Himi Line

The line was built by the Chūetsu Railway, a private company that had already opened the Takaoka–Jōhana line (today's Jōhana Line). On 29 December 1900 the company extended its network from Takaoka to Fushiki, a stretch of about 7.34 km, opening Fushiki and Nōmachi stations. This Takaoka–Fushiki extension is the origin of today's Himi Line.

The route was pushed north toward Himi in two further stages. On 4 April 1912 the Shimao–Fushiki segment (about 6.28 km) opened, adding Shimao and Amaharashi stations. On 19 September 1912 the final Himi–Shimao segment (about 3.06 km) opened, bringing Himi Station into service and completing the through route from Himi via Takaoka to Jōhana. From Himi a further extension across the Noto Peninsula to Hakui in Ishikawa Prefecture was planned under supplementary table No. 66 of the revised Railway Construction Act, but it was never built, leaving the line a dead-end branch.

The whole Chūetsu Railway was nationalised on 1 September 1920. Under state control the Fushiki–Takaoka–Jōhana section was named the Chūetsu Line, while the Fushiki–Himi section became the Himi Light Railway Line (氷見軽便線). On 2 September 1922 the Himi Light Railway Line was renamed the Himi Line. Diesel railcar operation began on 20 November 1935 with KiHa 41000-type cars. On 1 August 1942 the Himi Line was redefined to cover the Takaoka–Himi section, the configuration it has today.

Under Japanese National Railways the line settled into its role as a rural branch. Freight service on the Fushiki–Himi section was discontinued on 1 March 1978. With the division and privatisation of JNR on 1 April 1987, the Himi Line passed to JR West, while Japan Freight Railway (JR Freight) became a Type II operator over the Takaoka–Fushiki section. One-man (driver-only) operation began on 14 March 1992.

In the 21st century the line has leaned on tourism and local identity. A steam locomotive ran in 2002 to mark the 90th anniversary of the line's completion and the 50th anniversary of Himi city; a "Ninja Hattori-kun" themed train began running in 2004; and on 10 October 2015 the sightseeing train "Belles montagnes et mer" (Berumonta) entered service. From the mid-2010s, however, JR West and local governments repeatedly discussed the future of the loss-making line, including a 2020 proposal to convert it and the Jōhana Line to light rail.

On 1 January 2024 the Noto Peninsula earthquake damaged the track and suspended services until 5 January. Then, on 8 February 2024, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism approved a railway business reconstruction plan under which JR West would transfer the Himi Line, together with the Jōhana Line, to the third-sector Ainokaze Toyama Railway, targeted for roughly five years later. On 14 March 2026 the ICOCA IC card became usable at all stations on the Himi Line.

• 190029 December: the Chūetsu Railway extends its line from Takaoka to Fushiki (about 7.34 km), opening Fushiki and Nōmachi stations — the origin of today's Himi Line.
• 19124 April: the Shimao–Fushiki segment (about 6.28 km) opens, adding Shimao and Amaharashi stations.
• 191219 September: the Himi–Shimao segment (about 3.06 km) opens, bringing Himi Station into service and completing the through route from Himi via Takaoka to Jōhana.
• 19201 September: the entire Chūetsu Railway is nationalised; the Fushiki–Himi section becomes the Himi Light Railway Line (氷見軽便線).
• 19222 September: the Himi Light Railway Line is renamed the Himi Line.
• 193520 November: diesel railcar operation begins, using KiHa 41000-type cars.
• 19421 August: the Himi Line is redefined to cover the Takaoka–Himi section, the configuration it has today.
• 19781 March: freight service on the Fushiki–Himi section is discontinued.
• 19871 April: with the division and privatisation of JNR, the Himi Line passes to JR West; JR Freight becomes a Type II operator over the Takaoka–Fushiki section.
• 199214 March: one-man (driver-only) operation begins.
• 201510 October: the sightseeing train 'Belles montagnes et mer' (Berumonta) enters service.
• 202029 January: JR West and local governments begin studying a shift to a new transport system, including LRT conversion of the Himi and Jōhana lines.
• 20241 January: the Noto Peninsula earthquake damages the track; services are suspended until 5 January.
• 20248 February: the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism approves a reconstruction plan to transfer the Himi and Jōhana lines from JR West to the third-sector Ainokaze Toyama Railway, targeted for roughly five years later.
• 202614 March: the ICOCA IC card becomes usable at all stations on the Himi Line.