Ube Line

The Ube Line (宇部線, Ube-sen) is a railway line in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan, operated by the West Japan Railway Company (JR West). The line connects Shin-Yamaguchi Station in Yamaguchi and Ube Station in Ube.

Ube Line
A JR West 105 series EMU on a local service, January 2010
Overview
OwnerJR West
LocaleYamaguchi Prefecture
Termini
Stations18
Service
TypeHeavy rail
Technical
Line length33.2 km (20.6 mi)
Track gauge1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification1,500 V DC, overhead lines

Stations

All stations are in Yamaguchi Prefecture.

Name Distance (km) Transfers Location
Shin-Yamaguchi 新山口 0.0 Sanyō Shinkansen
Sanyō Main Line, Yamaguchi Line		 Yamaguchi
Kami-Kagawa 上嘉川 2.8  
Fukamizo 深溝 5.9  
Suō-Sayama 周防佐山 7.5  
Iwakura 岩倉 8.8  
Ajisu 阿知須 10.2  
Kiwa 岐波 12.7   Ube
Maruo 丸尾 15.2  
Tokonami 床波 18.9  
Tokiwa 常盤 20.7  
Kusae 草江 22.5  
Ubemisaki 宇部岬 23.7  
Higashi-Shinkawa 東新川 25.3  
Kotoshiba 琴芝 26.0  
Ube-Shinkawa 宇部新川 27.1  
Inō 居能 28.9 Onoda Line
Iwahana 岩鼻 30.3  
Ube 宇部 33.2 Sanyō Main Line

Rolling stock

History

The Ube Light Railway Co. opened the Ube – Ube-Shinkawa section in 1914, extending the line to Tokonami in 1923 and Ogori (now Shin-Yamaguchi) in 1925. The line was electrified at 1500 VDC in 1929.

In 1928 the Ube Electric Railway Co. opened a 1 km line from Ube-Shinkawa to Ubeko, with a 2 km branch to the Okinoyama coal mine, both electrified at 1500 VDC.

Both companies merged in 1941, becoming the Ube Railway Co. which was nationalised in 1943.

Passenger services to Ubeko ceased in 1952, and both branches closed in 1961.

CTC signalling was commissioned in 1983, and freight services ceased in 1999.

Wanman driver only operation commenced on the section between Ube-Shinkawa and Inō on 1 June 1990, using 105 and 123 series EMUs.[1] The entire line was switched to driver only operation on 14 March 1992.[1]

Former connecting lines
  • Ube station – The Funaki Railway Co. opened a 6 km 762mm gauge line in 1916. The line was converted to 1067mm gauge in 1922, and extended 12 km to Kibe in 1926. The last 8 km closed in 1944, and the balance of the line in 1961.

See also

References

This article incorporates material from the corresponding article in the Japanese Wikipedia

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ube Line.
  1. JR気動車客車編成表 '04年版 [JR DMU & Coaching Stock Formations – 2004]. Japan: JRR. 1 July 2004. p. 199. ISBN 4-88283-125-2.
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