Akō Line

The line is operated in two sections:

• Aioi—Banshū-Akō and
• Banshū-Akō—Higashi-Okayama

No trains terminate at either of the official terminal stations. At Aioi all trains operate a through service to/from Himeji on the Sanyo Main Line with many services continuing further on JR West's Kansai region Urban Network through to Osaka, Kyoto, Maibara & Tsuruga.^[1][2]

As of January 2026^[update], the furthest in distance that Ako Line trains operate to/from is Tsuruga, while the longest service in time is the first weekday service departing Banshū-Akō at 05:33 which operates a Rapid service to Maibara arriving at 10:13 with a running time of 4 hours, 40 minutes.^[1]

At Higashi-Okayama all trains operate a through service to/from Okayama and beyond on the Sanyo Main Line.^[2]

All trains on the line are Local services, stopping at every station. "Rapid" and "Special Rapid" trains to/from Kyoto and beyond operate as Local trains between Aioi and Banshū-Akō.^[1][2]

More information Common name, Official line name ...

Common name	Official line name	No.	Station	Japanese	Distance (km)	Transfers	Location
							City	Prefecture
↑Through service as far as Tsuruga on JR West's Urban Network via JR Kōbe Line, JR Kyōto Line, Kosei Line, Biwako Line and Hokuriku Main Line↑
Sanyō Main Line	Sanyō Main Line	JR-A85	Himeji	姫路		Sanyō Shinkansen JR Kobe Line ( A85 ) Bantan Line Kishin Line	Himeji	Hyōgo
			Agaho	英賀保
			Harima-Katsuhara	はりま勝原
			Aboshi	網干
			Tatsuno	竜野			Tatsuno
			Aioi	相生	0.0	Sanyō Shinkansen Sanyō Main Line	Aioi	Hyōgo
Akō Line	Akō Line
			Nishi-Aioi	西相生	3.0
			Sakoshi	坂越	7.8		Ako
			Banshū-Akō	播州赤穂	10.5	Akō Line (for Okayama)
Akō Line						Akō Line (for Himeji)
			Tenwa	天和	14.5
			Bizen-Fukukawa	備前福河	16.4
		JR-N16	Sōgo	寒河	19.6		Bizen	Okayama
		JR-N15	Hinase	日生	22.1
		JR-N14	Iri	伊里	27.7
		JR-N13	Bizen-Katakami	備前片上	31.0
		JR-N12	Nishi-Katakami	西片上	32.3
		JR-N11	Inbe	伊部	34.5
		JR-N10	Kagato	香登	38.5
		JR-N09	Osafune	長船	42.3		Setouchi
		JR-N08	Oku	邑久	45.9
		JR-N07	Odomi	大富	48.0
		JR-N06	Saidaiji	西大寺	51.2		Higashi-ku, Okayama
		JR-N05	Ōdara	大多羅	54.1
		JR-N04	Higashi-Okayama	東岡山	57.4	Sanyō Main Line	Naka-ku, Okayama
Sanyō Main Line	Sanyō Main Line
		JR-N03	Takashima	高島
		JR-N02	Nishigawara	西川原
		JR-N01	Okayama	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
↓Through service to/from Sanyō Main Line↓

Close

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

• Gotemba Line
• Kure Line
• Ube Line