Hanshin Electric Railway
Encyclopedia
is a Japan
ese 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
(大阪) and the first character for Kobe
(神戸) combine to form the company name, 阪神, which can be read Han-shin.
IC cards (PiTaPa
and ICOCA
) are accepted when taking trains.
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 company of Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group
Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group
is 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....
that links 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...
and 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...
. It also owns the Hanshin Tigers
Hanshin Tigers
The are a Nippon Professional Baseball team based in Koshien, Nishinomiya, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, and are in the Central League. Hanshin Electric Railway Co., Ltd., the subsidiary of Hankyu Hanshin Holdings Inc., owns the Hanshin Tigers directly...
baseball team.
The second character for 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) and the first character for 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) combine to form the company name, 阪神, which can be read Han-shin.
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 when taking trains.
Current lines
- Main Line (本線) ( – , 32.1 km)
- Hanshin Namba Line (阪神なんば線) ( – , 10.1 km)
- The section between Nishikujō and Ōsaka-Namba is the newest line of Hanshin that opened on March 20, 2009. Prior to this extension the line was called the Nishi-Ōsaka Line.
- Mukogawa LineHanshin Mukogawa Lineis a branch line of the Hanshin Electric Railway Main Line in Nishinomiya, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan.-Stations:...
(武庫川線) ( – , 1.7 km) - Kobe Kosoku LineTozai 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....
(神戸高速線) (Category-2, – , 5.0 km)
- Mukogawa Line
- The tracks of the line are owned by Kobe Rapid Transit Railway Co., Ltd. as the Tozai Line.
Abandoned lines
- Kita-Osaka Line (北大阪線) ( – )
- Kokudo Line(国道線) (Noda – Higashi-Kobe)
- Koshien Line (甲子園線) (Kamikoshien - - Hamakoshien - Nakatsuhama)
- Amagasaki Kaigan LineHanshin Amagasaki Kaigan LineThe was a 1.7 km long commuter rail in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan owned and operated by Hanshin Electric Railway. The line was closed in 1962.-History:The line connecting Deyashiki and Higashihama opened on April 14, 1929....
(尼崎海岸線) ( - Higashihama) - Mukogawa LineHanshin Mukogawa Lineis a branch line of the Hanshin Electric Railway Main Line in Nishinomiya, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan.-Stations:...
(武庫川線) (Mukogawa - Muko-ohashi - ): the line between Muko-ohashi and Nishinomiya (JNR) was used only for freight trains operated by JNR.
Incomplete lines
- Imazu Deyashiki Line (今津出屋敷線): Takasu - Suzaki - Hamakoshien - Imazu
- Amagasaki Takarazuka Line (尼崎宝塚線): Amagasaki - : planned by Takarazuka Amagasaki Railway Company
- Daini Hanshin Line: Umeda - - Amagasaki - -
History
- June 12, 1899: was established.
- July 7, 1899: The company was renamed "Hanshin Electric Railway Co., Ltd."
- April 7, 1968: Kobe Rapid RailwayKobe Rapid RailwayKōbe Rapid Transit Railway Company, Limited is a special railway company in central Kobe, Japan.- Lines :Kobe Rapid Railway has three lines.*Tozai Line *Namboku Line *Hokushin Line...
was opened and joint operation with Sanyo Electric RailwaySanyo Electric RailwaySanyo Electric Railway Co., Ltd. is a Japanese private railway in western Hyōgo Prefecture...
was started. - February 15, 1998: Joint operation with Sanyo Electric Railway for limited express service between Umeda and HimejiSanyo Himeji Stationis a railway station located in the heart of Himeji, Japan and is the western terminus of the Main Line of Sanyo Electric Railway.The station building is located close to the JR West Himeji Station on the Sanyō Main Line and Sanyō Shinkansen.- Structure :...
was started. - June 20, 2006: Hankyu 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. completed its purchase of a controlling interest in Hanshin in a transaction valued at about $United States dollarThe United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
2.2 billion. - March 20, 2009: Joint operation with Kintetsu Corporation for Rapid Express service between SannomiyaSannomiya Stationis 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 NaraKintetsu Nara Stationis a train station on the Kintetsu Nara Line located in Nara, Japan.The station is also called "" or "" to distinguish Nara Station on the JR West Lines.-Around the station:...
was started.
Limited Express/Express
- 1000 series - through services onto the Kintetsu Nara Line
- 8000 series
- 9000 series - through services onto the Kintetsu Nara Line
- 9300 series
Commuter Car
- 5001
- 5131/5331
- 5500 series
- 5550 seriesHanshin 5550 seriesThe is a commuter EMU operated by the Hanshin Electric Railway in Japan. Developed from the earlier 5500 series trains, the first train entered revenue service 29 December 2010.-Formation:Each motored car is fitted with one single-arm pantograph....