Hankyū Imazu Line Explained

Hankyu Imazu Line
Native Name:阪急今津線
Native Name Lang:ja
Color:0000FF
Stations:10
Locale:Hyōgo Prefecture
Operator:Hankyu Railway
Depot:Nishinomiya Depot
Linelength Km:9.3
Tracks:Double
Electrification:1,500 V DC, overhead lines
Speed Km/H:80

The is a 9.3 km long commuter rail line in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan owned and operated by the private railway operator Hankyu Railway. It is the longest of three branchlines of the Hankyu Kobe Line. The line connects the cities of Nishinomiya and Takarazuka.

Operation

The Imazu Line runs between Imazu Station and Takarazuka Station. However, no trains run directly from one end to the other because the tracks have split since 1984 at Nishinomiya-Kitaguchi Station, where the line crosses the Kobe Line. Typical Imazu Line trains stop every station between Imazu and Nishinomiya-Kitaguchi (south section) or Nishinomiya-Kitaguchi and Takarazuka (north section).

A small number of trains, called Semi-Express (junkyū), run from Takarazuka Station to Umeda Station (Hankyu's main terminal in Osaka) on weekdays not via the Takarazuka Line, but via the Imazu Line and the Kobe Line. Semi-Express trains of this route do not stop at Nishinomiya-Kitaguchi Station because of the layout of the track in the station; there is no platform for through trains. The distance between Takarazuka and Umeda stations via the Imazu Line is shorter than the route via the Takarazuka line.

Stations

No.StationJapanesekmSETransfersLocation
South section
HK-21Imazu今津9.3   Nishinomiya
HK-22Hanshin-Kokudō阪神国道8.6 
HK-08Nishinomiya-Kitaguchi西宮北口 (阪急西宮ガーデンズ前)7.7
North section
HK-08Nishinomiya-Kitaguchi西宮北口7.7||
  • Hankyu Kobe Main Line
  • Hankyu Imazu Line (South section)
Nishinomiya
HK-23Mondo-Yakujin門戸厄神6.4S| 
HK-24Kōtōen甲東園5.4S| 
HK-25Nigawa仁川 (阪神競馬場前)4.5SE Takarazuka
HK-26Obayashi小林2.8S  
HK-27Sakasegawa逆瀬川1.8S 
HK-28Takarazuka-Minamiguchi宝塚南口 (宝塚ホテル前)0.9S 
HK-56Takarazuka宝塚 (宝塚大劇場前)0.0S

Connections

History

The section between Takarazuka and Nishinomiya-Kitaguchi opened on 2 September 1921, named the .[1] The section from Nishinomiya-Kitaguchi to Imazu opened on 18 December 1926, and the line was renamed the Imazu Line.[1]

Attractions along the line

Culture

Notes and References

  1. Book: Terada, Hirokazu . ja: データブック日本の私鉄 . Databook: Japan's Private Railways . Neko Publishing . 19 January 2013 . Japan . Japanese . 139. 978-4-7770-1336-4.