Hiroshima Electric Railway line2 min read

Hiroden Ujina Line

宇品線

The Hiroden Ujina Line (宇品線, Ujina-sen) is a 5.9-kilometre street-tram (路面電車) line operated by the Hiroshima Electric Railway (広島電鉄, "Hiroden") in Hiroshima, Japan.

Carrying the line symbol "U", it runs from the Kamiyachō stop in the central Naka ward southward through the city to Hiroshima Port (Ujina) in Minami ward, where it connects with ferries across the Seto Inland Sea. The line is laid to 1,435 mm standard gauge, is double-tracked throughout, and is electrified at 600 V DC; it is served by several of the system's numbered routes.

HiroshimaMinamiNishiSaka2 km
Route of the Hiroden Ujina Line · Hiroshima · Boundaries: MLIT / GSI / Japan Post

History

The line opened in stages from 1912. On 23 November of that year the section from Kamiyachō through Takanobashi to Miyukibashi began operating; at the time the Kamiyachō–Takanobashi portion was called the Seitōgawa Line and the Takanobashi–Miyukibashi portion the Miyukibashi Line. On 8 April 1915 the "Ujina Line" proper opened between Miyukibashi-higashizume (later Sembaikyoku-mae) and Ujina, following a route along the embankment on the western side of the Ujina district that differs from the present alignment; at first passengers had to transfer on foot between Miyukibashi and Miyukibashi-higashizume.

The pieces were knitted together later in the 1910s. On 25 May 1919 a dedicated tram bridge at Miyukibashi was opened and the Miyukibashi–Sembaikyoku-mae link began operating, at which point the Seitōgawa and Miyukibashi lines were merged into the Ujina Line. On 27 December 1935 the original Ujina segment was abolished and services were switched to the present route running along Ujina-dōri, between Minamimachi (today Minamimachi 6-chōme) and Mukaiujina-guchi (today Motoujina-guchi).

The atomic bombing of Hiroshima on 6 August 1945 suspended operations along the entire line. On 18 August the Dentetsu-mae (today Hiroden-honsha-mae)–Mukaiujina-guchi section was restored as double track, and on 12 September the Kamiyachō–Dentetsu-mae section reopened as single track and shuttle running between Kamiyachō and Mukaiujina-guchi started. Through running with the Main Line began on 7 January 1946.

On 1 April 1951 the section from Mukaiujina-guchi to the Ujina terminus — later simply Ujina, today Hiroshima Port (Ujina) — opened. In 1958 morning-peak through services began running onto the Miyajima Line as far as Kusatsu, and on 1 October 1967 the Ujina stop was relocated, extending the line by 0.2 km.

On 1 November 2001 several stops were renamed, including the Ujina terminus, which became Hiroshima Port (Ujina); the same change gave the two Kamiyachō stops, west and east, the guidance names "Kamiyachō-nishi" and "Kamiyachō-higashi". The Hiroshima Port stop was moved to its present, third-generation site on 29 March 2003, again lengthening the line by 0.2 km. Hiroshima Port is served by ferries and hydrofoils to Matsuyama, Imabari and Kure, and to Miyajima, Etajima and other islands of the Seto Inland Sea.

Stations on this line

Timeline

  • 191223 November: the Kamiyachō–Takanobashi–Miyukibashi section opens, then operated as the Seitōgawa Line (Kamiyachō–Takanobashi) and the Miyukibashi Line (Takanobashi–Miyukibashi).
  • 19158 April: the 'Ujina Line' opens between Miyukibashi-higashizume (later Sembaikyoku-mae) and Ujina, on an older route along the western embankment of the Ujina district; Miyukibashi to Miyukibashi-higashizume is connected on foot.
  • 191925 May: a dedicated Miyukibashi tram bridge opens and the Miyukibashi–Sembaikyoku-mae section begins operating; the Seitōgawa and Miyukibashi lines are merged into the Ujina Line.
  • 193527 December: the original Sembaikyoku-mae–Ujina segment is abolished and services switch to the present route along Ujina-dōri, between Minamimachi (now Minamimachi 6-chōme) and Mukaiujina-guchi (now Motoujina-guchi).
  • 19456 August: the atomic bombing of Hiroshima suspends operations along the entire line.
  • 194518 August: the Dentetsu-mae (now Hiroden-honsha-mae)–Mukaiujina-guchi section is restored as double track; on 12 September the Kamiyachō–Dentetsu-mae section reopens as single track and Kamiyachō–Mukaiujina-guchi shuttle running begins.
  • 19467 January: through running with the Main Line begins.
  • 19511 April: the Mukaiujina-guchi–Ujina terminus section opens; the terminus, later Ujina, is today Hiroshima Port (Ujina).
  • 195820 June: morning-peak through services begin running between Ujina 13-chōme (now Ujina 2-chōme) and Kusatsu on the Miyajima Line.
  • 19671 October: the Ujina stop is relocated, extending the line by 0.2 km.
  • 20011 November: the Hiroshima-daigaku-mae, Mukaiujina-guchi and Ujina stops are renamed Nisseki-byōin-mae, Motoujina-guchi and Hiroshima Port (Ujina) respectively, and the twin Kamiyachō stops take the guidance names Kamiyachō-nishi and Kamiyachō-higashi.
  • 200329 March: Hiroshima Port stop is moved to its present, third-generation site, lengthening the line by 0.2 km; on 20 April Route 7 service (Yokogawa Station–Hiroden-honsha-mae) begins.
  • 202324 July: a timetable revision extends Route 7 to Hiroshima Port (Ujina) and reduces Route 3 to morning and evening running only.
  • 202425 March: one-person (driver-only) operation begins on all articulated cars on the Hiroden-honsha-mae–Hiroshima Port (Ujina) section of Route 1.

Sources