Hankyu Kyoto Main Line

The Hankyu Kyoto Main Line (阪急京都本線, Hankyū Kyōto Honsen) is a railway line in Japan operated by the private railway operator Hankyu Railway. It connects Osaka-umeda Station in Osaka and Kyoto-kawaramachi Station in Kyoto.

Hankyu Kyoto Main Line
A 9300 series EMU on a limited express service
Overview
Native name阪急京都本線
LocaleKansai
TerminiJūsō
Kyoto-kawaramachi
Stations26
Operation
Operator(s)Hankyu Railway
Depot(s)Shōjaku
Katsura
Technical
Line length45.3 km (28.1 mi)
Number of tracksDouble
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
Electrification1,500 V DC, overhead line
Operating speed115 km/h (70 mph)
Route map

Definition

The Kyoto Main Line is often called the Kyoto Line (京都線, Kyōto-sen) for short, and in a broader sense its two branch lines, the Senri Line and the Arashiyama Line, are included to the Kyoto Line by historical, geographical and structural reasons. The other two sections of Hankyu, the Kobe Line and the Takarazuka Line are called the Shinpōsen (神宝線) as a whole.

Officially, the Kyoto Main Line is from Jūsō to Kyoto-kawaramachi, however, all trains run beyond Jūsō to Osaka-umeda terminal, using the eastern tracks of the section exclusively. Hankyu treats the Kyoto Main Line in the same way as the passengers do, i.e. as the line between Osaka-umeda and Kyoto-kawaramachi (except for special circumstances such as governmental procedures).

History

The Kyoto Main Line was constructed in the following phases:[1]

  • April 1, 1921: Jūsō – Awaji (by Kita-Osaka Electric Railway)
  • January 16, 1928: Awaji – Takatsuki-machi (present-day Takatsuki-shi) (by Shin-Keihan Railway)
  • November 1, 1928: Takatsuki-machi – Kyoto-Saiin (present-day Saiin) (by Shin-Keihan Railway)
  • March 31, 1931: Saiin – Keihan-Kyoto (present-day Ōmiya) (by Keihan Electric Railway)
  • February 18, 1959: The additional double tracks of the Takarazuka Main Line between Umeda (present-day Osaka-umeda) and Jūso now used exclusively by the Kyoto Main Line
  • June 17, 1963: Ōmiya – Kawaramachi (now Kyoto-kawaramachi)

Prior to the merger of Hankyu Railway (then Hanshin Kyūkō Railway) and Keihan Electric Railway in 1943, the line and its branches were owned by the latter and called the Shin-Keihan (New Keihan) Line. In the breakup of the merger in 1949, the line was not ceded to Keihan and became a competitor of the Keihan Main Line.[1]

Proposed connecting line

A loop line from Juso to Awaji via Shin-Osaka station, to provide a direct connection to the Shinkansen has been proposed, but is not currently scheduled for construction.

Service types

Regular operations

In the timetable revised on December 21, 2013,[2] regular trains are classified as follows:

Local (普通, futsū)

Semi-Express (準急, junkyū)

Sakaisuji Semi-Express (堺筋準急, sakaisuji junkyū)

  • Operated on weekday rush hours, Saturdays and holidays
  • Through service: Sakaisuji Semi-Express trains operate between Kyoto-kawaramachi or Takatsuki-shi and Tengachaya.

Rapid (快速, kaisoku)

  • Rush hours only.
  • Officially referred to as Rapid Service in English.

Rapid Express (快速急行, kaisoku kyūkō)

  • Rush hours only.

Limited Express (特急, tokkyū)

  • Operated on off-peak hours.

Commuter Limited Express (通勤特急, tsūkin tokkyū)

  • Weekdays rush hours only.

Rapid Limited Express (快速特急, kaisoku tokkyū) & Rapid Limited Express A (快速特急A, kaisoku tokkyū A)

  • Weekends only, collectively known as the Kyotrain (京とれいん, Kyōtorein)

Extra services
  • Rapid Limited Express (快速特急, kaisoku tokkyū)
    • Osaka-umeda - Arashiyama: "Sagano (さがの, named after the district in Ukyo-ku, Kyoto)"
    • Kyoto-kawaramachi - Arashiyama: "Ogura (おぐら, named after Mount Ogura)"
  • Direct Limited Express (直通特急, chokutsū tokkyū) - Through services to Arashiyama Line, Osaka Metro Sakaisuji Line, Takarazuka Main Line and the Kobe Main Line.
    • Kosoku Kobe - Arashiyama: "Atago (あたご, named after Mount Atago)"
    • Takarazuka - Arashiyama (via the Imazu Line): "Togetsu (とげつ, named after Togetsukyo Bridge)"
    • Tengachaya - Arashiyama: "Hozu (ほづ, named after the Hozu River)" (seasonal service)
  • On the Kyoto Main Line, these extra limited express stop at the same stations as the regular Rapid Limited Express.

Stations

Legends:

  • ● : Trains stop.
  • | : Trains pass.

Local trains stop at all stations.

No trains stop at Nakatsu which is served by Local trains on the Kobe Main Line and the Takarazuka Main Line, because of the absence of any platforms on this line. Thus, in operation, Nakatsu Station is not listed on the Kyoto Line.

The starting point of the distances (km) shown is Jūsō Station, which is officially the starting point of the Kyoto Main Line.

Line name No. Station Distance (km) Semi-Express Sakaisuji Semi-Exp. Rapid Rapid Exp. Commuter Ltd. Exp. Ltd. Exp. Rapid Ltd. Exp. Rapid Ltd. Exp. A Transfers Location
Through services: From Awaji:

Local / Sakaisuji Semi-Express ー From Kawaramachi to Tengachaya via the Senri Line and Osaka Metro Sakaisuji Line

Local — From Osaka-umeda to Kita-Senri via the Senri Line

Takarazuka Main Line HK-01 Osaka-umeda大阪梅田 (2.4) ● ● ● ● ● ● ● Hanshin Electric Railway Main Line (HS 01)

Osaka Metro

JR West (Ōsaka Station)

 Kita-ku, Osaka Osaka Prefecture
HK-03 Jūsō十三 0.0 ● ● ● ● ● ● | Hankyu Kobe Main Line

Hankyu Takarazuka Main Line

 Yodogawa-ku, Osaka
Kyoto Main Line
HK-61 Minamikata南方 1.9 ● ● | | | | | Osaka Metro Midosuji Line (M14: Nishinakajima-Minamigata Station)
HK-62 Sōzenji崇禅寺 3.2 | | | | | | | Higashiyodogawa-ku, Osaka
HK-63 Awaji淡路 4.2 ● ● ● ● | ● ● ● Hankyū Senri Line (through service, see above)

JR West Osaka Higashi Line (JR-F04:JR-Awaji Station)

HK-64 Kami-Shinjō上新庄 6.3 ● ● ● | | | | |
HK-65 Aikawa相川 7.2 | | | | | | | |
HK-66 Shōjaku正雀 9.4 | | | | | | | | Settsu
HK-67 Settsu-shi摂津市 10.9 | | | | | | | |
HK-68 Minami-Ibaraki南茨木 12.9 ● ● ● | | | | | ■ Osaka Monorail Main Line (19) Ibaraki
HK-69 Ibaraki-shi茨木市 14.8 ● ● ● ● ● ● | |
HK-70 Sōjiji総持寺 16.8 | | | | | | | |
HK-71 Tonda富田 17.3 | | | | | | | | Takatsuki
HK-72 Takatsuki-shi高槻市 20.6 ● ● ● ● ● ● | |
HK-73 Kammaki上牧 24.9 ● ● | | | | | |
HK-74 Minase水無瀬 25.7 ● ● | | | | | | Shimamoto
HK-75 Ōyamazaki大山崎 27.7 ● ● | | | | | | Ōyamazaki Kyoto Prefecture
HK-76 Nishiyama Tennozan[2][3]西山天王山 30.2 ● ● | | | | | | Nagaokakyō
HK-77 Nagaoka-Tenjin長岡天神 31.7 ● ● ● ● ● ● | |
HK-78 Nishi-Mukō西向日 33.6 ● ● | | | | | | Mukō
HK-79 Higashi-Mukō東向日 35.0 ● ● | | | | | |
HK-80 Rakusaiguchi洛西口 36.3 ● ● | | | | | | Nishikyō-ku, Kyoto
HK-81 Katsura桂 38.0 ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● Hankyu Arashiyama Line
HK-82 Nishi-Kyōgoku西京極
(西京極総合運動公園前)		 40.1 ● ● | | | | | | Ukyō-ku, Kyoto
HK-83 Saiin西院 41.9 ● ● ● ● ● | | | Keifuku Electric Railroad Arashiyama Main Line (A02)
HK-84 Ōmiya大宮 43.3 ● ● ● ● ● | | | Keifuku Electric Railroad Arashiyama Main Line (A01: Shijō-Ōmiya Station) Nakagyō-ku, Kyoto
HK-85 Karasuma烏丸 44.4 ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● Kyoto Municipal Subway Karasuma Line (K09: Shijō Station) Shimogyō-ku, Kyoto
HK-86 Kyoto-kawaramachi京都河原町 45.3 ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● Keihan Main Line (KH39: Gion-Shijō Station)

Rolling stock
Hankyu 6300 series EMU on a limited express service

Former
  • 1300 series EMU (1957)
  • 2000 series EMU (Temporary)
  • 2300 series EMU
  • 2800 series EMU
  • 5100 series EMU (Temporary)
  • Osaka Municipal Subway 60 series EMU (Awaji - Takatsuki-shi)

References

This article incorporates material from the corresponding article in the Japanese Wikipedia

  1. Hankyu Corporation & Morokawa, Hisashi (1990). 日本の私鉄7 阪急 (in Japanese). Hoikusha. p. 147. ISBN 4-586-50796-9.
  2. News release on September 20, 2013 - Hankyu Corporation
  3. News release on March 30, 2012 - City of Nagaokakyō and Hankyu Corporation
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