Hankyu Railway
Encyclopedia
is a Japan
ese private railway
that provides commuter and interurban service to the northern Kansai region and is one of major businesses operated by Hankyu Hanshin Holdings
, Inc. The railway's main terminal is at Umeda Station
in Osaka. The signature color of Hankyu cars is maroon
.
The Hankyu network serves 1,950,000 people every weekday and offers several types of express service with no extra charge.
The head office of Hankyu Hanshin Holdings, Inc. and Hankyu Railway (Hankyu Corporation) is at 1-16-1, Shibata, Kita-ku
, Osaka
; its registered headquarters are at 1-1, Sakaemachi, Ikeda
, Osaka Prefecture
.
, Inc., was established by Ichizō Kobayashi
.
On 10 March 1910, Minoo Arima Tramway opened the rail lines from Umeda to Takarazuka (the Takarazuka Main Line) and from Ishibashi to Minoo (the Minoo Line
).
On July 16, 1920, the Kobe Main Line from Jūsō to Kobe (later, renamed Kamitsutsui) and the Itami Line from Tsukaguchi to Itami were opened.
On April 1, 1936, the Kobe Main Line was extended from Nishi-Nada (present: Ōji-kōen) to the new terminal in Kobe (present: Sannomiya Station
), and the Kobe Main Line from Nishi-Nada to Kamitsutsui was named the Kamitsutsui Line, which was abandoned on May 20, 1940.
In 1936, Hankyu established a professional baseball
team and in 1937 the Nishinomiya Stadium
as the team's home field was completed near Nishinomiya-Kitaguchi Station
. The Hankyu Braves (named in 1947) played until the 1988 season and became the predecessors of the present-day Orix Buffaloes
.
were merged, and renamed . The merged lines included the Keihan Main Line, the Uji Line
, the Shinkeihan Line (present-day Kyoto Main Line), the Senriyama Line
(present-day Senri Line), the Jūsō Line (part of Kyoto Main Line), the Arashiyama Line
, the Keishin Line and the Ishiyama Sakamoto Line
. The Katano Line was also added in 1945.
On December 1, 1949, the Keihan Main Line, the Katano Line, the Uji Line, the Keishin Line, and the Ishiyama-Sakamoto Line were split off to become part of the newly-established Keihan Electric Railway
Co., Ltd. Although this revived the former Keihan Electric Railway, Keihan was now smaller than before the 1943 merger, because the Shinkeihan Line and its branches were not given up by Keihanshin. The present structure of the Hankyu network with the three main lines was fixed by this transaction. The abbreviation of Keihanshin Kyūkō Railway was changed from "Keihanshin" to "Hankyū".
On April 7, 1968, the Kobe Main Line started through service to the Kobe Rapid Transit Railway Tozai Line
and the Sanyo Electric Railway
Main Line.
On December 6, 1969, the Kyoto Main Line and the Senri Line started through service to the Osaka Municipal Subway
Sakaisuji Line. In 1970, the Senri Line was one of access routes to the Expo '70
held in Senri area.
On April 1, 1973, Keihanshin Kyūkō Railway Company was renamed .
On April 1, 2005, former Hankyu Corporation became a holding company and was renamed . The railway business was ceded to a subsidiary, now named Hankyu Corporation (before the restructuring, the new company which reused a dormant company founded on December 7, 1989 was called "Act Systems" (株式会社アクトシステムズ) until March 28, 2004, then "Hankyū Dentetsu Bunkatsu Junbi K.K." (阪急電鉄分割準備株式会社) from the next day).
On October 1, 2006, Hankyu Holdings became the wholly owning parent company of Hanshin Electric Railway Co., Ltd.
and the holdings were renamed Hankyu Hanshin Holdings
, Inc.. Hankyu's stock purchase of Hanshin shares was completed on June 20, 2006.
Hankyu operates three main trunk lines, connecting Osaka with Kobe
, Takarazuka
and Kyoto
respectively, and their branches.
The three groups of the lines, the Kobe Lines, the Takarazuka Lines and the Kyoto Lines, can be further grouped into two, the Kobe-Takarazuka Lines and the Kyoto Lines from a historical reason. Hankyu has two groups of rolling stock, one for the Kobe-Takarazuka Lines and the other for the Kyoto Lines.
Transferred lines
The Keihan and Ōtsu Lines were transferred to Keihan Electric Railway
Co., Ltd. which separated from Keihanshin Kyūkō (now Hankyu) on December 1, 1949.
As of March 31, 2010, Hankyu has 1,319 cars for passenger service.
Standard cars have three doors per side and bench seating facing the center of the train (exceptions are noted below). The Kobe Line
and Takarazuka Line use almost the same types of fleet, instead, by historical reason the Kyoto Line is served by another types of rolling stock.
Some of former cars of Hankyu, such as 2000 series and 3100 series, have been transferred to and are now used by Nose Electric Railway.
For fare collection, IC cards (PiTaPa
and ICOCA
) are accepted.
(京都), Osaka
(大阪), Kobe
(神戸), and the suburbs of theirs. Kyūkō (急行) means express train.
.
The 2011 film Hankyu Railway: a 15-Minute Miracle is set on the Hankyu Imazu line.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese private railway
Private railway
A private railroad is a railroad run by a private corporation, as opposed to a railroad run by a public sector.-Japan:In Japan, refers to a railway line owned and operated by private sector. Although Japan Railways Group companies are private entities, they are not considered private railways...
that provides commuter and interurban service to the northern Kansai region and is one of major businesses operated by Hankyu Hanshin Holdings
Hankyu Hanshin Holdings
is a stockholding company which owns Hankyu Corporation, Hanshin Electric Railway Co., Ltd. and affiliate companies.On October 1, 2006, Hankyu Holdings changed its name to the present corporate name following the merger with Hanshin Electric Railway...
, Inc. The railway's main terminal is at Umeda Station
Umeda Station
is a railway station located in Kita-ku in the northern commercial center of Osaka, Japan. It is the busiest station in Western Japan, serving 2,343,727 passengers daily in 2005.Umeda Station is served by the following railways:...
in Osaka. The signature color of Hankyu cars is maroon
Maroon (color)
Maroon is a dark red color.-Etymology:Maroon is derived from French marron .The first recorded use of maroon as a color name in English was in 1789.-Maroon :...
.
The Hankyu network serves 1,950,000 people every weekday and offers several types of express service with no extra charge.
The head office of Hankyu Hanshin Holdings, Inc. and Hankyu Railway (Hankyu Corporation) is at 1-16-1, Shibata, Kita-ku
Kita-ku, Osaka
is one of 24 wards of Osaka, Japan.-Economy:West Japan Railway Company has its headquarters in Kita-ku. Nihon Bussan has its headquarters in Kita-ku. Dentsu and Yomiuri Shimbun have branch offices in Kita-ku. Mazda has an office in the Umeda Sky Building Tower East. Air France has an office on the...
, Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
; its registered headquarters are at 1-1, Sakaemachi, Ikeda
Ikeda, Osaka
is a city located in Osaka, Japan. As of 2010, the city has an estimated population of 104,704 and a density of 4,740 persons per km². The total area is 22.09 km²....
, Osaka Prefecture
Osaka Prefecture
is a prefecture located in the Kansai region on Honshū, the main island of Japan. The capital is the city of Osaka. It is the center of Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto area.- History :...
.
History
Foundation
In 1907, , a forerunner of Hankyu Hanshin HoldingsHankyu Hanshin Holdings
is a stockholding company which owns Hankyu Corporation, Hanshin Electric Railway Co., Ltd. and affiliate companies.On October 1, 2006, Hankyu Holdings changed its name to the present corporate name following the merger with Hanshin Electric Railway...
, Inc., was established by Ichizō Kobayashi
Ichizo Kobayashi
, occasionally referred to by his pseudonym Itsuō , was a Japanese industrialist. He is best known as the founder of Hankyu Railway and Takarazuka Revue. He was a supporter of right-wing doctrine and represented Japanese capital in government.-Career:...
.
On 10 March 1910, Minoo Arima Tramway opened the rail lines from Umeda to Takarazuka (the Takarazuka Main Line) and from Ishibashi to Minoo (the Minoo Line
Hankyu Minoo Line
The Hankyū Minoo Line is a Japanese railway line run by Hankyu Railway which links Ishibashi Station in Ikeda and Minoo. Its main function is to provide access to Osaka, but this requires a transfer except during commute hours....
).
Expansion to Kobe
On February 4, 1918, Minoo Arima Tramway was renamed .On July 16, 1920, the Kobe Main Line from Jūsō to Kobe (later, renamed Kamitsutsui) and the Itami Line from Tsukaguchi to Itami were opened.
On April 1, 1936, the Kobe Main Line was extended from Nishi-Nada (present: Ōji-kōen) to the new terminal in Kobe (present: Sannomiya Station
Sannomiya Station
is located in the heart of Kobe, Japan. This station is the main railway terminal of Kobe.- Lines :*Hanshin Electric Railway *Hankyu Railway *Kobe Municipal Subway...
), and the Kobe Main Line from Nishi-Nada to Kamitsutsui was named the Kamitsutsui Line, which was abandoned on May 20, 1940.
In 1936, Hankyu established a professional baseball
Professional baseball
Baseball is a team sport which is played by several professional leagues throughout the world. In these leagues, and associated farm teams, players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system....
team and in 1937 the Nishinomiya Stadium
Hankyu Nishinomiya Stadium
was a baseball stadium in Nishinomiya, Hyōgo, Japan. The stadium was opened in 1937 and had a capacity of 35,000 people.It was primarily used for baseball and was home of the Orix Braves , until they moved to Kobe Stadium, in 1991....
as the team's home field was completed near Nishinomiya-Kitaguchi Station
Nishinomiya-Kitaguchi Station
is a railway station of Hankyu Railway in Nishinomiya, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan.It is one of the main stations in Nishinomiya City, with Hanshin Nishinomiya Station and JR Nishinomiya Station.-Lines:*Hankyu Kobe Line*Hankyu Imazu Line...
. The Hankyu Braves (named in 1947) played until the 1988 season and became the predecessors of the present-day Orix Buffaloes
Orix Buffaloes
The are a Nippon Professional Baseball team based in Osaka and Kobe, Japan. They play in the Pacific League. The team is owned by the Orix Group, a leading diversified financial services company based in Tokyo....
.
Merger and separation with Keihan
On October 1, 1943, under the order of the government, Hanshin Kyūkō and Keihan Electric RailwayKeihan Electric Railway
is a Japanese railway operator in Osaka, Kyoto, and Shiga Prefectures. It is known as , or .-History:Keihan started its operation between Osaka and Kyoto in 1910. It was the first electric railway to connect these two cities, and the first line on the left bank of Yodo River...
were merged, and renamed . The merged lines included the Keihan Main Line, the Uji Line
Keihan Uji Line
is a 7.6-km long commuter rail line of Keihan Electric Railway, with formal name Uji Line. It runs between Chushojima Station on Keihan Main Line in Fushimi, Kyoto and Uji Station in Uji, Kyoto, with an adjacent route to the JR Nara Line. Only local trains are operated.The line opened on June 1,...
, the Shinkeihan Line (present-day Kyoto Main Line), the Senriyama Line
Hankyu Senri Line
is a railway line of Hankyu Railway. It was completed on March 1, 1967. There are through trains to and from the Kyoto Line and the Osaka Municipal Subway Sakaisuji Line.-Stations:-Abandoned stations:...
(present-day Senri Line), the Jūsō Line (part of Kyoto Main Line), the Arashiyama Line
Hankyu Arashiyama Line
is a railway line in Kyoto, Japan, operated by Hankyu Railway. It runs between Katsura and Arashiyama on the west side of the city, connecting the area along the line to the Hankyū Kyōto Main Line that runs east to central Kyoto and south to Osaka....
, the Keishin Line and the Ishiyama Sakamoto Line
Ishiyama Sakamoto Line
The is a railway line of Keihan Electric Railway in Shiga Prefecture, Japan.-Stations:...
. The Katano Line was also added in 1945.
On December 1, 1949, the Keihan Main Line, the Katano Line, the Uji Line, the Keishin Line, and the Ishiyama-Sakamoto Line were split off to become part of the newly-established Keihan Electric Railway
Keihan Electric Railway
is a Japanese railway operator in Osaka, Kyoto, and Shiga Prefectures. It is known as , or .-History:Keihan started its operation between Osaka and Kyoto in 1910. It was the first electric railway to connect these two cities, and the first line on the left bank of Yodo River...
Co., Ltd. Although this revived the former Keihan Electric Railway, Keihan was now smaller than before the 1943 merger, because the Shinkeihan Line and its branches were not given up by Keihanshin. The present structure of the Hankyu network with the three main lines was fixed by this transaction. The abbreviation of Keihanshin Kyūkō Railway was changed from "Keihanshin" to "Hankyū".
Postwar development
Tozai Line (Kobe)
The Tōzai Line is one of two lines of Kobe Rapid Transit Railway, and operated by Hanshin Railway and Hankyu Railway. Trains from Hanshin, Hankyu and Sanyo railways enter this line....
and the Sanyo Electric Railway
Sanyo Electric Railway
Sanyo Electric Railway Co., Ltd. is a Japanese private railway in western Hyōgo Prefecture...
Main Line.
On December 6, 1969, the Kyoto Main Line and the Senri Line started through service to the Osaka Municipal Subway
Osaka Municipal Subway
is the metro network in the city of Osaka, Japan, forming an integral part of the extensive mass transit system of Greater Osaka , having 125 out of the 1,108 rail stations in the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto region. In 2010 the greater Osaka region had 13 million rail passengers daily of which the Osaka...
Sakaisuji Line. In 1970, the Senri Line was one of access routes to the Expo '70
Expo '70
was a World's Fair held in Suita, Osaka, Japan between March 15 and September 13, 1970. The theme of the Expo was "Progress and Harmony for Mankind." In Japanese Expo '70 is often referred to as Ōsaka Banpaku...
held in Senri area.
On April 1, 1973, Keihanshin Kyūkō Railway Company was renamed .
On April 1, 2005, former Hankyu Corporation became a holding company and was renamed . The railway business was ceded to a subsidiary, now named Hankyu Corporation (before the restructuring, the new company which reused a dormant company founded on December 7, 1989 was called "Act Systems" (株式会社アクトシステムズ) until March 28, 2004, then "Hankyū Dentetsu Bunkatsu Junbi K.K." (阪急電鉄分割準備株式会社) from the next day).
On October 1, 2006, Hankyu Holdings became the wholly owning parent company of Hanshin Electric Railway Co., Ltd.
Hanshin Electric 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 second character for Osaka and the first character for Kobe combine to form the company name, 阪神, which can be read Han-shin.IC cards are accepted when...
and the holdings were renamed Hankyu Hanshin Holdings
Hankyu Hanshin Holdings
is a stockholding company which owns Hankyu Corporation, Hanshin Electric Railway Co., Ltd. and affiliate companies.On October 1, 2006, Hankyu Holdings changed its name to the present corporate name following the merger with Hanshin Electric Railway...
, Inc.. Hankyu's stock purchase of Hanshin shares was completed on June 20, 2006.
Rail Lines
Kobe
, pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka...
, Takarazuka
Takarazuka, Hyogo
is a city located in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan.- Geography :Takarazuka is nestled between the Rokko Range to the west and Nagao Range to the north with the Muko River running through the center of the city....
and Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
respectively, and their branches.
The three groups of the lines, the Kobe Lines, the Takarazuka Lines and the Kyoto Lines, can be further grouped into two, the Kobe-Takarazuka Lines and the Kyoto Lines from a historical reason. Hankyu has two groups of rolling stock, one for the Kobe-Takarazuka Lines and the other for the Kyoto Lines.
Former lines
Abandoned lines- Kitano Line (Umeda - Kitano)
- Kamitsutsui Line (Nishi-Nada (Ōji-kōen) - Kamitsutsui)
Transferred lines
- Keihan Line
- Keihan Main Line ( - )
- Katano Line ( - )
- Uji LineKeihan Uji Lineis a 7.6-km long commuter rail line of Keihan Electric Railway, with formal name Uji Line. It runs between Chushojima Station on Keihan Main Line in Fushimi, Kyoto and Uji Station in Uji, Kyoto, with an adjacent route to the JR Nara Line. Only local trains are operated.The line opened on June 1,...
( - )
- Ōtsu Line
- Keishin LineKeihan Keishin LineThe is an interurban railway line of Keihan Electric Railway.The 7.5 km line starts from Misasagi Station in Kyoto and ends at Hamaōtsu Station in neighbouring city of Ōtsu.-History:...
(Sanjō - ) - Ishiyama Sakamoto LineIshiyama Sakamoto LineThe is a railway line of Keihan Electric Railway in Shiga Prefecture, Japan.-Stations:...
( - )
- Keishin Line
The Keihan and Ōtsu Lines were transferred to Keihan Electric Railway
Keihan Electric Railway
is a Japanese railway operator in Osaka, Kyoto, and Shiga Prefectures. It is known as , or .-History:Keihan started its operation between Osaka and Kyoto in 1910. It was the first electric railway to connect these two cities, and the first line on the left bank of Yodo River...
Co., Ltd. which separated from Keihanshin Kyūkō (now Hankyu) on December 1, 1949.
Rolling stock
Standard cars have three doors per side and bench seating facing the center of the train (exceptions are noted below). The Kobe Line
Hankyu Kobe Line
The of Hankyu Railway is one of the three major commuter heavy rail line in the Keihanshin conurbation of Japan. It links the urban centres of Osaka and Kobe by connecting the major stations of Umeda in Osaka and Sannomiya in Kobe....
and Takarazuka Line use almost the same types of fleet, instead, by historical reason the Kyoto Line is served by another types of rolling stock.
Some of former cars of Hankyu, such as 2000 series and 3100 series, have been transferred to and are now used by Nose Electric Railway.
Kobe Line/Takarazuka Line
- 9000 series
- 8200 series
- 8000 series (includes small number of transverse seating cars)
- 7000 series
- 6000 series
- 5100 series
- 5000 series
- 3100 series
- 3000 series
Kyoto Line
- 9300 series (transverse seating)
- 8300 series
- 7300 series
- 6300 series (two doors per side, transverse seating)
- 5300 series
- 3300 series
- 2300 series
Fare
Single fare (adult) in Japanese Yen by travel distance is as follows.| Distance (km) | Fare (JPY) |
|---|---|
| 1–4 | 150 |
| 5–9 | 180 |
| 10–14 | 220 |
| 15–19 | 260 |
| 20–26 | 270 |
| 27–33 | 310 |
| 34–42 | 360 |
| 43–51 | 390 |
| 52–60 | 450 |
| 61–70 | 510 |
| 71–76 | 600 |
For fare collection, IC cards (PiTaPa
PiTaPa
is a contactless smart card ticketing and electronic money system used in the Kansai region of Japan. The name PiTaPa is an acronym of "Postpay IC for Touch and Pay"...
and ICOCA
ICOCA
The card is a rechargeable contactless smart card used on JR West rail network in Japan. The card was launched on November 1, 2003 for usage on the Urban Network, which encompasses the major cities of Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe...
) are accepted.
Etymology
The name Hankyu stands for Keihanshin Kyūkō (京阪神急行). Keihanshin (京阪神) means the cities of KyotoKyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
(京都), Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
(大阪), Kobe
Kobe
, pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka...
(神戸), and the suburbs of theirs. Kyūkō (急行) means express train.
In popular culture
A 2-car Hankyu train was featured in the 1988 Japanese animated war drama Grave of the FirefliesGrave of the Fireflies
is a 1988 Japanese animated war tragedy film written and directed by Isao Takahata. This is the first film produced by Shinchosha, who hired Studio Ghibli to do the animation production work...
.
The 2011 film Hankyu Railway: a 15-Minute Miracle is set on the Hankyu Imazu line.
See also
- Transport in Greater OsakaTransport in Greater OsakaTransport in Keihanshin is much like that of the Tokyo, includes public and private rail and highway networks; airports for international, domestic, and general aviation; buses; motorcycle delivery services, walking, bicycling, and commercial shipping. The nexus is in the central part of Osaka,...
- Hankyu Hanshin Toho GroupHankyu Hanshin Toho Groupis a Japanese keiretsu centered around Hankyu Hanshin Holdings, H2O Retailing and Toho. The keiretsu historically included Sanwa Bank, now part of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, and is still closely linked to MUFG....
- Hankyu Hanshin HoldingsHankyu Hanshin Holdingsis a stockholding company which owns Hankyu Corporation, Hanshin Electric Railway Co., Ltd. and affiliate companies.On October 1, 2006, Hankyu Holdings changed its name to the present corporate name following the merger with Hanshin Electric Railway...
, Inc.- Takarazuka RevueTakarazuka RevueThe Takarazuka Revue is a Japanese all-female musical theater troupe based in Takarazuka, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. Women play all roles in lavish, Broadway-style productions of Western-style musicals, and sometimes stories adapted from shōjo manga and Japanese folktales. The troupe takes its name...
- TohoTohois a Japanese film, theater production, and distribution company. It is headquartered in Yūrakuchō, Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group...
Co., Ltd. - Kansai Telecasting CorporationKansai Telecasting Corporation, often called or , is a TV station affiliated with Fuji News Network and Fuji Network System in Osaka, serving the Kansai region of Japan...
- Takarazuka Revue
- Hankyu Hanshin Holdings
External links
- Hankyu Railway Website
- Hankyu Railway Website
- Hankyu Hanshin Holdings Group
- Hankyu Railway Area Guide - Guide to using Hankyu railways, Fares from Umeda, Terminal area map