The was established in 1887 and served as a major railroad company during the Meiji period in Japan. The railroad was headquartered in Kobe, and served as head of the railroad.
Rail lines The first rail line opened in 1888. By 1894, the Sanyō Railway had been extended west, along the coast of the Seto Inland Sea, from Kobe to Hiroshima. The railroad was later extended to Shimonoseki. The Sanyō Main Line connected with the Tōkaidō Main Line in Kobe, and the Kyūshū Railway at Moji. The railway gained a reputation for being one of the most progressive and innovative in Japan in its day, introducing the first sleeping cars, dining cars, and electric lighting on its trains.Free, Early Japanese Railways 1853–1914: Engineering Triumphs That Transformed Meiji-era Japan, Tuttle Publishing, 2008 () In 1904, the 530 km (330 mile) trip from Kobe to Shimonoseki took 11 hours. An express train from Kobe to Hiroshima took 8 hours, travelling 304 km (189 miles).
+Railway operation of Sanyō Railway as of November 30, 1906EndpointsLength(km)Length(miles)Line names(designated after nationalization)Notes – 329.3Sanyō Main Line – Shikama3.5Bantan Line – 40.9Bantan Line – 12.2Mine Line – 1.8Sanyō Main Line (Wadamisaki Line) – 27.2Yosan LineSubtotal676.7414.9 – 12.4Kure LineLeased from Government Railways – Ujina3.7Ujina LineLeased from ArmyTotal693.7414.9
Steamship Sanyō also operated steamship service, from Shimonoseki to Busan in Korea. Sanyō Railway also operated a ferry from Miyajimaguchi Station, which opened on September 25, 1897, to Itsukushima (Miyajima).
Nationalization The railroad was nationalized in 1906, under the Railway Nationalization Act, becoming the San'yō Main Line.
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