The Hankyu Kyoto Main Line (阪急京都本線) is a railway line in Japan operated by the private railway operator Hankyu Railway. It connects Osaka-umeda Station in Osaka and Kyoto-kawaramachi Station in Kyoto.

Definition

The Kyoto Main Line is often called the Kyoto Line (京都線) for short, and in a broader sense its two branch lines, the Senri Line and the Arashiyama Line, are included to the Kyoto Line by historical, geographical and structural reasons. The other two sections of Hankyu, the Kobe Line and the Takarazuka Line are called the Shinpōsen (神宝線) as a whole. Officially, the Kyoto Main Line is from Jūsō to Kyoto-kawaramachi, however, all trains run beyond Jūsō to Osaka-umeda terminal, using the eastern tracks of the section exclusively. Hankyu treats the Kyoto Main Line in the same way as the passengers do, i.e. as the line between Osaka-umeda and Kyoto-kawaramachi (except for special circumstances such as governmental procedures).

History

The Kyoto Main Line was constructed in the following phases: Prior to the merger of Hankyu Railway (then Hanshin Kyūkō Railway) and Keihan Electric Railway in 1943, the line and its branches were owned by the latter and called the Shin-Keihan (New Keihan) Line. In the breakup of the merger in 1949, the line was not ceded to Keihan and became a competitor of the Keihan Main Line. Construction has been in progress since 2012 to elevate a 3.3 km section of track from Sōzenji Station to Kami-Shinjō Station including the junction with the Senri Line at Awaji Station. Originally projected for a 2020 completion, various delays have pushed back the start of operations on the new tracks to 2031. Station numbering was introduced to all Hankyu stations on 21 December 2013.

Proposed connecting line

A loop line from Juso to Awaji via Shin-Osaka Station, to provide a direct connection to the Shinkansen has been proposed, but is not currently scheduled for construction.

Service types

Regular operations

As of the December 2022 timetable, trains are classified as follows: Local (普通) Semi-Express (準急) Express (急行) Semi-Limited Express (準特急) Commuter Limited Express (通勤特急) Limited Express (特急) Rapid Limited Express (快速特急)

Extra services

Stations

Legends: Local trains stop at all stations. No trains stop at Nakatsu which is served by Local trains on the Kobe Main Line and the Takarazuka Main Line, because of the absence of any platforms on this line. Thus, in operation, Nakatsu Station is not listed on the Kyoto Line. The starting point of the distances (km) shown is Jūsō Station, which is officially the starting point of the Kyoto Main Line.

Rolling stock

Former