The is a railway line in Japan operated by the private railway operator Hankyu Railway. It connects 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 April, 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)
During the wartime consolidation policies of World War II, Hankyu Railway and Keihan Railway were temporarily forced to merge. After the war, the merger was dissolved in 1949. Keihan demanded the return of this line, while Hankyu maintained that it was part of its own network. In the end, it was not returned to Keihan, and Hankyu effectively wrested the line from Keihan against its wishes.鉄道図書刊行会(1970) "鉄道ピクトリアル 1970年3月号（No.235）"
Construction has been in progress since 2012 to elevate a section of track from Sōzenji Station to Kami-Shinjō Station including the junction with the Senri Line at Awaji Station. Originally projected for a 2020 completion, various delays have pushed back the start of operations on the new tracks to 2031.
Station numbering was introduced to all Hankyu stations on 21 December 2013.
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.
Service types
Regular operations As of the December 2022 timetable, 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 nameNo.StationDistance (km) Semi-Express ExpressSemi Ltd. Exp.Commuter Ltd. Exp.Ltd. Exp.Rapid Ltd. Exp. TransfersLocationThrough services:From Awaji: Local / Semi-Express ー From Kyoto-Kawaramachi to Tengachaya via the Senri Line and Osaka Metro Sakaisuji Line
Local — From Osaka-Umeda to Kita-Senri via the Senri LineTakarazuka Main LineHK-01大阪梅田(2.4)●●●●●● 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, OsakaOsaka PrefectureHK-03十三0.0●●●●●● Hankyu Kobe Main Line
Hankyu Takarazuka Main LineYodogawa-ku, OsakaKyoto Main LineHK-61南方1.9●●|||| Osaka Metro Midosuji Line (M14: Nishinakajima-Minamigata Station)HK-62崇禅寺3.2||||||Higashiyodogawa-ku, OsakaHK-63淡路4.2●●●|●● Hankyū Senri Line (through service, see above)
JR West Osaka Higashi Line (JR-F04:JR-Awaji Station)HK-64上新庄6.3●●||||HK-65相川7.2||||||HK-66正雀9.4||||||SettsuHK-67摂津市10.9||||||HK-68南茨木12.9●●|||| Osaka Monorail Main Line (19)IbarakiHK-69茨木市14.8●●●●●|HK-70総持寺16.8||||||HK-71富田17.3||||||TakatsukiHK-72高槻市20.6●●●●●|HK-73上牧24.9●|||||HK-74水無瀬25.7●|||||ShimamotoHK-75大山崎27.7●|||||ŌyamazakiKyoto PrefectureHK-76西山天王山30.2●|||||NagaokakyōHK-77長岡天神31.7●●●●●|HK-78西向日33.6●|||||MukōHK-79東向日35.0●|||||HK-80洛西口36.3●|||||Nishikyō-ku, KyotoHK-81桂38.0●●●●●● Hankyu Arashiyama LineHK-82西京極(西京極総合運動公園前)40.1●●||||Ukyō-ku, KyotoHK-83西院41.9●●●●|| Keifuku Electric Railroad Arashiyama Main Line (A02)HK-84大宮43.3●●●●|| Keifuku Electric Railroad Arashiyama Main Line (A01: Shijō-Ōmiya Station)Nakagyō-ku, KyotoHK-85烏丸44.4●●●●●● Kyoto Municipal Subway Karasuma Line (K09: Shijō Station)Shimogyō-ku, KyotoHK-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) 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