Hankyu Kyoto Main Line Explained

Hankyu Kyoto Main Line
Native Name:	阪急京都本線
Native Name Lang:	ja
Color:	32CD32
Stations:	26
Locale:	Kansai
Operator:	Hankyu Railway
Start:	Jūsō
End:	Kyoto-kawaramachi
Depot:	Shōjaku Katsura
Stock:	Hankyu 1300 series Hankyu 2300 series Hankyu 3300 series Hankyu 5300 series Hankyu 6300 series Hankyu 7300 series Hankyu 8300 series Hankyu 9300 series
Linelength Km:	45.3
Tracks:	Double
Electrification:	1,500 V DC, overhead line
Speed:	115round=5NaNround=5

The 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.

Definition

The Kyoto Main Line is often called the 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 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]

• 1 April 1, 1921: Jūsō – Awaji (by Kita-Osaka Electric Railway)
• 16 January 1928: Awaji – Takatsuki-machi (present-day Takatsuki-shi) (by Shin-Keihan Railway)
• 1 November 1928: Takatsuki-machi – Kyoto-Saiin (present-day Saiin) (by Shin-Keihan Railway)
• 31 March 1931: Saiin – Keihan-Kyoto (present-day Ōmiya) (by Keihan Electric Railway)
• 18 February 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
• 17 June 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]

Construction has been in progress since 2012 to elevate a 3.3km (02.1miles) section of track from Sōzenji Station to Kami-Shinjō Station including the junction with the Senri Line at Awaji Station.^[2] Originally projected for a 2020 completion, various delays have pushed back the start of operations on the new tracks to 2031.^[3]

Station numbering was introduced to all Hankyu stations on 21 December 2013.^[4]

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.^[5]

Service types

Regular operations

As of the December 2022 timetable,^[6] trains are classified as follows:

• Local trains stop at all stations on the Kyoto and Senri lines. During the day they operate between Osaka Umeda or Tengachaya and Takatsuki-shi or Kita Senri. During early mornings, rush hours, and late nights, some services are extended to Kyoto-Kawaramachi and other short turn services are operated as well.

• All day except early morning and late nights between Osaka-Umeda and Kyoto-Kawaramachi. Additional services operate through to Tengachaya during weekday rush hours and weekends. Limited stops between Osaka-Umeda and Takatsuki-shi, then all stops to Kyoto-Kawaramachi.

• Late nights from Osaka-Umeda to Kyoto-Kawaramachi and weekday early mornings towards Osaka-Umeda.

• Early mornings and evenings and weekday rush hours, both directions.

• Weekday morning rush hours only, both directions. Car number 5 is for women only.

• Operates during the daytime when other express and limited express services are not running.

• Weekends only, using special 6 car trains.

Extra services

• • • Osaka-umeda - Arashiyama: ""
  • Kyoto-kawaramachi - Arashiyama: ""
• - Through services to Arashiyama Line, Osaka Metro Sakaisuji Line, Takarazuka Main Line and the Kobe Main Line.
  • Kosoku Kobe - Arashiyama: ""
  • Takarazuka - Arashiyama (via the Imazu Line): ""
  • Tengachaya - Arashiyama: "" (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 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	Express	Semi Ltd. Exp.	Commuter Ltd. Exp.	Ltd. Exp.	Rapid Ltd. Exp.	Transfers	Location
Through services:					From Awaji:Local / Semi-Express ー From Kyoto-Kawaramachi to Tengachaya via the 20px Senri Line and Osaka Metro Sakaisuji Line Local — From Osaka-Umeda to Kita-Senri via the 20px Senri Line
Takarazuka Main Line	HK-01		大阪梅田	(2.4)	●	●	●	●	●	●	20px Hanshin Electric Railway Main Line (HS 01) Osaka Metro Midosuji Line (M16) Tanimachi Line (T20: Higashi-Umeda Station) Yotsubashi Line (Y11: Nishi-Umeda Station) JR West (Ōsaka Station) Tōkaidō Main Line JR Kyoto Line (JR-A47) JR Kobe Line (JR-A47) JR Takarazuka Line (JR-G47) Osaka Higashi Line (JR-F01) Osaka Loop Line (JR-O11) JR Tōzai Line (JR-H44: Kitashinchi Station)	Kita-ku, Osaka	Osaka Prefecture
	HK-03		十三	0.0	●	●	●	●	●	●	20px Hankyu Kobe Main Line 20px Hankyu Takarazuka Main Line	Yodogawa-ku, Osaka
Kyoto Main Line
	HK-61		南方	1.9	●	●	|| style="text-align: center; background: #fb7;"||	|| style="text-align: center; background: #c9f" ||	Osaka Metro Midosuji Line (M14: Nishinakajima-Minamigata Station)
	HK-62		崇禅寺	3.2	|| style="text-align: center; background: #ff7;"||	|| style="text-align: center; background: #fb7;"||	|| style="text-align: center; background: #c9f" ||		Higashiyodogawa-ku, Osaka
	HK-63		淡路	4.2	●	●	●	|| style="text-align: center; background: #f96;"|●| style="text-align: center; background: #c9f" |●|20px Hankyū Senri Line (through service, see above) JR West Osaka Higashi Line (JR-F04:JR-Awaji Station)|-!HK-64|||上新庄|style="text-align: right; "|6.3| style="text-align: center; background: #cf9;"|●| style="text-align: center; background: #ff7;"|●| style="text-align: center; background: #fcc;"||| style="text-align: center; background: #fb7;"||		|| style="text-align: center; background: #c9f" ||
	HK-65		相川	7.2	|| style="text-align: center; background: #ff7;"||	|| style="text-align: center; background: #fb7;"||	|| style="text-align: center; background: #c9f" ||
	HK-66		正雀	9.4	|| style="text-align: center; background: #ff7;"||	|| style="text-align: center; background: #fb7;"||	|| style="text-align: center; background: #c9f" ||			Settsu
	HK-67		摂津市	10.9	|| style="text-align: center; background: #ff7;"||	|| style="text-align: center; background: #fb7;"||	|| style="text-align: center; background: #c9f" ||
	HK-68		南茨木	12.9	●	●	|| style="text-align: center; background: #fb7;"||	|| style="text-align: center; background: #c9f" ||	Osaka Monorail Main Line (19)	Ibaraki
	HK-69		茨木市	14.8	●	●	●	●	●		|||-!HK-70|||総持寺|style="text-align: right; "|16.8| style="text-align: center; background: #cf9;"||| style="text-align: center; background: #ff7;"||	|| style="text-align: center; background: #fb7;"||		|| style="text-align: center; background: #c9f" ||
	HK-71		富田	17.3	|| style="text-align: center; background: #ff7;"||	|| style="text-align: center; background: #fb7;"||	|| style="text-align: center; background: #c9f" ||		Takatsuki
	HK-72		高槻市	20.6	●	●	●	●		●	|||-!HK-73|||上牧|style="text-align: right; "|24.9| style="text-align: center; background: #cf9;"|●| style="text-align: center; background: #ff7;"||| style="text-align: center; background: #fcc;"||	|| style="text-align: center; background: #f96;"||		|||-!HK-74|||水無瀬|style="text-align: right; "|25.7| style="text-align: center; background: #cf9;"|●| style="text-align: center; background: #ff7;"||| style="text-align: center; background: #fcc;"||	|| style="text-align: center; background: #f96;"||	|||Shimamoto|-!HK-75|||大山崎|style="text-align: right; "|27.7| style="text-align: center; background: #cf9;"|●| style="text-align: center; background: #ff7;"||	|| style="text-align: center; background: #fb7;"||	|| style="text-align: center; background: #c9f" ||		Ōyamazaki	Kyoto Prefecture
	HK-76	^[7] ^[8]	西山天王山	30.2	●	|| style="text-align: center; background: #fcc;"||	|| style="text-align: center; background: #f96;"||	|||rowspan="2"|Nagaokakyō|-!HK-77|||長岡天神|style="text-align: right; "|31.7| style="text-align: center; background: #cf9;"|●| style="text-align: center; background: #ff7;"|●| style="text-align: center; background: #fcc;"|●| style="text-align: center; background: #fb7;"|●| style="text-align: center; background: #f96;"|●| style="text-align: center; background: #c9f" ||
	HK-78		西向日	33.6	●	|| style="text-align: center; background: #fcc;"||	|| style="text-align: center; background: #f96;"||	|||rowspan="2"|Mukō|-!HK-79|||東向日|style="text-align: right; "|35.0| style="text-align: center; background: #cf9;"|●| style="text-align: center; background: #ff7;"||| style="text-align: center; background: #fcc;"||	|| style="text-align: center; background: #f96;"||	|||-!HK-80|||洛西口|style="text-align: right; "|36.3| style="text-align: center; background: #cf9;"|●| style="text-align: center; background: #ff7;"||| style="text-align: center; background: #fcc;"||	|| style="text-align: center; background: #f96;"||	|||rowspan="2"|Nishikyō-ku, Kyoto|-!HK-81|||桂|style="text-align: right; "|38.0| style="text-align: center; background: #cf9;"|●| style="text-align: center; background: #ff7;"|●| style="text-align: center; background: #fcc;"|●| style="text-align: center; background: #fb7;"|●| style="text-align: center; background: #f96;"|●| style="text-align: center; background: #c9f" |●|20px Hankyu Arashiyama Line|-!HK-82|||西京極 (西京極総合運動公園前)|style="text-align: right; "|40.1| style="text-align: center; background: #cf9;"|●| style="text-align: center; background: #ff7;"|●| style="text-align: center; background: #fcc;"||		|| style="text-align: center; background: #f96;"||	|||rowspan="2"|Ukyō-ku, Kyoto|-!HK-83|||西院|style="text-align: right; "|41.9| style="text-align: center; background: #cf9;"|●| style="text-align: center; background: #ff7;"|●| style="text-align: center; background: #fcc;"|●| style="text-align: center; background: #fb7;"|●| style="text-align: center; background: #f96;"||| style="text-align: center; background: #c9f" ||	Keifuku Electric Railroad Arashiyama Main Line (A02)
	HK-84		大宮	43.3	●	●	●	●	|| style="text-align: center; background: #c9f" ||	Keifuku Electric Railroad Arashiyama Main Line (A01: Shijō-Ōmiya Station)	Nakagyō-ku, Kyoto
	HK-85		烏丸	44.4	●	●	●	●	●	●	Kyoto Municipal Subway Karasuma Line (K09: Shijō Station)	Shimogyō-ku, Kyoto
	HK-86		京都河原町	45.3	●	●	●	●	●	●	Keihan Main Line (KH39: Gion-Shijō Station)

Rolling stock

• 1300 series (II) EMU (from 30 March 2014)
• 2300 series (II) EMU (from 21 July 2024)^[9]
• 3300 series EMU
• 5300 series EMU
• 7000 series EMU (Kyō-Train Garaku)
• 7300 series EMU
• 8300 series EMU
• 9300 series EMU
• Osaka Municipal Subway 66 series EMU (Awaji - Takatsuki-shi)

Former

• 1300 series (I) EMU
• 2000 series (I) EMU (Temporary)
• 2300 series (I) EMU
• 2800 series EMU
• 5100 series EMU (Temporary)
• 6300 series EMU (Kyō-Train)
• Osaka Municipal Subway 60 series EMU (Awaji - Takatsuki-shi)

References

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

Notes and References

1. Book: ja:日本の私鉄7 阪急. 147. Hankyu Corporation & Morokawa, Hisashi. Japanese. Hoikusha. 1990. 4-586-50796-9.
2. Web site: 28 June 2019 . 阪急電鉄京都線・千里線（淡路駅付近）連続立体交差事業 . Hankyu Railway Kyoto Line / Senri Line (near Awaji Station) continuous grade crossing project . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220330032555/https://www.city.osaka.lg.jp/kensetsu/page/0000160751.html . 30 March 2022 . 29 May 2022 . Osaka City Online . ja.
3. Web site: 10 March 2022 . 阪急立体交差事業で690億円増 大阪市試算 . 69 billion yen increase in Hankyu grade crossing project . https://web.archive.org/web/20220408235603/https://www.sankei.com/article/20220310-XSTNGESZQRPP7CUMIB5K2ARS7I/ . 8 April 2022 . 15 September 2022 . Sankei Shimbun . ja.
4. Web site: 30 April 2013 . 「西山天王山」駅開業にあわせて、「三宮」「服部」「中山」「松尾」４駅の駅名を変更し、全駅で駅ナンバリングを導入します . "Sannomiya" "Hattori" "Nakayama" "Matsuo" along with the opening of "Nishiyama Tennozan" station. We will change the station names of 4 stations and introduce station numbering at all stations. . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20160427234925/http://megalodon.jp/ref/2013-1215-0920-39/holdings.hankyu-hanshin.co.jp/ir/data/ER201304306N1.pdf . 27 April 2016 . 1 June 2022 . Hankyu Corporation Online . ja .
5. Web site: 23 October 2019 . なにわ筋・新大阪連絡線、実現へ一歩 阪急などが協議へ . Naniwasuji / Shin-Osaka connecting line, one step toward realization Hankyu and others to talk . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20191102221754/https://www.asahi.com/articles/ASMBR4H5GMBRPLFA006.html . 2 November 2019 . 1 June 2022 . Asahi Shimbun Online . ja.
6. Web site: Hankyu Corporation . 2022-10-12 . ２０２２年１２月１７日（土）初発より阪急全線（神戸線・宝塚線・京都線）でダイヤ改正を実施 . 2023-08-31 . Hankyu Railway.
7. 西山天王山駅の開業にあわせて 京都線のダイヤ改正を実施します . We will revise the schedule of the Kyoto Line in line with the opening of Nishiyama Tennoyama Station . September 20, 2013 . Hankyu Corporation . Japanese.
8. 阪急京都本線大山崎駅～長岡天神駅間で建設中の新駅の名称を『西山天王山』駅に決定しました. The name of the new station under construction between Oyamazaki Station and Nagaoka Tenjin Station on the Hankyu Kyoto Main Line has been decided as "Nishiyama Tennoyama" Station.. March 30, 2012. City of Nagaokakyō. Hankyu Corporation. Japanese.
9. Web site: 2024-07-21 . ja:阪急2300系が営業運転を開始 〜有料座席指定サービス「PRiVACE」も開始〜 . Hankyu 2300 series enters revenue service ~ Reserved-seating service "PRiVACE" also begins ~ . 2024-07-21 . Japan Railfan Magazine Online . Koyusha . ja . Japan.