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Kansai Main Line

Railway line in Japan

Kansai Main Line

Railway line in Japan

FieldValue
nameKansai Main Line
other_nameYamatoji Line ( - )
native_name関西本線
native_name_langja
color00B284
color20073bc
logo[[File:JR Central Kansai Line.svg50px]] [[File:JRW kinki-Q.svg50px]] [[File:JRW kinki-V.svg50px]]
imageJR West Kiha 120 DMU 005.JPG
image_width300px
captionKiHa 120 diesel car on a rural section in March 2007
typeHeavy rail
statusIn operation
locale{{Plainlist
start
end
stations52
open
ownerJR Central
JR West
operatorJR Central
JR West
JR Freight
characterBoth urban and rural
linelength_km179.6
gauge
electrification1,500 V DC, overhead line
(Nagoya–Kameyama, Kamo–JR Namba)
speed120 km/h (75 mph) (Nagoya–Kawarada, Nara–Tennoji)
95 km/h (59 mph)
(Kawarada–Nara, Tennoji–JR Namba)
  • Aichi Prefecture
  • Mie Prefecture
  • Kyoto Prefecture
  • Nara Prefecture
  • Osaka Prefecture JR West JR West JR Freight (Nagoya–Kameyama, Kamo–JR Namba) | speed_km/h = 95 km/h (59 mph) (Kawarada–Nara, Tennoji–JR Namba)
Old Nara Station building in March 2007
A ''Kasuga'' express train in a rural section. The photo was taken in March 2006, shortly before the service was discontinued.

The Kansai Main Line is a railway line in Japan, which connects Nagoya Station with JR Namba Station in Osaka. It is jointly run by the Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central) and West Japan Railway Company (JR West), with the boundary between both companies being located at Kameyama Station in Kameyama, Mie.

The section from Kamo Station west to JR Namba Station is electrified and a part of the JR West "Urban Network", and is nicknamed the Yamatoji Line. The JR Central section from Nagoya to Kameyama is also electrified.

Despite its name, for much of its length it is a very local line with mainly single track sections and no regular express services. The line was originally built in the 1890s by Kansai Railway (later under the Japanese Government Railways and Japanese National Railways) as an alternate route from south Osaka to Nara and Nagoya, but competition from the Kintetsu lines and declining ridership forced the line to operationally become two electric suburban lines for Osaka and Nagoya respectively, with a less-used unelectrified rural section in the middle.

Formerly a Kasuga express train ran from to , but this service was discontinued in March 2006.

History

The Osaka Railway Co. opened the Minatomachi (now JR Namba) to Nara section between 1889 and 1892. The company merged with the Kansai Railway Co. in 1900.

The Nara Railway Co. opened the Nara to Kizu section in 1896. It merged with the Kansai Railway Co. in 1905.

The Kansai Railway Co. opened the Nagoya to Kizu section between 1890 and 1897, completing the line. The company was nationalised in 1907.

Duplication

The Minatomachi to Tennoji section was duplicated in 1903 and extended to Kashiwara in 1908. The Nara to Kizu section was duplicated in 1914, and the Kashiwara to Nara section between 1923 and 1926. In 1944 the Oji to Nara section was returned to single track and the materials recycled for the Japanese war effort. The section was re-duplicated in 1961.

The Tomita to Kuwana section (except for the bridge over the Inabe River) was duplicated in 1973, and the Kuwana to Yatomi section between 1977 and 1980. The Yokkaichi to Tomidahama section was duplicated in 1993.

Electrification

The Minatomachi to Nara section was electrified in 1973, extended to Kizu in 1984, and to Kamo in 1988.

The Nagoya - Hatta section was electrified in 1979, and extended to Kameyama in 1982.

Other matters of note

CTC signalling was commissioned between Kizu and Kameyama in 1983, and extended to Nagoya in 2001.

In 1994 Minatomachi Station was renamed to coincide with the opening of the Kansai Airport Line to Kansai Airport. In 1996 Namba Station and the approach line were relocated underground to eliminate a number of level crossings. There are plans to extend the line from Namba to Osaka Station, with construction to begin within the next few years. (See Naniwasuji Line for information.)

Former connecting lines

  • Kamo Station - In 1898 the Kansai Railway Co. opened an 8 km branch to a station beside the Daibutsu (Great Buddha), and in 1899 extended the line 2 km to Nara. Following the nationalisation of the Kansai Railway Co. in 1907, the 10 km line was closed.
  • Horyuji Station - The 4 km Kintetsu line to Hirahata operated between 1915 and 1945.
  • Kyuhoji Station - A branchline to serve the Taisho airfield opened in 1942, and was extended to Sugimotocho Station on the Hanwa Line in 1952 to provide an electrified (1500 V DC) freight bypass between Wakayama and Nagoya. Passenger services were introduced in 1965 but ceased two years later, and the line closed in 2009 after being out of service for five years.
  • Tennoji Station - The 2.4 km Nankai line to Tengachaya, electrified at 1500 V DC, operated between 1901 and 1993.

Stations

JR Central (Nagoya–Kameyama)

  • S: Trains stop
  • |: Trains pass
  • Local trains stop at all stations.
No.StationJapaneseSemi RapidRapidRapid MieTransfersLocation
名古屋SSSNakamura-ku, Nagoya
八田
春田Nakagawa-ku, Nagoya
蟹江SKanie, Ama District
永和Aisai
弥富SYatomi
長島Kuwana
桑名SSS
朝日SAsahi, Mie District
富田SYokkaichi
富田浜S
四日市SSS
南四日市SS
河原田SS
河曲SSIse Railway Ise LineSuzuka
加佐登SS
井田川SSKameyama
亀山SS

JR West (Kameyama–Kamo)

All stations between Kameyama and Kamo featured passing double tracks.

StationJapaneseTransfersLocation
亀山JR Central:Kameyama
加太
柘植[[File:JRW kinki-C.svg20px]] Kusatsu LineIga
新堂
佐那具
伊賀上野Iga Railway Iga Line (Ninja Line)
島ヶ原
月ケ瀬口Minamiyamashiro, Soraku District
大河原
笠置Kasagi, Soraku District
加茂({{RouteBoxQ39#009933}} Yamatoji Line)

JR West (Kamo–JR Namba)

:See the Yamatoji Line article for the train types and stopping patterns on this section. ;Stations on this section


Rolling stock

JR Central

EMU

DMU

  • KiHa 75 series
  • HC85 series
  • Ise Railway Ise type III

JR West

EMU

Main article: Yamatoji Line

DMU

  • KiHa 120 series

Former

References

References

  1. (16 May 2023). "JR東海315系(4両編成)関西本線で6/1運行開始、画像認識技術を検証". Mynavi Corporation.
Info: Wikipedia Source

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