Sanyo Electric Railway Main Line


The Sanyo Electric Railway Main Line is a railway line in Japan operated by the private railway operator Sanyo Electric Railway. It stretches from Kobe west to Himeji via Akashi, Kakogawa and other municipalities in Hyōgo Prefecture. The line runs parallel to West Japan Railway Company JR Kobe Line, with closest sections between Sanyo Suma and Sanyo Akashi stations, and competes with the JR line for its entire stretch.

Operation

is nominal as the start of the line, thus all trains of Sanyo start or end beyond, in Kobe Rapid Railway, or further Hanshin stations, namely stations on Hankyū's Kobe Main Line and on Hanshin's Main Line for Locals, terminal of Hanshin in Osaka.
The line accepts trains of Hanshin via Kobe Rapid, down to. In the Sanyo Main Line, all Hanshin trains stop all stations on their way, though in Hanshin's Main Line some are operated as Locals and some as Limited Express.

Services

All day operation

;Local
;Direct Limited Express
;Hanshin Limited Express
Morning and night only
;Sanyo Limited Express
;S Limited Express

Stations

Legend:
The Hyogo Electric Tramway opened the section from the Hyogo Electric Railway Station to on 15 March 1910 as, dual track electrified at 600 V DC. All subsequent extensions were electrified dual track. The line was extended to Akashi in 1917.
In 1923, the Kobe Electric Railway opened the Akashi to Himeji section, and merged with the Hyogo Electric Railway in 1927. The Sanyo Electric Railway was created in 1934.
The line voltage was increased to 1,500 V DC in 1948. In 1968, the Higashi Suma to Hyogo Electric Railway Station section was closed and the line was connected to the Hanshin Main Line, enabling through services to Umeda in Osaka.
Station numbering was introduced on Sanyo Electric Railway lines from 1 April 2014, with Main Line stations numbered SY01 to SY43.

Accidents

On 12 February 2013, at around 15:50, a non-stop 6-car limited express service bound for collided with the rear end of a truck which was protruding onto a level crossing to the west of Arai Station. The first two cars of the train derailed and slid 170 m before hitting the edge of the station platform and coming to rest. 15 people were injured in the collision, including the train driver and truck driver.