Kibi Line

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Kibi Line
KiHa 40 series and KiHa 47 series DMUs on the Kibi Line between Ashimori and Hattori in October 2010
Overview
Other name(s)	Momotaro Line
Native name	吉備線
Status	In operation
Owner	JR West
Locale	Okayama Prefecture
Termini	Okayama Sōja
Stations	10
Service
Type	Heavy rail
Operator(s)	JR West
Rolling stock	KiHa 40 series DMU KiHa 47 DMU
History
Opened	11 November 1904; 120 years ago (11 November 1904)
Technical
Line length	20.4 km (12.7 mi)
Number of tracks	Entirely Single-track
Character	Urban and rural
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification	None
Operating speed	85 km/h (53 mph)

Kibi Line (吉備線, Kibi-sen) is a railway line in Okayama Prefecture, Japan, operated by the West Japan Railway Company (JR West). The nickname used by JR West in maps and timetables is the Momotaro Line (桃太郎線).

All stations are in Okayama Prefecture.

• KiHa 40 series diesel multiple units

The line opened in 1904.^{[citation needed]} The line is named after the historical Kibi Province ("Kibi Province" (吉備国)).

On 1 June 1944, the Chugoku Railway was nationalized, becoming part of Japanese National Railways (JNR).^[1] With the privatization of JNR on 1 April 1987, the line came under the control of JR West.^[1]

From the start of the 26 March 2016 timetable revision, the line was branded the "Momotaro Line" (桃太郎線).^[2] Leading on from this is the linguistic / phonetic coincidence that "kibi dango" (millet dumplings) is a famous dish associated with the Momotaro legend despite neither the character, nor millet in general, nor millet dumplings specifically have any particular historical connection to Okayama. The coincidence has been commented on for centuries.

• List of railway lines in Japan