Kure Line

The Kure Line (呉線, Kuresen) is a railway line operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West) within Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan. It begins at Mihara Station in Mihara and terminates at Kaitaichi Station in Kaita. It is one of the main lines of JR West. The section between Mihara Station to Hiro Station is branded the "Setouchi Sazanami Line" (Seto Inland Sea Ripple Line) as the sightseeing line. On the section between Mihara Station and Hiro Station, most trains operate from Hiro Station through Mihara Station to Itozaki Station. On the section between Hiro Station and Kaitaichi Station, most trains operate from Hiro Station through Kaitaichi Station to Hiroshima Station or Iwakuni Station.

Kure Line
The Setouchi Marine View tourist trainset
Overview
Other name(s)	Setouchi Sazanami Line (Mihara to Hiro)
Native name	呉線
Owner	JR West
Locale	Hiroshima Prefecture
Termini	Mihara Kaitaichi
Stations	28
Service
Operator(s)	JR West
History
Opened	27 December 1903 (1903-12-27)
Technical
Line length	87.0 km (54.1 mi)
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification	1,500 V DC overhead
Operating speed	95 km/h (59 mph)

Special trains

A 115 series train on an Akiji liner Rapid Service

• Akiji Liner: Runs the section between Hiroshima Station to Kure Station in about 30 minutes.
• etSETOta: Sightseeing train operated since October 1, 2005. Renamed from Setouchi Marine View in 2019.^[1]

Stations

The Kure Line is entirely within Hiroshima Prefecture.

Line	No.	Name	Japanese	Distance (km)	Transfers	Location
Kure Line	Y31	Mihara	三原	0.0	Sanyō Shinkansen Sanyō Main Line	Mihara
	Y30	Sunami	須波	5.1
	Y29	Akisaizaki	安芸幸崎	11.8
	Y28	Tadanoumi	忠海	17.2		Takehara
	Y27	Akinagahama	安芸長浜	20.0
	Y26	Ōnori	大乗	21.8
	Y25	Takehara	竹原	25.3
	Y24	Yoshina	吉名	30.0
	Y23	Akitsu	安芸津	34.7		Higashihiroshima
	Y22	Kazahaya	風早	37.9
	Y21	Yasuura	安浦	44.2		Kure
	Y20	Ato	安登	48.7
	Y19	Akikawajiri	安芸川尻	52.8
	Y18	Nigata	仁方	57.6
	Y17	Hiro	広	60.2
	Y16	Shin-Hiro	新広	61.5
	Y15	Akiaga	安芸阿賀	62.9
	Y14	Kure	呉	67.0
	Y13	Kawaraishi	川原石	68.7
	Y12	Yoshiura	吉浦	71.0
	Y11	Karugahama	かるが浜	72.2
	Y10	Tennō	天応	74.3
	Y09	Kure-Portopia	呉ポートピア	75.6
	Y08	Koyaura	小屋浦	77.1		Saka, Aki District
	Y07	Mizushiri	水尻	79.3
	Y06	Saka	坂	81.8
	Y05	Yano	矢野	84.4		Aki-ku, Hiroshima
	Y04	Kaitaichi	海田市	87.0	Sanyō Main Line	Kaita, Aki District
Sanyō Main Line
	Y03	Mukainada	向洋	89.3		Fuchū, Aki District
	Y02	Tenjingawa	天神川	91.1		Minami-ku, Hiroshima
	Y01	Hiroshima	広島	93.4	San'yō Shinkansen Sanyō Main Line Geibi Line Hiroden Main Line; ■ Route 1, ■ 2, ■ 5, ■ 6;

Rolling stock

New 2- and 3-car 227 series electric trains are scheduled to be introduced on the Kure Line from around 2015, replacing older 115 series trains.^[2]

History

The Kaitashi - Kure section was opened as a private line in 1903, and leased to the Sanyo Railway Co. the following year, before being nationalised in 1906. Individual section opening dates are given below.

The Mihara - Sunami section opened in 1930, and the two sections were connected in 1935. Work to duplicate the line at Kure commenced in 1940, but was abandoned due to material shortages in 1945.

The entire line was electrified in 1970, and freight services ceased in 1986.

Kure Line

• Opened the line between Kaitaichi Station to Kure Station including Yano Station, Saka Station, Tennō Station and Yoshiura Station on December 27, 1903.
• Opened temporary station (Hamasaki Station) on July 28, 1904.
• Rent for Sanyo Railway from December 1, 1904.
• Nationalized from December 1, 1906.
• Named "Kure Line" as one of national rail ways on October 12, 1909.
• Opened Koyaura Station and Closed Hamasaki Station on May 1, 1914.
• Opened temporary station (Akihamasaki Station) on July 21, 1926.
• Opened temporary station (Karyugahama Station) on July 7, 1928.
• Extended the line from Kure Station to Hiro Station and opened Akiaga Station and Hiro Station on March 24, 1935.

Sango Line

• Opened Sango Line between Mihara Station to Sunami Station on March 19, 1930.
• Extended the line from Sunami Station to Akisaizaki Station on April 28, 1931.
• Extended the line from Akisaizaki Station to Takehara Station including Tadanoumi Station and Ōnori Station on July 10, 1932.
• Extended the line from Takehara Station to Mitsuuchinoumi Station later renamed to Yasuura Station including Yoshina Station, Akimitsu Station and Kazahaya Station on January 17, 1935.

Integration

• Integrated Sango Line into Kure Line and opened Ato Station, Akikawajiri Station, Nigata Station and Kawaraishi Station on November 24, 1935.

After integration

• Closed Kawaraishi Station on December 1, 1940.
• Renamed Mitsuuchinoumi Station to Yasuura Station on May 1, 1946.
• Renamed Akimitsu Station to Akitsu Station on December 20, 1949.
• Re-opened Kawaraishi Station on August 1, 1958.
• Closed temporary stations (Karyugahama Station and Akihamasaki Station) on August 1, 1967.
• Electrified the rail way on September 15, 1970.
• Stopped cargo services on December 1, 1986.
• Privatized as JR West on April 1, 1987.
• Opened Kure-Portopia Station on March 19, 1992.
• Opened Akinagahama Station on October 1, 1994.
• Opened Karugahama Station and Mizushiri Station and moved Kawaraishi Station on February 7, 1999.
• Opened Shinhiro Station on March 23, 2002.