| Akō Line | |
| Native Name: | 赤穂線 |
| Type: | Passenger/freight |
| System: | Urban Network (Aioi - Banshū-Akō) |
| Stations: | 19 |
| Open: | 1951 |
| Stock: | 113 series EMU 115 series EMU 117 series EMU 213 series EMU 221 series EMU 223-1000 series EMU 223-2000 series EMU 223-6000 series EMU 225-0 series EMU 225-100 series EMU |
| Linelength Km: | 57.4 |
is a railway line owned by West Japan Railway Company (JR West) between Aioi, Hyōgo to Okayama, Okayama in Japan. A loop line off the Sanyō Main Line, the Akō Line commences at Aioi, is situated south of the main line approximately paralleling the Seto Inland Sea, and rejoins the main line at Higashi-Okayama.
The entire 57.4km (35.7miles) 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 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 and beyond. "Rapid" and "Special Rapid" trains from Kyoto 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.
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.
| Common name | Official line name | No. | Station | Japanese | Distance (km) | Transfers | Location | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City | Prefecture | |||||||
| Sanyō Main Line | Sanyō Main Line | Himeji | Japanese: 姫路 | Sanyō Shinkansen JR Kobe Line Bantan Line Kishin Line | Himeji | Hyōgo | ||
| Agaho | Japanese: 英賀保 | |||||||
| Harima-Katsuhara | Japanese: はりま勝原 | |||||||
| Aboshi | Japanese: 網干 | |||||||
| Tatsuno | Japanese: 竜野 | Tatsuno | ||||||
| Aioi | Japanese: 相生 | 0.0 | Sanyō Shinkansen Sanyō Main Line | Aioi | Hyōgo | |||
| Akō Line | Akō Line | |||||||
| Nishi-Aioi | Japanese: 西相生 | 3.0 | ||||||
| Sakoshi | Japanese: 坂越 | 7.8 | Ako | |||||
| Banshū-Akō | Japanese: 播州赤穂 | 10.5 | Akō Line (for Okayama) | |||||
| Akō Line | Akō Line (for Himeji) | |||||||
| Tenwa | Japanese: 天和 | 14.5 | ||||||
| Bizen-Fukukawa | Japanese: 備前福河 | 16.4 | ||||||
| Sōgo | Japanese: 寒河 | 19.6 | Bizen | Okayama | ||||
| Hinase | Japanese: 日生 | 22.1 | ||||||
| Iri | Japanese: 伊里 | 27.7 | ||||||
| Bizen-Katakami | Japanese: 備前片上 | 31.0 | ||||||
| Nishi-Katakami | Japanese: 西片上 | 32.3 | ||||||
| Inbe | Japanese: 伊部 | 34.5 | ||||||
| Kagato | Japanese: 香登 | 38.5 | ||||||
| Osafune | Japanese: 長船 | 42.3 | Setouchi | |||||
| Oku | Japanese: 邑久 | 45.9 | ||||||
| Odomi | Japanese: 大富 | 48.0 | ||||||
| Saidaiji | Japanese: 西大寺 | 51.2 | Higashi-ku, Okayama | |||||
| Ōdara | Japanese: 大多羅 | 54.1 | ||||||
| Higashi-Okayama | Japanese: 東岡山 | 57.4 | Sanyō Main Line | Naka-ku, Okayama | ||||
| Sanyō Main Line | Sanyō Main Line | |||||||
| Takashima | Japanese: 高島 | |||||||
| Nishigawara | Japanese: 西川原 | |||||||
| Okayama | Japanese: 岡山 | Sanyō Shinkansen Sanyō Main Line Tsuyama Line Uno Line (Seto-Ōhashi Line) Kibi Line (Momotaro Line) Okayama Electric Tramway Higashiyama Main Line | Kita-ku, Okayama | |||||
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.
Main line alternate routes
This article incorporates material from the corresponding article in the Japanese Wikipedia.