The is a

railway Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...

line 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 ...

that was opened on 5 October 1989 by the

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 ...

. The Ōtō Line re-established a rail connection between the Keihan Main Line and the

Eizan Electric Railway is a Japanese private railway company whose two lines run entirely in Sakyō-ku in the city of Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture. The name of this small railway network is abbreviated as , and is derived from the name of its predecessor, the of the ...

, which had been severed when the Kyoto City streetcars ceased running in 1978. The line is operated as an extension of the Keihan Main Line. All trains continue into the Keihan Main Line and

Keihan Nakanoshima Line The is a railway line operated by the Keihan Electric Railway in Osaka, Japan. It opened on October 19, 2008, and has a ruling grade of 1 in 25 (4%). Services The following services operate on the Nakanoshima line, with through-running to/from t ...

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 ...

. The double-track line is situated below Kawabata Street, along the left (eastern) bank of the

Kamo River The is located in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. The riverbanks are popular walking spots for residents and tourists. In summer, restaurants open balconies looking out to the river. There are walkways running alongside the river, and some stepping ...

. Despite its length of 2.3 km, it serves as an important transport corridor in central Kyoto.

Overview

The route name is derived the line's route on the east shore of

. It is constructed under Kawabata Street along the Kamo River as an underground extension of the Keihan Main Line. The line is only 2.3 km long but serves as a important transport corridor in central Kyoto.

Addition fares

To recover the cost of construction and interest payments (69 billion yen) of the line, a surcharge of 60 yen is added on top of regular fares when a trip uses the line. The recovery rate at the end of FY2016 was 31.8%; most of it recovered by the 60 yen surcharge. It is undecided whether the additional surcharge will be imposed indefinitely.

History

August 29, 1924: Kyoto Electric Light (predecessor of the Keifuku Electric Railway) acquired a license for laying local railways between Demachiyanagi and Sanjo. April 10, 1950: Keihan Electric Railway established the Ōtō Line Construction Preparation Committee. July 1, 1972: Kamogawa Electric Railway was established. February 20, 1974: Provincial railway laying licence between the Keifuku Electric Railway February 25, 1974: Kamogawa Electric Railway acquires a license for laying a local railway between Demachiyanagi and Sanjo. November 30, 1984: A groundbreaking ceremony was held at the Ōtō Line construction work. April 1, 1989: Keihan Electric Railway merges with Kamogawa Electric Railway. October 5, 1989: Opened as Ōtō Line. The timetable revision accompanying this has been carried out ahead of September 27, until noon October 5 was operated as a forwarding train in the Ōtō Line. October 19, 2008: Because there is a station of the same name on the Kyoto Municipal Subway Karasuma Line, the Marutamachi Station of this line is renamed to Jingu-Marutamachi Station. December 5, 2015: ATS operation begins on the Ōtō Line.

Stations and connections

References

This article incorporates material from the corresponding article in the Japanese Wikipedia {{DEFAULTSORT:Keihan Oto Line Oto Line Rail transport in Kyoto Prefecture Standard gauge railways in Japan 1989 establishments in Japan Railway lines opened in 1989