Miyajima Line

Unusually among Hiroden's lines, the Miyajima Line is the only one classified as a "railway" under the Railway Business Act; the company's other lines are tramways under the Tramway Act. The line runs roughly parallel to the West Japan Railway Company (JR West) San'yō Main Line for its whole length, but where JR has one station, Hiroden typically has two to four. Although the journey to Hiroshima Station takes more than twice as long as JR's, the fare is cheaper — as of September 2025, JR charged 420 yen against Hiroden's 240 yen — and because the line through-runs onto the city tram network it reaches the central Kamiyachō and Hatchōbori districts of Hiroshima without a transfer. The British Light Rail Transit Association classifies the line as light rail, and it also has the character of a tram-train.

The line was built piece by piece in the 1920s by what became Hiroden. The first section, between Koi-machi and Kusatsu-machi, opened on 22 August 1922; automatic block signalling was adopted on the line in April 1924, and the same month the line was extended from Kusatsu-machi to Hatsukaichi-machi on 6 April 1924. It reached Jigozen on 15 July 1925, and was extended onward to Shin-Miyajima — a station that once stood between today's Jigozen and Ajina-higashi and was later abolished — on 15 July 1926.

The line was completed on 1 February 1931, when the Shin-Miyajima–Densha-Miyajima section opened and gave a through route from Koi to the Miyajima ferry; on the same day Shin-Miyajima Station closed and Ajina Station opened, and several stations were renamed, including Koi-machi to Nishi-hiroshima. Wartime needs then cut into the line: on 21 July 1944 the down track between Densha-Hatsukaichi and Densha-Miyajima was lifted to provide material for the new Minami Line, leaving that section single-tracked; double-track operation there was not restored until 24 July 1950.

Through-running with the central city tram lines — the feature for which the line is best known — began as a chartered operation on 1 April 1958, worked by 850-type cars (later the 350 type), the line having until then run only as a railway with high-floor rolling stock. On 10 January 1962 Hiroden-nishi-hiroshima Station was moved to its present site and a permanent timetable of through services between Hiroshima-Eki-mae and Hiroden-hatsukaichi or Hiroden-miyajima began, though running through to Hiroden-miyajima was at first limited to Sundays and holidays; weekday through-running to Hiroden-miyajima followed on 6 May 1963.

For decades the line ran a mix of low-floor tram-type cars and high-floor interurban cars confined to within-line shuttles, and stations had both a low platform for the tram-through services and a high platform for the high-floor cars. Operation of the Miyajima-Line high-floor cars ended on 7 August 1991, and from the following day the fleet was unified on tram-type cars; most of the high platforms were subsequently removed, though some survive. New articulated tram-type stock followed, the "GREEN MOVER" (5000 series) entering service on 9 June 1999.

Many stations were renamed over the years as the surrounding suburbs changed. On 1 November 2001 Hiroden-nishi-hiroshima Station was merged with the Main Line's Koi stop and renamed Hiroden-nishi-hiroshima (Koi), while Ajina became Ajina-higashi, Tajiri became Hiroden-ajina, and Densha-Miyajima — the western terminus — became Hiroden-miyajima-guchi. The PASPY IC card was introduced at all of the line's stations on 17 October 2009. Most recently, on 2 July 2022 Hiroden-miyajima-guchi Station was relocated toward the sea, closer to the ferry pier, with a replacement bus service running on the morning of the move until the new station opened around 14:00. Today more than nine in ten trains on the line run as "Route 2" through services to and from Hiroshima Station over the Main Line.

• 192222 August: the first section, Koi-machi–Kusatsu-machi, opens.
• 1924April: automatic block signalling is adopted on the line; on 6 April the line is extended from Kusatsu-machi to Hatsukaichi-machi.
• 192515 July: the line is extended from Hatsukaichi-machi to Jigozen.
• 192615 July: the line is extended from Jigozen to Shin-Miyajima (a station later abolished, between present-day Jigozen and Ajina-higashi).
• 19311 February: the Shin-Miyajima–Densha-Miyajima section opens, completing the line; Shin-Miyajima Station closes, Ajina Station opens, and Koi-machi is renamed Nishi-hiroshima.
• 194421 July: the down track between Densha-Hatsukaichi and Densha-Miyajima is lifted for material for the Minami Line, leaving that section single-tracked.
• 195024 July: double-track operation is restored between Densha-Hatsukaichi and Densha-Miyajima.
• 19581 April: through-running with the city tram lines begins as a chartered operation, worked by 850-type cars (later the 350 type); until then the line ran only as a railway with high-floor stock.
• 196210 January: Hiroden-nishi-hiroshima Station is moved to its present site and permanent through services begin between Hiroshima-Eki-mae and Hiroden-hatsukaichi/Hiroden-miyajima (running to Hiroden-miyajima at first only on Sundays and holidays).
• 19636 May: weekday through-running to Hiroden-miyajima begins.
• 19917 August: operation of the Miyajima-Line high-floor cars ends; from the next day the fleet is unified on tram-type cars.
• 19999 June: the 'GREEN MOVER' (5000 series) low-floor articulated tram enters service.
• 20011 November: Hiroden-nishi-hiroshima is merged with the Main Line's Koi stop and renamed Hiroden-nishi-hiroshima (Koi); Ajina becomes Ajina-higashi, Tajiri becomes Hiroden-ajina, and Densha-Miyajima becomes Hiroden-miyajima-guchi.
• 200917 October: the PASPY IC card is introduced at all stations on the line.
• 20222 July: Hiroden-miyajima-guchi Station is relocated toward the sea, closer to the ferry pier; a replacement bus runs on the morning of the move until the new station opens around 14:00.