Marine Liner

Marine Liner
The Marine Liner 37 service to Takamatsu passing Sanuki-Fuchu Station, lead by a JR Shikoku 5000 series EMU
Service type	Rapid
Operator	JR West, JR Shikoku
Line used	Seto-Ohashi Line
Started	1988
Rolling stock	223-5000 series/5000 series EMUs

The Marine Liner (マリンライナー, Marin Rainā^?) is the name of a train service in Japan operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West) and Shikoku Railway Company (JR Shikoku). The Marine Liner links Okayama, the capital city of Okayama Prefecture and a major station on the Sanyō Shinkansen, with Takamatsu, the capital city of Kagawa Prefecture on the island of Shikoku, via the Great Seto Bridge. At a top speed of 130 km/h (80 mph), the journey takes approximately 55–60 minutes.

Since 1 October 2003, the Marine Liner has been operated by JR West 223-5000 series EMU trainsets. The first car on most Takamatsu-bound trains is a JR Shikoku 5000 series bi-level cab car with reserved seating. Previously, 213 series EMUs were used.

From Okayama to Takamatsu, all Marine Liner trains stop at Chayamachi, Kojima and Sakaide. Most trains also stop at either Senoo or Hayashima, or both. Some early morning and late evening trains make additional stops at intermittent stations on the Seto-Ohashi and Yosan lines.

As it is classified as a rapid service (快速, kaisoku^?), a standard fare is charged for using the Marine Liner. It currently takes about one hour to cover the entire journey at a cost of ¥1,470 each way. A passenger may upgrade to reserved seating for an additional ¥510 and ¥950 each way, for the bottom (ordinary reserved) and top (green car/first class reserved) levels of the bi-level train car, respectively. There is a ¥200 discount on ordinary reserved seating during off-peak seasons.

A crew change for the train driver and conductor occurs at Kojima, a boundary station between the two operating railways.

Route

Side view of Marine Liner 5000 series bilevel car at Takamatsu Station, May 2007

The Marine Liner runs over two sections known collectively as the Seto-Ohashi Line. The Okayama-Kojima section is operated by JR West¹, and the Kojima-Takamatsu section is operated by JR Shikoku².

¹Portions run over the JR Uno Line
²Portions run over the JR Yosan Line

Stations

Marine Liner stopping patterns (as of December 2006)

Key

■	All trains stop
▲	Most trains stop
♦	Few trains stop
—-	Pass/No trains stop

Station		Service
Okayama	岡山	■
Ōmoto	大元	♦
Bizen-Nishiichi	備前西市	♦
Senoo	妹尾	▲
Bitchū-Mishima	備中箕島	—-
Hayashima	早島	▲
Kuguhara	久々原	—-
Chayamachi	茶屋町	■
Uematsu	植松	♦
Kimi	木見	♦
Kaminochō	上の町	♦
Kojima	児島	■
Great Seto Bridge
Sakaide	坂出	■
Yasoba	八十場	—-
Kamogawa	鴨川	♦
Sanuki-Fuchū	讃岐府中	—-
Kokubu	国分	♦
Hashioka	端岡	♦
Kinashi	鬼無	♦
Kōzai	香西	—-
Takamatsu	高松	■

External links

Media related to Rapid Service Marine Liner at Wikimedia Commons