Kibi Line

Kibi Line (吉備線, Kibi-sen) is a railway line in Okayama Prefecture, Japan, operated by the West Japan Railway Company (JR West). It is also referred to as the Momotaro Line (桃太郎線).

Kibi Line
Image
KiHa 40 series and KiHa 47 series DMUs on the Kibi Line between Ashimori and Hattori in October 2010
Overview
Other name(s)Momotaro Line
Native name吉備線
StatusIn operation
OwnerLogo of the West Railway Company (JR West) JR West
LocaleOkayama Prefecture
Termini
Stations10
Service
TypeHeavy rail
Operator(s)JR West
Rolling stockKiHa 40 series DMU
KiHa 47 DMU
History
Opened11 November 1904 (11 November 1904)
Technical
Line length20.4 km (12.7 mi)
Number of tracksEntrely Single-track
CharacterUrban and rural
Track gauge1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
ElectrificationNone
Operating speed85 km/h (53 mph)

Stations

All stations are in Okayama Prefecture.

No. Name Japanese Distance
(km)		 Connections Location
U01 Okayama 岡山 0.0
Kita-ku, Okayama
U02 Bizen-Mikado 備前三門 1.9  
U03 Daianji 大安寺 3.3  
U04 Bizen-Ichinomiya 備前一宮 6.5  
U05 Kibitsu 吉備津 8.4  
U06 Bitchū-Takamatsu 備中高松 11.0  
U07 Ashimori 足守 13.4  
U08 Hattori 服部 16.2   Sōja
U09 Higashi-Sōja 東総社 18.8  
U10 Sōja 総社 20.4

Rolling stock

History

The line opened in 1904. The line is named after the historical Kibi Province ("Kibi Province" (吉備国)).

On 1 June 1944, the Chugoku Railway was nationalized, becoming part of Japanese National Railways (JNR).[1] With the privatization of JNR on 1 April 1987, the line came under the control of JR West.[1]

From the start of the 26 March 2016 timetable revision, the line was branded the "Momotaro Line" (桃太郎線).[2] Leading on from this is the linguistic / phonetic coincidence that "kibi dango" (millet dumplings) is a famous dish associated with the Momotaro legend despite neither the character, nor millet in general, nor millet dumplings specifically have any particular historical connection to Okayama. The coincidence has been commented on for centuries.

See also

References
  1. Ishino, Tetsu, ed. (1998). 停車場変遷大辞典 国鉄・JR編 [Station Transition Directory - JNR/JR] (in Japanese). Vol. I. Japan: JTB. p. 96. ISBN 4-533-02980-9.
  2. 岡山・福山エリアの主な路線に「路線記号」「ラインカラー」を導入します [Line codes and line colours to be introduced on main lines in Okayama and Fukuyama areas]. News release (in Japanese). Japan: West Japan Railway Company. 17 September 2016. Retrieved 29 March 2016.
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