracks | 2 (Kurashiki –Bitchū-Takahashi) 2 (Ikura –Ishiga) 2 (Niimi –Nunohara) 1 for rest of line |
| Track gauge | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) |
| Minimum radius | 200 m (660 ft) |
| Electrification | 1,500 V DC |
| Operating speed | 110 km/h (68 mph) – 120 km/h (75 mph) |
TheHakubi Line (伯備線,Hakubi-sen) is a railway line operated byWest Japan Railway Company (JR West) in the mountainous area of theChūgoku region of Japan. It begins at the south end ofOkayama Prefecture atKurashiki Station inKurashiki, passing throughNiimi Station on the west side ofNiimi, and terminating atHōki-Daisen Station inYonago,Tottori Prefecture, linking Okayama Prefecture and Yonago across theChūgoku Mountains. The Hakubi Line follows theTakahashi River between Kurashiki and Niimi, and theHino River betweenShōyama and Hōki-Daisen.
As of April 2023, theICOCA card can be used in all stations between Kurashiki Station and Niimi Station.[1]
The Okayama Division of JR West has jurisdictional control over operations between Kurashiki and Niizato stations, with the Yonago Division having control between Kami-Iwami and Hōki-Daisen Station. The boundary is midway between Niizato and Kami-Iwami Stations. The line color for the portion covered by the Okayama Division is vermillion orange, while the section covered by the Yonago Division is the standard blue.
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The experimental "Smart BEST" battery electric train was tested on the Hakubi Line between October and December 2012.[4]
The first section of the Hakubi Line to open was the northern section, initially named the Hakubihoku Line (伯備北線, lit. "Hakubi North Line"), betweenHōki-Mizoguchi andHōki-Daisen on 10 August 1919.[5] The northern section was then progressively extended south, toEbi Station on 25 March 1922, toNeu Station on 30 July 1922, toKurosaka Station on 10 November 1922, toShōyama Station on 28 November 1923, toKami-Iwami Station on 6 December 1924, and toAshidachi Station on 1 December 1926.[5]
The first section of the southern part of the Hakubi Line, named the Hakubinan Line (伯備南線, lit. "Hakubi South Line"), was opened on 17 February 1925, between Shisawa (nowGōkei) andKurashiki.[5] The southern section was gradually extended north, extending toBitchū-Kawamo on 31 July 1927, with connection between the north and south sections being made on 25 October 1928, from which date the entire line was named the Hakubi Line.[5]
The Kiyone to Bitchu-Takahashi section was double-tracked between 1968 and 1973, with the Kurashiki to Kiyone and Niimi to Nunohara sections being double-tracked in 1979, and the Ishiga to Ikuta section double-tracked between 1982 and 1983 in conjunction with a realignment which shortened the route by 1.2 km.[citation needed] CTC signalling was commissioned on the entire line in 1972, and the Kurashiki to Hokidaisen section was electrified in 1982.[citation needed]
