The is a
commuter rail
Commuter rail, or suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting commuters to a central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter towns. Generally commuter rail systems are con ...
line in the
Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto Metropolitan Area owned and operated by
West Japan Railway Company
, also referred to as , is one of the Japan Railways Group (JR Group) companies and operates in western Honshu. It has its headquarters in Kita-ku, Osaka. It is listed in the Tokyo Stock Exchange, is a constituent of the TOPIX Large70 index, and ...
(JR West). The name applies to the section of the
Tōkaidō Main Line
The is a major Japanese railway line of the Japan Railways Group (JR Group) network, connecting and stations. It is long, not counting its many freight feeder lines around the major cities. The high-speed Tōkaidō Shinkansen largely parallel ...
between
Kyōto Station
is a major railway station and transportation hub in Kyōto, Japan. It has Japan's second-largest station building (after Nagoya Station) and is one of the country's largest buildings, incorporating a shopping mall, hotel, movie theater, Isetan ...
and
Ōsaka Station
is a major railway station in the Umeda district of Kita-ku, Osaka, Japan, operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West). It forms the city's main rail terminal in the north.
Although it is officially served by only the JR Kobe/Kyoto Lines ( ...
.
The Kyoto Line operates in combination with the
Biwako Line
The is the nickname used by the operator of the West Japan Railway Company (JR West) to refer to the portion of the Tōkaidō Main Line (between Maibara Station and Kyoto Station) and the Hokuriku Main Line (between Maibara Station and Nagahama ...
and the
JR Kobe Line
The is the nickname of portions of the Tokaido Main Line and the Sanyo Main Line, between Osaka Station in Osaka, Osaka Prefecture and Himeji Station in Himeji, Hyōgo Prefecture. The line, along with the JR Kyoto Line and the Biwako Line, ...
, and offers through service trains to the
Kosei Line
The is a commuter rail line in Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto Metropolitan Area, operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West). The line was completed in 1974 by the former Japanese National Railways (JNR) to provide faster access from the Kansai region t ...
and the
JR Takarazuka Line
The is a railway line operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West) connecting Osaka and Fukuchiyama, Japan. Within JR West's "Urban Network" covering the Osaka–Kobe–Kyoto metropolitan region, the line from Osaka to Sasayamaguchi is also ...
.
Basic data
*Operators, distances: 42.8 km / 26.6 mi.
**
West Japan Railway Company
, also referred to as , is one of the Japan Railways Group (JR Group) companies and operates in western Honshu. It has its headquarters in Kita-ku, Osaka. It is listed in the Tokyo Stock Exchange, is a constituent of the TOPIX Large70 index, and ...
(
Category-1, services and tracks)
**
Japan Freight Railway Company
, or , is one of the seven constituent companies of Japan Railways Group (JR Group). It provides transportation of cargo nationwide throughout Japan. Its headquarters are in Shibuya, Tokyo near Shinjuku Station.
The Japan Railways Group was foun ...
(
Category-2, services)
*Track: Entire line quadruple-tracked
*
Railway signalling
Railway signalling (), also called railroad signaling (), is a system used to control the movement of railway traffic. Trains move on fixed rails, making them uniquely susceptible to collision. This susceptibility is exacerbated by the enormou ...
: Automatic
*Maximum speed:
**outer tracks:130 km/h
**inner tracks:120 km/h
*
CTC centers: Ōsaka Operation Control Center
*CTC system: JR Kyoto-Kobe traffic control system
ja:運行管理システム(JR西日本)
Services
Commuter trains are classified in three types:
*
**Continuing service from the
Biwako Line
The is the nickname used by the operator of the West Japan Railway Company (JR West) to refer to the portion of the Tōkaidō Main Line (between Maibara Station and Kyoto Station) and the Hokuriku Main Line (between Maibara Station and Nagahama ...
and the
Kosei Line
The is a commuter rail line in Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto Metropolitan Area, operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West). The line was completed in 1974 by the former Japanese National Railways (JNR) to provide faster access from the Kansai region t ...
. Trains stop at Kyōto, Takatsuki, Shin-Ōsaka, and Ōsaka. Trains continue from Ōsaka on the
JR Kōbe Line
The is the nickname of portions of the Tokaido Main Line and the Sanyo Main Line, between Osaka Station in Osaka, Osaka Prefecture and Himeji Station in Himeji, Hyōgo Prefecture. The line, along with the JR Kyoto Line and the Biwako Line, f ...
to Himeji and beyond.
223 series and
225 series
The is a Direct current, DC electric multiple unit (EMU) train type operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR-West) on suburban services in the "Keihanshin" Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe area since December 2010.
Design
226 vehicles were ordered, at a cos ...
EMUs are used. Daytime trains depart every 15 minutes and take 28 minutes from Kyōto to Ōsaka and vice versa.
*
**Continuing service from the Biwako Line and the Kosei Line. Trains stop at Kyōto, Nagaokakyō, Takatsuki, Ibaraki, Shin-Ōsaka, and Ōsaka. After the morning, trains also stop at all other stations between Kyōto and Takatsuki and occasionally called local trains on this section. Trains continue from Osaka on the JR Kōbe Line to Himeji and beyond.
225 series
The is a Direct current, DC electric multiple unit (EMU) train type operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR-West) on suburban services in the "Keihanshin" Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe area since December 2010.
Design
226 vehicles were ordered, at a cos ...
,
223 series,
221 series EMUs are used.
*
**Service from Kyōto to Nishi-Akashi on the JR Kōbe Line, and from Takatsuki to Shin-Sanda on the
JR Takarazuka Line
The is a railway line operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West) connecting Osaka and Fukuchiyama, Japan. Within JR West's "Urban Network" covering the Osaka–Kobe–Kyoto metropolitan region, the line from Osaka to Sasayamaguchi is also ...
. Trains stop at all stations.
321 series EMUs and
207 series EMUs are used.
In addition to the three types of commuter trains, long-distance
limited express
A limited express is a type of express train service. It refers to an express service that stops at a limited number of stops in comparison to other express services on the same or similar routes.
Japan
The term "limited express" is a common ...
trains connecting the Kyoto-Osaka region with
Kansai International Airport
Kansai International Airport ( ja, 関西国際空港, Kansai Kokusai Kūkō) commonly known as is the primary international airport in the Greater Osaka Area of Japan and the closest international airport to the cities of Osaka, Kyoto, and K ...
(''
Haruka Haruka may refer to:
People
*Haruka (given name), a Japanese given name
*Haruka (model) (born 1975), Japanese fashion model
Music
* "Haruka" (Melody song)
* "Haruka" (Scandal song)
* "Haruka" (Tokio song)
* "Haruka" (Yoasobi song)
Other uses
* ' ...
'' services),
Hokuriku region
The was located in the northwestern part of Honshu, the main island of Japan. It lay along the Sea of Japan within the Chūbu region, which it is currently a part of. It is almost equivalent to Koshi Province and Hokurikudō area in pre-modern ...
(''
Thunderbird
Thunderbird, thunder bird or thunderbirds may refer to:
* Thunderbird (mythology), a legendary creature in certain North American indigenous peoples' history and culture
* Ford Thunderbird, a car
Birds
* Dromornithidae, extinct flightless birds ...
'' services) and other areas also frequently operate on the line. Freight trains also operate on the line except for the section near Osaka Station where freight trains use separate freight lines.
Stations
Legend:
* ● : All trains stop
* , : All trains pass
* ▲ : Trains only after morning rush stop
Local trains stop at all stations. Rapid trains in the morning skip some stops between Kyoto and Takatsuki.
Closed station
From September 5, 1876 to the opening of Kyoto Station on February 6, 1877, was the station for the city of Kyoto. The temporary station was located at 40 chains (0.80 km) west of Kyoto Station construction site, or 3 miles and 47 chains (5.77 km) away from Mukōmachi Station.
Rolling stock
Local
*
207 series (from 1991, through service with Fukuchiyama Line)
*
321 series (from 2005, through service with Fukuchiyama Line)
Special Rapid and Rapid
*
221 series (from 1989, through service with Kosei and Biwako Lines, until 2023)
*
223-1000/2000/6000 series (from 1995, through service with Kosei and Biwako Lines, until 2030)
*
225-0/100 series (from 2010, through service with Kosei and Biwako Lines, until 2030)
Limited express
*
271 series
The is an electric multiple unit (EMU) train type operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West) on '' Haruka'' limited express services to and from Kansai International Airport.
Design
The trains inherit some of design elements of the 281 s ...
(''
Haruka Haruka may refer to:
People
*Haruka (given name), a Japanese given name
*Haruka (model) (born 1975), Japanese fashion model
Music
* "Haruka" (Melody song)
* "Haruka" (Scandal song)
* "Haruka" (Tokio song)
* "Haruka" (Yoasobi song)
Other uses
* ' ...
'' service, from Spring 2020)
*
281 series (''Haruka'' service, from 1994)
*
283 series (''
Kuroshio
The , also known as the Black or or the is a north-flowing, warm ocean current on the west side of the North Pacific Ocean basin. It was named for the deep blue appearance of its waters. Similar to the Gulf Stream in the North Atlantic, the K ...
'' service, from 1997)
*
285 series (''
Sunrise Izumo
The is an overnight sleeping car train service in Japan operated jointly by Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central) and West Japan Railway Company (JR West) since July 1998.
Operations
The ''Sunrise Izumo'' runs daily between and in Shim ...
''/''
Sunrise Seto
The is an overnight sleeping car train service in Japan operated jointly by Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central) and West Japan Railway Company (JR West) since July 1998.
Operations
The ''Sunrise Seto'' runs daily between and in Kagaw ...
'' service, from July 1998)
*
287 series (''Kuroshio'' service, from 2012)
*
289 series (''Kuroshio'' service, from October 2015)
*
681 series
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Year 681 ( DCLXXXI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. The denomination 681 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar e ...
(''
Thunderbird
Thunderbird, thunder bird or thunderbirds may refer to:
* Thunderbird (mythology), a legendary creature in certain North American indigenous peoples' history and culture
* Ford Thunderbird, a car
Birds
* Dromornithidae, extinct flightless birds ...
'' and ''
Biwako Express'' service, from 1992)
*
683 series (''Thunderbird'' and ''Biwako Express'' service, from 2001)
*
KiHa 189 series
The is a diesel multiple unit (DMU) train type operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR-West) on '' Hamakaze'' limited express services between and since November 2010 and '' Biwako Express'' services between Osaka and since March 2014. ...
(''Biwako Express'' service, from March 2014)
*
KiHa 85 series
The is a diesel multiple unit (DMU) train type operated by Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central) on '' Hida'' and ''Nanki'' limited express services in Japan.
Technical specifications
The trains use stainless steel car bodies, consist o ...
(JR Central) (''
Hida'' service)
*
HOT7000 series
The is a diesel multiple unit (DMU) tilting train type operated by the third-sector operating company Chizu Express and West Japan Railway Company (JR West) on ''Super Hakuto'' limited express services between , , and in Japan since December 19 ...
(
Chizu Express) (''
Super Hakuto
Super may refer to:
Computing
* SUPER (computer program), or Simplified Universal Player Encoder & Renderer, a video converter / player
* Super (computer science), a keyword in object-oriented programming languages
* Super key (keyboard butt ...
'' service, from 1994, through service with Chizu Line)
Former
*
103 series
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...
(until August 1, 2005)
*
113 series (until October 16, 2004)
*
117 series (from 1980 until May 10, 1999)
*
201 series
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit (measurement), unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment ...
(from 1983 until 2007)
*
205-0 series (from 1986 until 2006, from 2011 until March 2013)
*
381 series (Limited Express ''Kuroshio'' service, until October 2015)
*
485 series
The (and the earlier 481 and 483 series variants) is a Japanese limited express electric multiple unit (EMU) type introduced in 1964 by Japanese National Railways (JNR), and subsequently operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East), ...
(Limited Express ''
Raichō
The was a limited express train operated by the West Japan Railway Company (JR West) between and in Japan until March 2011, using portions of the Tōkaidō Main Line, Kosei Line, and Hokuriku Main Line.
The characters 雷 鳥 literally ...
'' until March 2011)
*
583 series (Express ''
Kitaguni'' until January 2013)
*
KiHa 181 series
The was a diesel multiple unit (DMU) train type operated in Japan on limited express services between 1968 and 2010. Initially introduced by Japanese National Railways (JNR), the trains were later operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR-West ...
(Limited Express ''Hakuto'' from 1994 until 1997)
*
383 series (
JR Central
is the main railway company operating in the Chūbu (Nagoya) region of central Japan. It is officially abbreviated in English as JR Central and in Japanese as JR Tōkai ( ja, JR東海, links=no). ''Tōkai'' is a reference to the geographical ...
) (Limited Express ''
Shinano'' until 26 March 2016)
History
The line now called the JR Kyoto Line opened in 1876, only four years after the opening of the first railway in Japan. On July 26, 1876, the
Japanese Government Railways
The Japanese Government Railways (JGR) was the national railway system directly operated by the Japanese Ministry of Railways ( ja, 鉄道省, Tetsudō-shō, ) until 1949. It was a predecessor of Japanese National Railways and the later Japan Rai ...
opened the section between Ōsaka and Mukōmachi with an intermediate station at Takatsuki. On August 9, 1876, Yamazaki Station, Ibaraki Station and Suita Station opened. Kyoto Station opened on February 6, 1877.
On June 1, 1949, operation of the line was taken over by
Japanese National Railways
The abbreviated JNR or , was the business entity that operated Japan's national railway network from 1949 to 1987.
Network Railways
As of June 1, 1949, the date of establishment of JNR, it operated of narrow gauge () railways in all 46 pref ...
(JNR).
* October 1, 1964 – Shin-Ōsaka Station opens with a Tōkaidō Shinkansen connection
* October 1, 1970 – Operation of Special Rapid Service starts
* April 1, 1987 – JR West becomes the operator of the line following privatization of JNR
* March 13, 1988 – JR West starts the use of the line name JR Kyoto Line
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jr Kyoto Line
Rail transport in Kyoto Prefecture
Rail transport in Osaka Prefecture
Kyoto Line
Kyoto Line
1067 mm gauge railways in Japan