The is a Japanese railway line owned by the

Kintetsu Railway , referred to as , is a Japanese passenger railway company, managing infrastructure and operating passenger train service. Its railway system is the largest in Japan, excluding Japan Railways Group. The railway network connects Osaka, Nara, Ky ...

. The line connects Fuse Station in the eastern suburbs of Osaka to

Kintetsu Nara Station is a railway station on the Nara Line in Nara, Japan, operated by the private railway operator Kintetsu Railway. Lines The station is the terminal station on the Nara Line. Kintetsu operates through expresses and limited expresses from Kyoto ...

in the historic city of

Nara The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is an " independent federal agency of the United States government within the executive branch", charged with the preservation and documentation of government and historical records. It ...

, though operationally, the line begins at

Ōsaka Namba Station is a railway station on the Kintetsu Namba Line and Hanshin Namba Line in the Namba district of Chūō-ku, Osaka, Japan. It is adjacent to Namba Station and JR Namba Station. Trains of the Nara Line depart from and arrive at the station. ...

on the Namba Line. Additionally, some trains run through-services starting at Kobe Sannomiya Station on the

Hanshin Railway is a Japanese private railway company of Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group that links Osaka and Kobe. It also owns the Hanshin Tigers baseball team. The first character for Kobe (神戸) and the second character for Osaka (大阪) combine to form th ...

Main Line in

Kobe Kobe ( , ; officially , ) is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture Japan. With a population around 1.5 million, Kobe is Japan's seventh-largest city and the third-largest port city after Tokyo and Yokohama. It is located in Kansai region, whi ...

. Eastern satellite cities such as Higashiosaka and Ikoma are connected by the line. This line is more direct than the JR line between Osaka and Nara.

History

The line was opened by in 1914, dual track and electrified at 600 VDC. Whereas the JR West

Yamatoji Line The is the common name of the western portion of the Kansai Main Line. The line is owned and operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West), and starts at Kamo Station in Kyoto Prefecture and ends at JR Namba Station in Naniwa-ku, Osaka. O ...

routes south of the Ikoma mountain range to connect

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

, the Kintetsu Nara Line uses a tunnel through the Ikoma mountain range. As a result, the Kintetsu route is more direct and has allowed municipalities along the line such as Ikoma to flourish as major commuter hubs. To respond to high demand, the railway operates services with up to ten cars long during the peak hours operating as rapid and limited express services. Because of the direct routing, the Nara Line is highly regarded for being the most important commuter rail route in the Kinki region. Higher demand over the years has gradually lead to a reduction of faster midday services as Kintetsu moved to a higher frequency of limited express trains during peak hours. In 1969 the voltage was increased to 1500 VDC, and in 1970 the Namba Line was opened, and the operational starting station of the Line moved to Kintetsu Namba Station, from Uehonmachi Station of Osaka Line.

Operation

Trains run to and from the Kintetsu Namba Line and the

Hanshin Namba Line The is a railway line operated by the private railway operator Hanshin Electric Railway connecting Amagasaki Station in Amagasaki, Hyogo Prefecture, and Ōsaka Namba Station in Chuo-ku, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan. History The , the pre ...

, and lead to Osaka Namba Station and Amagasaki Station, and Rapid Express trains also to Kobe Sannomiya Station on the

Hanshin Main Line {{BS-map , title=Route map , title-bg=orangered , title-color=white , collapsible=yes , collapse=yes , map= {{BS, , , Lines are of Hanshin unless noted, } {{BS5, , hBHF, , , tBHF, , , {{STN, Osaka/{{STN, Kitashinchi} {{BS5, , hSTR, exKBHFa, tKACC ...

. Between Yamato-Saidaiji and Kintetsu Nara, through trains of the Kyoto Line also run. ;Local trains :Amagasaki (Hanshin) or Ōsaka Namba - Higashi-Hanazono or Yamato-Saidaiji (partly Kintetsu Nara) :in the morning and the evening:Amagasaki (Hanshin) or Ōsaka Namba - Hyotan-yama or Higashi-Ikoma :partly: Amagasaki (Hanshin) or Ōsaka Namba - Ishikiri :partly: Yamato-Saidaiji - Kintetsu Nara :only one train: Ikoma → Yamato-Saidaiji (as the last connection from the last limited express train from Osaka for Nara) ;Suburban Semi-Express trains :Amagasaki (Hanshin) or Ōsaka Namba - Yamato-Saidaiji or Kintetsu Nara ;Semi-Express trains :Amagasaki (Hanshin) or Ōsaka Namba - Yamato-Saidaiji or Kintetsu Nara ;Express trains, Limited Express trains :Ōsaka Namba - Kintetsu Nara ;Rapid Express trains :Kobe Sannomiya (Hanshin) or Amagasaki (Hanshin) or Ōsaka Namba - Kintetsu Nara

Stations

*●: Trains stop. *, : Trains pass. *▲: Trains stop when the large events are held at Kintetsu Hanazono Rugby Stadium. *※: One rapid express train for Nara stops at Ayameike on school days for Kinki University Elementary School and Kinki University Kindergarten. * *Local trains (普通, ''Futsū'' or 各駅停車, ''Kakueki-teisha'') stop at every station.

References

{{coord missing, Japan Kyoto Municipal Subway

Nara Line The is a commuter rail line in the Osaka–Kobe–Kyoto metropolitan area, operated by the West Japan Railway Company (JR West). Its official termini are Kizu Station in Kizugawa and Kyōto Station in Kyoto, within Kyoto Prefecture; howe ...

Rail transport in Nara Prefecture Rail transport in Osaka Prefecture Railway lines opened in 1914 Standard gauge railways in Japan Railway lines opened in 1970