Hanshin Main Line

The is a railway line operated by the private railway company Hanshin Electric Railway in Japan. It connects the two cities of Osaka and Kobe, between and stations respectively.

Outline

The Main Line of Hanshin is the southernmost railway to connect Osaka and Kobe. The other two lines, from south to north, are the West Japan Railway CompanyÃ¢ÂÂs TÃÂkaidÃÂ Main Line (known as the JR Kobe Line), and the Hankyu Railway's Kobe Main Line.

For nearly a century, the line served as a primary competitor to the HankyÃÂ« Kobe Line. However, in 2006, Hanshin and HankyÃÂ« were subsidiarized under a single share holding company, Hankyu Hanshin Holdings.

History

The Main Line started operation on April 12, 1905, by the company. The company found a solution to construct a competing line to the then JNR owned Kobe Line using a loophole in the Tram Act, allowing large portions of the line to be built using street running. It became the first interurban in Japan. This inspired other railways such as Keihan Electric Railway, Minoo Arima Electric Tramway (present Hankyu Hanshin Holdings, Inc.), Osaka Electric Tramway (present Kintetsu), Keihin Electric Railway (present Keihin Electric Express Railway) to build their first lines in a similar fashion.

Then another competing railway company, HankyÃÂ« (then Hanshin Kyuko Railway), opened the Kobe Main Line in 1920. The Kobe Main Line was designed as a faster electric mainline railway, and in response Hanshin began upgrading its interurban mainline to become more railway like. Operations included realigning and grade separating street running portions, using high platforms, and introducing express trains.

In 1968 Kobe Rapid Railway opened its TÃÂzai Line, and Hanshin began through operations to of Sanyo Electric Railway via Kobe Rapid (and Sanyo trains to of Hanshin and RokkÃÂ of HankyÃÂ«).

Through limited express trains to were introduced in 2001. Then, the Hanshin Namba Line was extended to , a major junction in southern Osaka. The company announced through trains from Kobe-Sannomiya to in Nara on Kintetsu Nara Line would be operated.

Former connecting lines

Deyashiki station - The Hanshin Amagasaki Kaigan Line operated between 1929 and 1962.

Operation

Some trains run through the SanyÃÂ Railway Main Line to SanyÃÂ Himeji Station in Himeji, HyÃÂgo beyond Motomachi terminal via Kobe Rapid Railway.

The Main Line operates eight types of trains, one of the most types among Japanese railways. This is in some part to equalize the load of each train especially in the morning for Osaka (Umeda station) with short length of EMU length and with few (only double) tracks. For the extension of the Hanshin Namba Line, from Nishikujo to Osaka Namba, on March 20, 2009, the diagrams of the Hanshin Railway were revised.

Abbreviations are tentative for this article.

Trains stop all stations, farthest down to Shinkaichi in the rush hour, and Kosoku Kobe in the off-peak hour.

Trains are operated between Osaka-Umeda and Nishinomiya or between Osaka Umeda and Amagasaki. In addition, 1 midnight train is operated to Mikage with limited express stops.

Trains are operated between KÃÂshien and Osaka-Umeda in weekday morning rush hours. In addition, 2 trains are operated from Ogi to Osaka-Umeda. In official route maps Hanshin shortens the name to "Express".

Trains are through trains to and from the Hanshin Namba Line and the Kintetsu Nara Line. They also stop at Mukogawa and Imazu Stations in the off-peak hour on weekdays, all day on weekends and holidays, but pass Ashiya Station on weekends and holidays. In addition to trains returning at Kobe-Sannomiya every day, there are also 3 trains from Shinkaichi on the Kobe Kosoku Line to Kintetsu Nara on weekends and Holidays.

Trains are operated down to Sumaura-kÃÂen in the day and late night on weekdays and after day hours on holidays. In official route maps Hanshin shortens the name to "Limited Express".

Trains are operated between Osaka-Umeda and SanyÃÂ Himeji. Trains marking in yellow in the destination sign stop at Nishi-Motomachi, Daikai and Nishidai Stations on the Kobe Kosoku Line. 7 eastbound trains pass Koshien in the morning on weekdays. In official route maps Hanshin shortens the name to "Limited Express".

Trains are operated only from Mikage to Osaka-Umeda in weekday morning rush hours with connections from Osaka-Umeda-bound local trains at Mikage. In official route maps Hanshin shortens the name to "Limited Express".

Stations

The Main Line, having 39 stations (including the Kobe Kosoku Line), is noted for its "high density" of stations. In comparison, Kobe-Sannomiya Station is the 16th station on the HankyÃÂ« Kobe Main Line from Umeda Station and Motomachi Station is the 15th station on the JR Kobe Line from Osaka Station.

For connections and distances, see the route diagram.