Hiroden Ujina Line

The line opened in stages from 1912. On 23 November of that year the section from Kamiyachō through Takanobashi to Miyukibashi began operating; at the time the Kamiyachō–Takanobashi portion was called the Seitōgawa Line and the Takanobashi–Miyukibashi portion the Miyukibashi Line. On 8 April 1915 the "Ujina Line" proper opened between Miyukibashi-higashizume (later Sembaikyoku-mae) and Ujina, following a route along the embankment on the western side of the Ujina district that differs from the present alignment; at first passengers had to transfer on foot between Miyukibashi and Miyukibashi-higashizume.

The pieces were knitted together later in the 1910s. On 25 May 1919 a dedicated tram bridge at Miyukibashi was opened and the Miyukibashi–Sembaikyoku-mae link began operating, at which point the Seitōgawa and Miyukibashi lines were merged into the Ujina Line. On 27 December 1935 the original Ujina segment was abolished and services were switched to the present route running along Ujina-dōri, between Minamimachi (today Minamimachi 6-chōme) and Mukaiujina-guchi (today Motoujina-guchi).

Like the rest of central Hiroshima, the line was devastated by the atomic bombing of 6 August 1945, which suspended operations along its entire length. Recovery was remarkably swift: the Dentetsu-mae (today Hiroden-honsha-mae)–Mukaiujina-guchi section was restored as double track on 18 August, and on 12 September the Kamiyachō–Dentetsu-mae section reopened as single track, allowing shuttle running between Kamiyachō and Mukaiujina-guchi to resume. Through running with the Main Line began on 7 January 1946.

The line reached its present extent in the post-war years. On 1 April 1951 the section from Mukaiujina-guchi to the Ujina terminus — later simply Ujina, today Hiroshima Port (Ujina) — opened, completing the route to the harbour. In 1958 morning-peak through services began running onto the Miyajima Line as far as Kusatsu, and on 1 October 1967 the Ujina stop was relocated, extending the line by 0.2 km.

In the 21st century the line has seen a series of timetable and infrastructure changes. On 1 November 2001 several stops were renamed, including the Ujina terminus, which became Hiroshima Port (Ujina); the same revision adopted the "Kamiyachō-nishi" and "Kamiyachō-higashi" guidance names for the formerly twin Kamiyachō stops. The Hiroshima Port stop was moved to its present, third-generation site on 29 March 2003, again lengthening the line by 0.2 km. Today the Ujina Line is a busy artery of the Hiroden network, linking the city centre with Hiroshima Port, where ferries and hydrofoils serve Matsuyama, Imabari, Kure, Miyajima, Etajima and other islands of the Seto Inland Sea.

• 191223 November: the Kamiyachō–Takanobashi–Miyukibashi section opens, then operated as the Seitōgawa Line (Kamiyachō–Takanobashi) and the Miyukibashi Line (Takanobashi–Miyukibashi).
• 19158 April: the 'Ujina Line' opens between Miyukibashi-higashizume (later Sembaikyoku-mae) and Ujina, on an older route along the western embankment of the Ujina district; Miyukibashi to Miyukibashi-higashizume is connected on foot.
• 191925 May: a dedicated Miyukibashi tram bridge opens and the Miyukibashi–Sembaikyoku-mae section begins operating; the Seitōgawa and Miyukibashi lines are merged into the Ujina Line.
• 193527 December: the original Ujina segment is abolished and services switch to the present route along Ujina-dōri, between Minamimachi (now Minamimachi 6-chōme) and Mukaiujina-guchi (now Motoujina-guchi).
• 19456 August: the atomic bombing of Hiroshima suspends operations along the entire line.
• 194518 August: the Dentetsu-mae (now Hiroden-honsha-mae)–Mukaiujina-guchi section is restored as double track; on 12 September the Kamiyachō–Dentetsu-mae section reopens as single track and Kamiyachō–Mukaiujina-guchi shuttle running resumes.
• 19467 January: through running with the Main Line begins.
• 19511 April: the Mukaiujina-guchi–Ujina terminus section opens (the terminus, later Ujina, is today Hiroshima Port (Ujina)), completing the route to the harbour.
• 195820 June: morning-peak through services begin running onto the Miyajima Line as far as Kusatsu.
• 19671 October: the Ujina stop is relocated, extending the line by 0.2 km.
• 20011 November: several stops are renamed — the Ujina terminus becomes Hiroshima Port (Ujina), and the twin Kamiyachō stops take the guidance names Kamiyachō-nishi and Kamiyachō-higashi.
• 200329 March: Hiroshima Port stop is moved to its present, third-generation site, lengthening the line by 0.2 km; on 20 April Route 7 service (Yokogawa Station–Hiroden-honsha-mae) begins.
• 202324 July: a timetable revision extends Route 7 to Hiroshima Port (Ujina) and reduces Route 3 to morning and evening running only.
• 202425 March: one-person (driver-only) operation begins on all articulated cars on the Hiroden-honsha-mae–Hiroshima Port (Ujina) section of Route 1.