The is a railway line in Japan operated by the private railway operator Hankyu Railway. It connects Osaka-umeda Station in

Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of ...

and Kyoto-kawaramachi Station in

Kyoto Kyoto (; Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin, Keihanshin metropolitan area along wi ...

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 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 , 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 funic ...

) * 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. 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. On 17 December 2022 the name of the "Rapid Express" was changed to "Semi Express" with no changes to the stop pattern. This was done in anticipation for the future implementation of seat reservation services.

Proposed connecting line

A loop line from Juso to Awaji via Shin-Osaka station, to provide a direct connection to the

Shinkansen The , colloquially known in English as the bullet train, is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan. Initially, it was built to connect distant Japanese regions with Tokyo, the capital, to aid economic growth and development. Beyond l ...

has been proposed, but is not currently scheduled for construction.

Service types

Regular operations

In the timetable revised on December 21, 2013, regular trains are classified as follows: *Through service: All-stations "Local" trains operate between Osaka-umeda and Kita-Senri (on the Senri Line, connected at Awaji) and between Takatsuki-shi and Tengachaya (on the Osaka Metro Sakaisuji Line, via the Senri Line). *Operated on weekday rush hours, Saturdays and holidays *Through service: Sakaisuji Semi-Express trains operate between Kyoto-kawaramachi or Takatsuki-shi and Tengachaya. * Rush hours only. *Officially referred to as Rapid Service in English. * Rush hours only. This service type will be renamed ' effective 17 December 2022. * Operated on off-peak hours. * Weekdays rush hours only. & . *Weekends only, collectively known as the The Rapid Limited Express A will be suspended effective 17 December 2022.

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. All trains stop at ; ; and

Rolling stock

* 1300 series EMU (from 30 March 2014) * 3300 series EMU * 5300 series EMU * 6300 series EMU (''Kyō-Train'') *

7000 series 7000 series may refer to: Japanese trains * Chichibu Railway 7000 series electric multiple unit (EMU) * Echizen Railway 7000 series EMU * Hankyu 7000 series EMU * Hokushin Kyuko Electric Railway 7000 series EMU operating for the Kobe Municipal Su ...

EMU (''Kyō-Train Garaku'') * 7300 series EMU * 8300 series EMU * 9300 series EMU * Osaka Municipal Subway 66 series (Awaji - Takatsuki-shi)

Former

* 1300 series EMU (1957) * 2000 series EMU (Temporary) * 2300 series EMU * 2800 series EMU * 5100 series EMU (Temporary) * Osaka Municipal Subway 60 series EMU (Awaji - Takatsuki-shi)

References

This article incorporates material from the corresponding article in the Japanese Wikipedia {{DEFAULTSORT:Hankyu Kyoto Main Line

Rail transport in Kyoto Prefecture Rail transport in Osaka Prefecture Railway lines opened in 1921 Standard gauge railways in Japan