| Railroad Name: | Keihan Electric Railway |
| Logo Filename: | Keihan railway logo.svg |
| System Map: | Keihan_Electric_Railway_Linemap.svg |
| Map Size: | 200px |
| Locale: | Kansai region, Japan |
| Start Year: | 1910 |
| Length: | 91.1km (56.6miles) |
| Hq City: | Osaka, Japan |
| Website: | Keihan Electric Railway |
The, known colloquially as the,, or simply, is a major Japanese private railway operator in Osaka, Kyoto, and Shiga Prefectures. The transit network includes seven lines; four main lines with heavy rolling stock, two interurban lines, and a funicular railway.
It is a subsidiary of Keihan Holdings, Ltd. .
Keihan started its operation between Osaka and Kyoto in 1910. It was the first electric railway to connect these two cities, and the first line on the left bank of Yodo River. Keihan later purchased the lines in the Ōtsu area (Ōtsu Lines).
In the 1920s, Keihan built another Osaka-Kyoto line through its subsidiary, which merged into Keihan in 1930. This line is now known as the Hankyu Kyoto Line.
In 1943, with the power given by the (Act No. 71 of 1938), the wartime government of Japan forced Keihan to merge with Hanshin Kyūkō Railway to form . In 1949, the pre-war Keihan operations, except for Shinkeihan lines, restored independence under the original corporate name. Keihanshin Kyūkō Railway later changed the name to present Hankyu Railway.
The lines operated by Keihan are grouped into Keihan Lines and Ōtsu Lines. The former operates between Kyoto and Osaka with larger rolling stock in longer formations. The latter runs Kyoto and Ōtsu with more tram-like cars. The entire network has double track.
Nakanoshima - Temmabashi
Hirakatashi - Kisaichi
Chushojima - Uji
Misasagi - Biwako-hamaotsu
Ishiyamadera - Sakamoto-hieizanguchi
Keishin-Sanjo (Sanjo) - Misasagi
, Keihan owns a fleet of 693 vehicles (including two funicular cars), as follows.[1]
Train fare varies based on travel distance. As of January 1, 2009, IC cards (PiTaPa and ICOCA) are accepted on the Keihan Lines and the Otsu Lines, but not on the Cable Line.The fare rate was changed on April 1, 2014 to reflect the change in the rate of consumption tax from 5% to 8%.[2]
| Distance (km) | Fare (JPY) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| effective April 1, 2014 | effective October 19, 2008 | ||
| 1-3 | 150 | 150 | |
| 4-7 | 210 | 200 | |
| 8-12 | 270 | 260 | |
| 13-17 | 310 | 300 | |
| 18-22 | 330 | 320 | |
| 23-28 | 350 | 340 | |
| 29-34 | 370 | 360 | |
| 35-40 | 390 | 380 | |
| 41-46 | 400 | 390 | |
| 47-52 | 410 | 400 | |
| 53-54 | 420 | 410 | |
Oto Line: 60 yen
Nakanoshima Line (Nakanoshima - Oebashi): 60 yen
| Distance (km) | Fare (JPY) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| effective April 1, 2014 | effective October 19, 2008 | ||
| 1-5 | 170 | 160 | |
| 6-10 | 240 | 230 | |
| 11-15 | 320 | 310 | |
200 yen
The name Keihan, which is also used for the Kyoto-Osaka region, is derived from the words Kyoto and Osaka in Japanese, and is a clipped compound of the names, with the reading of the characters changed: and are combined to, replacing the go-on reading and kun'yomi with the kan-on readings and . This is commonly done in names for regions or train lines, with kan-on readings (the most common readings in kanji compounds) being used for the compounds, while place names use other readings. The larger region, including, is similarly called, the go-on reading replacing the kun'yomi, and the corresponding Kyoto-Kobe line is the line.
Keihan also operates (through the subsidiaries) other businesses such as bus, taxi, water bus, hotel, department store and amusement park, mainly in the area along its railway system.