Fukuchiyama Line

The Fukuchiyama Line (福知山線, Fukuchiyama-sen) is a railway line operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West) connecting Osaka and Fukuchiyama, Japan. Within JR West's "Urban Network" covering the Osaka–Kobe–Kyoto metropolitan region, the line from Osaka to Sasayamaguchi is also called the JR Takarazuka Line (JR宝塚線). The line traverses the cities of Kawanishi and Takarazuka in the northwestern corner of the Osaka metropolitan area.

Fukuchiyama Line
Overview
Other name(s)JR Takarazuka Line (Amagasaki – Sasayamaguchi)
TypeHeavy rail
SystemUrban Network (Amagasaki – Sasayamaguchi)
LocaleHyogo Prefecture and Kyoto Prefecture
TerminiAmagasaki
Fukuchiyama
Stations30 (23 as the JR Takarazuka Line)
Operation
Opened1891
OwnerJR West
Rolling stock
  • 207 series EMU
  • 321 series EMU
  • 223-6000 series EMU
  • 223-5500 series EMU
  • 225-6000 series EMU
  • 287 series EMU
  • 289 series EMU
Technical
Line length106.5 km (66.2 mi)
Track gauge1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification1,500 V DC, overhead line
Operating speed120 km/h (75 mph)

Although Amagasaki is the line's official southeastern terminus, all trains continue east to Osaka and beyond on the JR Kōbe Line, or to the Gakkentoshi Line via the JR Tōzai Line.

Basic data
  • Operators, distances: 106.5 km / 66.2 mi.
  • Track:
    • Double-track line:
      • From Amagasaki to Sasayamaguchi
    • Single-track line:
      • From Sasayamaguchi to Fukuchiyama
  • Railway signalling: Automatic
  • Maximum speed:
    • From Amagasaki to Shin-Sanda: 120 km/h
    • From Shinsanda to Fukuchiyama: 105 km/h
  • CTC centers:
    • From Amagasaki to Shin-Sanda: Ōsaka Operation Control Center
    • From Shinsanda to Fukuchiyama: Fukuchiyama Transportation Control Room
  • CTC system:
    • From Amagasaki to Shin-Sanda: Safety Urban Network Traffic System (SUNTRAS)

Services and stations

Local (普通): Stops at all stations, a majority of them operate through services to the JR Kyoto Line, but only these trains stop at Tsukamoto Station. The remaining services operate solely within this line.

Rapid (快速): Mainly operates between Osaka and Sasayamaguchi. Some trains operate through services to/from the JR Tozai Line via Amagasaki Station. Among these through trains, some return at Tsukaguchi Station in the non-rush hour.

Tambaji Rapid (丹波路快速): Operates between Osaka and Fukuchiyama.

Regional Rapid (区間快速): Operates between Osaka and Sasayamaguchi or between Osaka and Shin-Sanda. Also through services to/from the JR Tozai Line and the Gakkentoshi Line.

Line name No. Station Distance from
Amagasaki Station
(km)		 Local Regional Rapid Rapid Tambaji Rapid Transfers Location
Common Official English Japanese
Local: Through service to JR Kyoto Line

Regional Rapid, Rapid: Through service to JR Tozai Line and Gakkentoshi Line

JR Takarazuka Line Tōkaidō Main Line  G47  Osaka 大阪 7.7 ● ● ● ● Kita-ku, Osaka Osaka Prefecture
 G48  Tsukamoto 塚本 4.3 ▲ | | | Yodogawa-ku, Osaka
 G49  Amagasaki 尼崎 0.0 ● ● ● ● Amagasaki Hyōgo Prefecture
Fukuchiyama Line
 G50  Tsukaguchi 塚口 2.5 ● △ △ |
 G51  Inadera 猪名寺 3.9 ● | | |
 G52  Itami 伊丹 5.8 ● ● ● ● Itami
 G53  Kita-Itami 北伊丹 7.9 ● | | |
 G54  Kawanishi-Ikeda 川西池田 11.0 ● ● ● ● Kawanishi
 G55  Nakayamadera 中山寺 14.5 ● ● ● ● Takarazuka
 G56  Takarazuka 宝塚 17.8 ● ● ● ●
  • Hankyu Takarazuka Line, Hankyu Imazu Line (HK-56)
 G57  Namaze 生瀬 19.7 ● ● | | Nishinomiya
 G58  Nishinomiyanajio 西宮名塩 21.9 ● ● ● ●
 G59  Takedao 武田尾 25.1 ● ● | | Takarazuka
 G60  Dōjō 道場 30.1 ● ● | | Kita-ku, Kobe
 G61  Sanda 三田 33.7 ● ● ● ● Sanda
 G62  Shin-Sanda 新三田 36.9 ● ● ● ●
 G63  Hirono 広野 39.7 ● ● ● ●
 G64  Aino 相野 44.0 ● ● ● ●
 G65  Aimoto 藍本 48.2 ● ● ● ●
 G66  Kusano 草野 50.2 ● ● ● ● Tamba-Sasayama
 G67  Furuichi 古市 53.5 ● ● ● ●
 G68  Minami-Yashiro 南矢代 56.1 ● ● ● ●
 G69  Sasayamaguchi 篠山口 58.4 ● ● ● ●
Tamba-Ōyama 丹波大山 60.7 ● ●
Shimotaki 下滝 68.7 ● ● Tamba
Tanikawa 谷川 73.0 ● ●
Kaibara 柏原 80.0 ● ●
Iso 石生 83.2 ● ●
Kuroi 黒井 87.5 ● ●
Ichijima 市島 94.0 ● ●
Tamba-Takeda 丹波竹田 98.2 ● ●
Fukuchiyama 福知山 106.5 ● ● Fukuchiyama, Kyoto

Rolling stock

Current

Former

History
Train at Arima station
Sanda station with Arima branch on left
Train at Sasayama-Cho station

The Japanese Government Railways (JGR) opened the Osaka - Kobe section of what is now the Tokaido Main Line in 1874 as a dual track line.

The Kawabe Horsecar Railway (川辺馬車鉄道, Kawabe Bashatetsudō) opened a 762mm gauge line between Amagasaki and Itami (about 8 km) in 1891. In 1893, the horsecar railway was reorganized as Settsu Railway (摂津鉄道, Settsu Tetsudō), which introduced steam power to the railway and extended the line to Ikeda.

The Settsu Railway was merged by Hankaku Railway (阪鶴鉄道, Hankaku Tetsudō), which had a plan to build a railway between Osaka and Maizuru. The Hankaku Railway converted the line to 1067mm gauge and extended it to Takarazuka in 1897 and to Fukuchiyama in 1899. The company also connected the line to the Kanzaki Station (present-day Amagasaki Station) of the JGR line in 1898 making the line to the original Amagasaki terminal a branch. Hankaku Railway was nationalized on August 1, 1907.

The Amagasaki - Tsukaguchi section was duplicated in 1934, and extended to Takarazuka in 1979/80. The Takarazuka - Shin-Sanda section was duplicated in 1986 in conjunction with the opening of the 2970m Najio tunnel and associated deviation, which shortened the route by 1.8 km. Duplication to Sasayamaguchi was completed in 1996.

The Amagasaki - Tsukaguchi section was electrified in 1956, and extended to Takarazuka in 1981. The remainder of the line was electrified in 1986.

CTC signalling was commissioned between Fukuchiyama and Sasayamaguchi in 1982, extended to Hirono in 1984 and to Amagasaki in 1986.

The branchline between Amagasakikō Station (former Amagasaki terminal of the horsecar railway) and Tsukaguchi Station ceased passenger operation in 1981 and freight operation in 1984.

Former connecting lines
  • Sanda station - The 12 km line to Arima operated from 1915 to 1943.
  • Sasayama-guchi station - A 5 km line to Sasayama-Cho opened in 1914. During World War II the Japanese became concerned about the vulnerability of the Sanyo Main Line to naval attacks. A bypass was proposed from Sasayama-guchi to Sonobe on the Sanin Main Line utilising the line to Sasayama-Cho, which was extended 13 km to Fukuzumi in 1944. The remainder of the proposed line was not built due to the cessation of hostilities. The line closed in 1972.
  • Fukuchiyama station - The Hokutan Railway Co. operated a 12 km line to Koumori between 1923 and 1971.

Accidents
Main article: Amagasaki derailment

On April 25, 2005, a seven-car 207 series train on a Rapid service derailed and crashed into a building between Tsukaguchi and Amagasaki on its way for Doshisha-mae via the JR Tōzai Line and the Katamachi Line. 107 passengers were killed in the accident. Operations on the affected part of the line remained suspended until trial runs began on June 7, 2005. Passenger service resumed on June 19, 2005.

The train involved was train number 5418M, a limited-stop "Rapid" commuter service from Takarazuka to Dōshisha-mae. It was a seven-car 207 series electric multiple unit (EMU) formation consisting of a 4-car set and a 3-car set coupled together.[1] The train was carrying approximately 580 passengers at the time of the accident.[1]

References
  1. Nagase, Kazuhiko (July 2005). "福知山線脱線事故の問題を語る" [Discussing the problems of the Fukuchiyama Line derailment]. Railway Journal. Japan: Tetsudō Journal. 39 (465): 68–73.
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