Onoda Line

Onoda Line
A 123 series EMU at Nagato-Motoyama Station, January 2007
Overview
Type	Regional rail
Locale	Yamaguchi Prefecture
Termini	Inō Onoda
Operation
Owner	JR West
Technical
Line length
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification	1,500 V DC, overhead lines

The Onoda Line (小野田線, Onoda-sen) is a railway line in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan, operated by the West Japan Railway Company (JR West). The line connects Ube-Shinkawa Station in Ube and Onoda Station in San'yō-Onoda. The branch from Suzemeda to Motoyama is part of this line.

Stations

All stations are in Yamaguchi Prefecture.

Main Line

Line	Name		Distance (km)	Transfers	Location
Ube	Ube-Shinkawa	宇部新川	1.8	Ube Line (to Shin-Yamaguchi)	Ube
	Inō	居能	0.0	Ube Line (to Ube)
Onoda
	Tsumazaki	妻崎	2.5
	Nagato-Nagasawa	長門長沢	3.2
	Suzumeda	雀田	4.5	Motoyama Branch Line	San'yō-Onoda
	Onodakō	小野田港	6.5
	Minami-Onoda	南小野田	7.1
	Minami-Nakagawa	南中川	8.3
	Mede	目出	9.7
	Onoda	小野田	11.6	Sanyō Main Line

Motoyama Branch Line

Name		Distance (km)	Transfers	Location
Suzumeda	雀田	0.0	Onoda Line	San'yō-Onoda
Hamagōchi	浜河内	1.3
Nagato-Motoyama	長門本山	2.3

Rolling stock

• 105 series 2-car EMUs
• 123 series single-car EMUs

History

The Onoda Light Railway Co. opened the Onoda - Minani-Onoda section in 1915 to service a cement plant.

The Ube Electric Railway Co. opened the Ino - Shin-Okiyama station (since closed) section in 1929, electrified at 600 VDC. The branch to Motoyama opened in 1937, also electrified at 600 VDC.

Both companies were nationalised in 1943, and in 1947 the lines were connected, resulting in the closure of Shin-Okiyama station, the replacement for which was nearby Minami-Onoda station.

In 1950 the Onoda - Minami-Onoda section was electrified and the voltage increased to 1500 VDC on the balance of the line.

CTC signalling was commissioned in 1983, and freight services ceased in 1986.

Wanman driver only operation commenced on the branch line between Suzumeda and Nagato-Motoyama on 11 March 1989, using KuMoHa 42 EMUs. Driver only operation commenced on the main line between Inō and Onoda on 1 June 1990, using 105 series EMUs.