The Hanwa Line (阪和線) is a commuter rail line in the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto Metropolitan Area, owned and operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West). The 61.3 km (38.1 mi) line runs between Osaka and Wakayama, Japan and has a 1.7 km branchline in a southern Osaka suburb. The name is taken from the second syllable of Osaka and the first syllable of Wakayama.

Services

The terminus of the line in Osaka is Tennōji Station in Tennōji-ku where most of the commuter trains on the line originate and terminate. However, many intercity limited express and rapid trains extend to the Osaka Loop Line beyond Tennōji. The terminus in Wakayama is Wakayama Station. Some trains from Osaka terminate before Wakayama and some spur off to Kansai Airport Station on the Kansai Airport Line from Hineno Station. Tracks are connected to the Kisei Main Line and some trains continue on from there. The Hagoromo Branch Line (羽衣支線), also called the Hagoromo Line (羽衣線) or the Higashi-Hagoromo Branch Line (東羽衣支線), between Ōtori Station and Higashi-Hagoromo Station, is officially a part of the Hanwa Line. On the 1.7 km branch, only local shuttle trains operate.

Limited express services

Commuter services

Stations

Hanwa Line

Legend: Local trains stop at all stations. For limited expresses Haruka and Kuroshio, please see their respective articles.

Higashi-Hagoromo Branch Line

Rolling stock

All trains are based at Hineno and Suita Depots.

Commuter

Limited Express

Former

Passenger

JNR, JR West

Hanwa Electric Railway, Nankai Railway

Freight

JNR

Hanwa Electric Railway, Nankai Railway

History

The line was opened as a double-track electrified line by the Hanwa Electric Railway in 1929. In 1940, the company was merged with Nankai Railway (predecessor of Nankai Electric Railway) and became the Yamanote Line of Nankai. The Yamanote Line was then nationalized in 1944 and renamed the Hanwa Line. When Kansai International Airport opened in 1994, the Hanwa Line became one of the main railway links between the city and the airport (along with the Nankai Main Line). Station numbering was introduced in March 2018 with the Hanwa line being assigned station numbers between JR-R20 and JR-R54.