Osaka Line

The Osaka Line (大阪線, Ōsaka-sen) is a railway line in Japan owned by Kintetsu Railway, connecting Osaka and Mie Prefecture via Nara Prefecture. The line is the longest double-tracked railway of non-JR operators. Together with the Nagoya Line, this line forms the route for Kintetsu limited express services connecting Osaka and Nagoya in competition with the Tokaido Shinkansen.

Osaka Line
21000 series EMU on a limited express service passing New Aoyama Tunnel
Overview
Line numberD
LocaleKansai (Osaka, Nara and Mie Prefectures
TerminiOsaka Uehommachi
Ise-Nakagawa
Stations48
Service
TypeCommuter rail
(Osaka Uehommachi - Haibara)
Operator(s)Kintetsu Railway
Depot(s)Takayasu
(Branch: Goido, Nabari, Aoyamacho)
Goido (workshop)
History
OpenedApril 30, 1914
Technical
Line length108.9 km (67.7 mi)
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
Electrification1,500 V DC overhead line
Operating speed130 km/h (80 mph)
(some limited express trains)
120 km/h (75 mph)
(limited express trains)
110 km/h (70 mph)
(other trains)

Rapid service

Along with charged Limited express, non-charged local and rapid services are operated on the line.

Local (普通, Futsū) (L)
Mostly using 6-car trains, operations are divided at Nabari. In the west trains normally run between Osaka Uehommachi and Takayasu or Kawachi-Kokubu. During the day, 6 trains operate per hour, 5 between Osaka Uehommachi and Takayasu, and one between Osaka Uehommachi and Kawachi-Kokubu. In the east, local trains run between Nabari or Aoyamacho and Ise-Nakagawa. Some trains continues as other train types west of Nabari.
Suburban Semi-Express (区間準急, Kukan Junkyū) (SSE)
The service started on March 20, 2012.[1] These operate using 6-car trains, between Osaka Uehommachi and Yamato-Asakura, Haibara, or Nabari, during off-peak hours.
Semi-Express (準急, Junkyū) (SE)
Between Osaka Uehommachi and Takayasu, Haibara or Nabari, peak hours only, replacing suburban semi-express services, using 10-, 8-, or 6-car formations.
Express (急行, Kyūkō) (Ex)
Operated at all times except during rush hours in the peak direction, connecting Osaka Uehommachi and Aoyamachō or Isuzugawa on Toba Line, one and two services per hour respectively. These trains use short 6-car formations due to the lengths of platforms at Kawachi-Kokubu and Sambommatsu. Makes a connection to express train on Nagoya Line at Ise-Nakagawa.
Rapid Express (快速急行, Kaisoku Kyūkō) (RE)
Long distance rapid service replacing express trains at rush hours, between Osaka Uehommachi and Aoyamachō, or Matsusaka, Ujiyamada, Isuzugawa or Toba on Toba Line in Mie Prefecture. To the west of Nabari, they operate with up to 10 cars, to the west of Aoyamachō with up to 8 cars, and 4 or 6 cars in the eastern section.
After the schedule change on March 20, 2012, these trains were integrated with suburban rapid express trains (区間快速急行, 区間快速, Kukan Kaisoku Kyūkō, Kukan Kaisoku). Muroguchi-Ono and Akameguchi stations became stops of rapid express trains, but Iga-Kozu, Nishi-Aoyama, and Higashi-Aoyama stations are skipped.[1]
After the schedule change on March 14, 2020, morning westbound trains are shortened between Aoyamacho and Osaka Uehommachi, and trains from the Yamada Line and the Toba Line are operated as express trains until Nabari.
Limited Express (特急, Tokkyū)
Seat reservation required for an extra charge, between Osaka Uehommachi or Osaka Namba on the Kintetsu Namba Line in Osaka and Nagoya or the Ise - Shima region.

Stations
  • 〇 : All trains stop.
  • ▲ : Most trains stop
  • △ : Some trains stop
No. Stations Japanese Distance

(km)

 SSE SE Ex RE LE Location
D03 Osaka Uehommachi 大阪上本町 0.0 〇 〇 〇 〇 〇 Tennōji-ku, Osaka Osaka Prefecture
D04 Tsuruhashi 鶴橋 1.1 〇 〇 〇 〇 〇 Ikuno-ku, Osaka
D05 Imazato 今里 2.8
D06 Fuse 布施 4.1 〇 〇 〇 △ Higashiōsaka
D07 Shuntokumichi 俊徳道 5.1
D08 Nagase
(Kindai University)		 長瀬 6.2
D09 Mito 弥刀 7.4
D10 Kyūhōjiguchi 久宝寺口 8.3 Yao
D11 Kintetsu Yao 近鉄八尾 9.6 〇 〇
D12 Kawachi-Yamamoto 河内山本 11.1 〇 〇
D13 Takayasu 隆康 12.2 〇 〇
D14 Onji 恩智 13.3 〇
D15 Hōzenji 法善寺 14.9 〇 Kashiwara
D16 Katashimo 堅下 15.7 〇
D17 Andō 安堂 16.6 〇
D18 Kawachi-Kokubu
(Kansai University of Welfare Sciences)		 河内国分 18.2 〇 〇 〇
D19 Ōsaka-Kyōikudai-mae
(Ōsaka Kyōiku University)		 大阪

教育大前

 19.8 〇 〇
D20 Sekiya 関屋 22.0 〇 〇 Kashiba Nara Prefecture
D21 Nijō 二上 24.1 〇 〇
D22 Kintetsu Shimoda 近鉄下田 25.7 〇 〇
D23 Goidō
(Mamigaoka New Town)		 五位堂 27.1 〇 〇 〇 〇
D24 Tsukiyama 築山 28.8 〇 〇 Yamatotakada
D25 Yamato-Takada 大和高田 29.9 〇 〇 〇 〇 △
D26 Matsuzuka 松塚 31.8 〇 〇
D27 Masuga 真菅 32.8 〇 〇 Kashihara
D39 Yamato-Yagi 大和八木 34.8 〇 〇 〇 〇 ▲
D40 Miminashi 耳成 36.9 〇 〇
D41 Daifuku 大福 38.2 〇 〇 Sakurai
D42 Sakurai 桜井 39.8 〇 〇 〇 〇
D43 Yamato-Asakura 大和朝倉 41.9 〇 〇 〇
D44 Hasedera 長谷寺 45.6 〇 〇 〇
D45 Haibara 榛原 50.1 〇 〇 〇 〇 △ Uda
D46 Murōguchi-Ōno 室生口大野 57.2 〇 〇 〇 〇
D47 Sambommatsu 三本松 59.7 〇 〇 〇
D48 Akameguchi 赤目口 64.0 〇 〇 〇 〇 Nabari Mie Prefecture
D49 Nabari 名張 67.2 〇 〇 〇 〇 ▲
D50 Kikyōgaoka 桔梗が丘 70.0 〇 〇 △
D51 Mihata 美旗 73.1 〇 〇
D52 Iga-Kambe 伊賀神戸 75.5 〇 〇 △ Iga
D53 Aoyamachō 青山町 77.9 〇 〇
D54 Iga-Kōzu 伊賀上津 80.6 〇
D55 Nishi-Aoyama 西青山 83.8 〇
D56 Higashi-Aoyama 東青山 91.5 〇 Tsu
D57 Sakakibara-Onsenguchi 榊原温泉口 95.4 〇 〇 △
D58 Ōmitsu 大三 97.6
D59 Ise-Ishibashi 伊勢石橋 101.6
D60 Kawai-Takaoka 川合高岡 104.4
D61 Ise-Nakagawa 伊勢中川 108.9 〇 〇 ▲ Matsusaka

History

The Osaka Electric Railway opened the Osaka Uehommachi to Fuse section as 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) gauge dual track electrified at 600 V DC (as were all further sections unless otherwise noted) in 1914. The line was extended to Kintetsu Yao in 1924, and to Onji the following year. The Yamato-Takada to Yamato-Yagi section opened (with a single track) the same year, and was then linked to Onji and duplicated in 1927. The line was then extended to Sakurai in 1929 and the voltage on the Sakurai to Fuse section increased to 1,500 V DC to permit through-running with the Sangu Express Railway line (see below).

The Sangu Express Railway opened the Sakurai to Hase section in 1929, electrified at 1,500 V DC, and extended the line to Ise-Nakagawa the following year, single track beyond Nabari. The two companies became part of Kintetsu between 1941 and 1944.

The voltage on the Osaka Uehommachi to Fuse section was increased to 1,500 V DC in 1956, the Nabari to Iga-Kozu section was double-tracked between 1959 and 1961, and the rest of the line double-tracked between 1967 and 1975, when the 5,652 m Shin Aoyama tunnel was opened, at the time the longest tunnel built in Japan by a private railway.

Former connecting lines
  • Sakurai Station: The Hase Railway opened a 6 km (3.7 mi) 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) gauge line to Hase in 1909. The company merged with the Osaka Electric Railway in 1928, the year before the Sangu Express Railway opened the Sakurai to Hase line in 1929, and the line closed in 1938. The Yamato Railway operated an 8 km (5.0 mi) 1,067 mm gauge line electrified at 600 V DC to Nishi-Tawaramoto on the Kashihara Line between 1923 and 1958.
  • Iga-Kambe Station: The (first) Iga Railway opened a 26 km (16 mi) 1,067 mm gauge line between Iga-Ueno on the Kansai Main Line and Nishi-Nabari in 1922, including a connection at this station. The line was electrified at 1,500 V DC in 1926. The section to Nishi-Nabari closed in 1964, with the Iga Line operated by the (second) Iga Railway after Kintetsu transferred operation of the line in 2007.
  • Ise-Ishibashi Station: The Dainippon Railway operated a 15 km (9.3 mi) 762 mm (2 ft 6 in) gauge line between Hisai on the Nagoya Line and Ise-Kawaguchi on the Meisho Line that connected here between 1925 and 1943.

References

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

  1. 平成24年のダイヤ変更について (PDF) (Press release) (in Japanese). Kintetsu Corporation. January 20, 2012. p. 3. Retrieved January 21, 2012.
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