Ohmi Railways

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Ohmi Railway (近江鉄道; Ohmi (also Omi, Oumi) Tetsudo)
Map of {{{TrainLine}}}.
Location Shiga Prefecture(s)
Terminal Stations Maibara Station, Omi-Hachiman Station, Yokaichi Station, Kibukawa Station  
Major Stations Maibara Station, Yokaichi Station, Omi-Hachiman Station, Kibukawa Station  
Train Types Futsu only
Train Schedule Main line at ekikara.jp, Taga Line, Yokaichi Line
Total Distance Main Line 47.7 km, Yokaichi Line 9.3 km, Taga Line 2.5 km
Opened Main Line first opened in 1898 and completed in 1931. Yokaichi Line opened in 1913. Taga Line opened in 1914. 
Operator Ohmi Railway Corporation 
Others Other Railways in Shiga, Railways in Japan 
Links  

Updated: May 11, 2014

Ohmi Railway Corporation (Ohmi Tetsudo) (sometimes spelled Omi and Oumi) is a private railway company (affiliated with Seibu which operates railways in the Tokyo area) operating a few train lines and bus routes in the interior area of eastern Shiga Prefecture, namely Maibara, Hikone, Higashi-Omi, and Koka. The trains are short, usually only two or three cars, and they run on single tracks. Travel time is quite slow. All the trains stop at every station. No express trains. The train line is nicknamed "Gachakon" (ガチャコン) which refers to the banging sound it makes on the rails. Ohmi Railway official Website

On Fri., Sat., Sun., and national holidays (except Dec. 31-Jan. 3), the "One Day Smile Ticket" is available for only 820 yen for adults (410 yen for kids) and you can use it to ride the Ohmi Railways all day. A good deal if you plan to ride the Ohmi Railways train at least twice. Showing the ticket to temples and museums along the Ohmi Railways will also give you a discount on the admission. (Details in Japanese here.)

Also, during 9 am - 4 pm, you can bring your bicycle aboard the train at most Ohmi Railways stations except Hikone, Minakuchi Ishibashi, and station from Omi-Hachiman to Shin-Yokaichi. (Details here.)

For residents, there are more discounts available. If you have a commuter's pass, you can travel beyond your commuter's pass on Ohmi Railways on weekends and national holidays for only 100 yen. (Details here.)

Ohmi Railways also has a small outdoor and indoor museum Ohmi Tetsudo Museum (近江鉄道ミュージアム) at Hikone Station's east side. Open only one Saturday a month. Admission 200 yen. (Details here for 2014.)

There are three train lines:

Train Stations

List of all train stations including transfer lines and popular destinations. Click on the station name to see a map of the station's location.

Main Line (Honsen 本線)

From Maibara Station to Kibukawa Station.

Ohmi Railways Taga Line (多賀線)

Only three stations on this line which shoots off the Main Line. From Maibara and Hikone Stations, some trains run directly to Taga Taisha-mae. On other train runs, you may have to transfer at Takamiya Station.

  • Takamiya Station (高宮駅) - Transfer point between the Main Line and Taga Line. Takamiya-juku is also a former stage town on the Nakasendo Road.
  • Screen Station (スクリーン駅) - New station opened on March 15, 2008. Near Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co. Ltd.'s semiconductor R&D center. The station was built by the company for its employees.
  • Taga Taisha-mae Station - (多賀大社前駅) - Nearby is Taga Taisha Shrine, one of Shiga's most popular shrines.

Ohmi Railways Yokaichi Line (八日市線)

Runs between Omi-Hachiman Station on the Tokaido Main Line and Yokaichi Station in Higashi Omi.