Kita-Osaka Kyuko Railway

Kita-Osaka Kyuko Railway (北大阪急行電鉄, Kita Ōsaka Kyūkō Dentetsu, lit. "North Osaka Express Railway") is a railway operator in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. Its sole line, officially named the Namboku Line (南北線, Namboku sen), operates as an extension of the Midōsuji Line of the Osaka Metro.

Kita-Osaka Kyūkō Railway
Kita-Osaka Kyuko 8000 series train (between Momoyamadai Station and Senri-Chūō Station)
Overview
HeadquartersToyonaka, Osaka, Japan
LocaleOsaka Prefecture, Japan
Dates of operation1967 (incorporation); 1970 (opening)–
Technical
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
Length5.9 km (3.7 mi)
Other
Websitewww.kita-kyu.co.jp

Kita-Osaka Kyuko Railway Co., Ltd. (北大阪急行電鉄株式会社, Kita Ōsaka Kyūkō Dentetsu Kabushiki-gaisha), established in December 11, 1967, is majorly owned by Hankyu. Kitakyu, as it is often abbreviated, also owns various commercial and residential properties along the line.

Stations on the Kitakyu Namboku Line
No. Station Japanese Distance (km) Transfers Location
 M06  Minō-Kayano 箕面萱野 0.0 Under construction (2020)[1] Minoh
 M07  Minō-Semba-Handaimae 箕面船場阪大前 1.1
 M08  Senri-Chūō 千里中央 2.5 Osaka Monorail Main Line Toyonaka
 M09  Momoyama-dai 桃山台 4.5   Suita
 M10  Ryokuchi-kōen 緑地公園 6.5   Toyonaka
 M11  Esaka 江坂 8.4 Osaka Metro Midōsuji Line (through trains) Suita
Notes

    Former line
    • Kaijō Line (Senri-Chūō - Bankokuhaku-chūōguchi)

    Rolling stock
    Kita-Osaka Kyuko 9000 series train (between Momoyamadai Station and Senri-Chūō Station)

    Former rolling stock
    • 2000 series (from 1969 until 1993)
    • 7000/8000 series (from 1969 until 1970)

    History

    The line was opened on February 24, 1970, to connect the then northern terminus of the Midōsuji Line, Esaka Station, with the grounds of the Expo '70. The Expo link was closed on September 14, and the line was redirected to a new underground terminal of Senri-Chūō Station.

    Takeo Miki, then Minister of International Trade and Industry, brokered the deal creating the railway as a joint venture between the City of Osaka and Hankyu Railway. Although the line was originally envisioned as a straightforward extension of the Midosuji Line, the city government was unable to independently complete the extension because it went beyond municipal boundaries, thus raising issues of expropriation and financing.

    The tracks between Senri-Chuo and the Expo Park were removed following the Expo, and the right-of-way repurposed as part of the Chugoku Expressway.

    Since the late 1980s there has been a plan to extend the line 2.5 km northward from Senri-Chuo to a new station in the city of Minoh. The Minoh municipal government exchanged a letter of confirmation with Hankyu and Kitakyu regarding studies of the extension in 2011, and the government of Osaka Prefecture joined a four-party memorandum of understanding in 2012. As of early 2016, the extension was not yet finalized or funded.[2]

    On January 19, 2017, construction began on the extension of the line to Shin-Minō, which will have one intermediate station at Minō-Semba. The extension is scheduled to open in 2020.[3]

    References
    1. "北大阪急行線延伸事業について｜北大阪急行電鉄株式会社". www.kita-kyu.co.jp.
    2. 箕面市. "北大阪急行線の延伸と関連まちづくり（最新情報はこちらから！）".
    3. "Kita-Osaka Kyuko Railway extension to cost ¥60 billion, has two new stations". Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). January 19, 2017. Retrieved December 8, 2017.
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