Ibara Line

{{Infobox rail line

| box_width =

| name = Ibara Line

| color = 9acd32

| logo =

| logo_width =

| image = IR IRT355-9.jpg

| image_width = 300px

| caption = Ibara Railway IRT 355 Series DMU

| type =

| system =

| status = Operational

| locale = {{plainlist|

|}}

| start = Sōja

| end = Kannabe

| stations = 15

| routes =

| daily_ridership =

| open = {{start date and age|1999|01|11|df=y}}

| close =

| owner = Ibara Tetsudo

| operator = Ibara Tetsudo

| character = Rural

| depot =

| stock =

| linelength = {{Convert|41.7|km|mi|abbr=on}}

| tracklength =

| tracks = 1

| gauge = {{RailGauge|1067mm|lk=on}}

| speed = {{Convert|95|km/h|mph|round=5|abbr=on}}

| electrification = None

| elevation =

| map =

| map_state =

}}The {{nihongo|Ibara Line|井原線|Ibara-sen}} is a Japanese railway line between Sōja Station, Sōja and Kannabe Station, Fukuyama. It is the only railway line operated by the {{nihongo|Ibara Railway|井原鉄道|Ibara Tetsudō}}.

History

Japanese National Railways started the construction of the line in 1966, but financial constraints halted work in 1980. The Ibara Railway Co. was established in 1986 and construction resumed under the newly founded third-sector railway company. The line opened on January 11, 1999, dual track and electrified as far as Kiyone.{{Cite web |date=22 May 2017 |title=開業18年で乗客2000万人…井原鉄道、記念式典を実施 |trans-title=20 million passengers in 18 years since opening, Ibara Railway holds commemorative ceremony |url=https://response.jp/article/2017/05/22/295053.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170522220251/https://response.jp/article/2017/05/22/295053.html |archive-date=22 May 2017 |access-date=4 November 2022 |website=Response.jp |language=ja}}

Basic data

Operators, distances: Sōja — Kannabe; 41.7 km / 25.9 mi.
Ibara Railway (Category-1)
Kiyone — Kannabe: 38.3 km / 23.8 mi.
Ibara Railway (Category-2), West Japan Railway Company (Category-1), Japan Freight Railway Company (Category-2)
Sōja — Kiyone: 3.4 km / 2.1 mi. (Shared with Hakubi Line.)
Gauge: 1,067 mm / 3 ft. 6 in.
Stations: 15
Double-track line: Sōja — Kiyone
Electric supply: Sōja — Kiyone (1500 V DC)
All the Ibara Railway trains are DMUs.
Railway signalling
Kiyone — Kannabe: Simplified automatic
Sōja — Kiyone: Automatic

Stations

class="wikitable" rules="all"
colspan="2"\|Name !style="width:3em;"\|Distance (km) !Connections !colspan="2"\|Location
{{STN\|Sōja\|x}} \|総社 \|style="text-align:right;"\|0.0 \|JR West: Hakubi Line・Kibi Line \|rowspan="12" style="text-align:center; width:1.5em;"\|Okayama \|rowspan="2"\|Sōja
{{STN\|Kiyone\|x}} \|清音 \|style="text-align:right;"\|3.4 \|JR West: Hakubi Line
{{STN\|Kawabejuku\|x}} \|川辺宿 \|style="text-align:right;"\|6.0 \| \|rowspan="3"\|Kurashiki
{{STN\|Kibinomakibi\|x}} \|吉備真備 \|style="text-align:right;"\|8.2 \|
{{STN\|Bitchū-Kurese\|x}} \|備中呉妹 \|style="text-align:right;"\|11.1 \|
{{STN\|Mitani\|x\|Okayama}} \|三谷 \|style="text-align:right;"\|15.1 \| \|rowspan="3"\|Yakage, Oda District
{{STN\|Yakage\|x}} \|矢掛 \|style="text-align:right;"\|18.2 \|
{{STN\|Oda\|x\|Okayama}} \|小田 \|style="text-align:right;"\|23.4 \|
{{STN\|Sōunnosato-Ebara\|x}} \|早雲の里荏原 \|style="text-align:right;"\|26.8 \| \|rowspan="4"\|Ibara
{{STN\|Ibara\|x}} \|井原 \|style="text-align:right;"\|30.5 \|
{{STN\|Izue\|x}} \|いずえ \|style="text-align:right;"\|32.3 \|
{{STN\|Komoriutanosato-Takaya\|x}} \|子守唄の里高屋 \|style="text-align:right;"\|34.1 \|
{{STN\|Goryō\|x\|Hiroshima}} \|御領 \|style="text-align:right;"\|37.6 \| \|rowspan="3" style="text-align:center; width:1.5em;"\|Hiroshima \|rowspan="3"\|Fukuyama
{{STN\|Yuno\|x}} \|湯野 \|style="text-align:right;"\|39.5 \|
{{STN\|Kannabe\|x}} \|神辺 \|style="text-align:right;"\|41.7 \|JR West: Fukuen Line

class="wikitable" rules="all"

colspan="2"|Name

!style="width:3em;"|Distance (km)

!Connections

!colspan="2"|Location

|総社

|style="text-align:right;"|0.0

|JR West: Hakubi Line・Kibi Line

|rowspan="12" style="text-align:center; width:1.5em;"|Okayama

|rowspan="2"|Sōja

|清音

|style="text-align:right;"|3.4