Katamachi Line

Katamachi Line (Gakkentoshi Line)
Locale Osaka, Kyoto prefectures Dates of operation 1895 – present Track gauge 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Legend
Kansai Main Line (Yamatoji Line) Nara Line 0.0 Kizu Kansai Main Line (Yamatoji Line) 0.6 Shin-Kizu until 1911 2.2 Nishi-Kizu Yamada River Kintetsu: Kyoto Line Kizugawadai 5.1 Hōsono Shin-Hōsono 7.4 Shimokoma Komada Hosono Branch Base Kintetsu Miyazu Saidaiji Inspection Area Miyazu Depot Miyamaki 9.4 JR Miyamaki (2) 2002- 9.6 JR Miyamaki (1) -2002 10.5 Dōshisha-mae Kōdo 12.4 Kyōtanabe Shin-Tanabe Bogagawa Tunnel Boga River Kintetsu: Kyoto Line Tenjingawa Tunnel Tenjin River 14.5 Ōsumi 17.0 Matsuiyamate Kyoto-Osaka boundary 18.6 Nagao 20.2 Fujisaka Kin-ya Ammunition Dump 21.8 Tsuda 25.0 Kawachi-Iwafune Kawachi-Mori Keihan: Katano Line Uji Weapon Kori Factory 27.1 Hoshida 28.8 Higashi-Neyagawa Uchiage Tunnel 30.1 Shinobugaoka 32.0 Shijōnawate 33.3 Nozaki Higashi-Suminodō -1948 Onji River 35.5 Suminodō 37.9 Kōnoikeshinden Kinki Expressway Kinki Sharyo 39.8 Tokuan Hanaten depot Osaka Higashi Line 41.6 Hanaten Osaka Army Daini Neya River Subway: Imazatosuji Line 43.2 Shigino Neya River Neyagawa Signal Box -1913 Subway: Nagahori Tsurumi-ryokuchi Line Jōtō Freight Line Tatsumi Signal Box -1982 44.0 Shin-Kita -1916 Keihan: Keihan Main Line Yodogawa Freight Line Sakuranomiya Line Osaka Loop Line 44.8 Kyōbashi Yodogawa Freight Line Nakanocho Signal Box 45.3 Katamachi -1997 Subway: Nagahori Tsurumi-ryokuchi Line Keihan: Keihan Main Line JR Tōzai Line Amijima -1913 Sakuranomiya Old Yodo River Osaka Loop Line

The Katamachi Line (片町線, Katamachi-sen), nicknamed officially the Gakkentoshi Line (学研都市線, Gakkentoshi-sen), is one of commuter rail lines and services in Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto Metropolitan Area, Japan, owned and operated by West Japan Railway Company. The line originates Kizu Station in Kyoto Prefecture through Kyōbashi Station in Osaka.

The common name "Gakkentoshi Line", literally "Research City Line", comes from the Kansai Science City, which is located along the line around the border of Osaka and Nara prefectures. Unlike other "Urban Network" lines, the proper name is not commonly known among the general public.

History

The line was originally built and operated by Naniwa Railway (浪速鉄道, Naniwa Tetsudō) between Katamachi and Shijōnawate in 1895. Two years later Kansai Railway bought the line in order to have its own trunk line to Osaka from Nagoya, together with constructing by itself between Shijōnawate and Kizu. Katamachi was inextendably narrow, thus Amijima terminus was made. But Kansai Railway bought the Osaka Railway (I, ja) line from Nara via Ōji to Minatomachi (present JR Namba) in downtown Osaka, shifted the main line from ex-Naniwa Railway line. Afterwards, the subject line has been a branch of the railway network of Osaka.

Though in 1932 the section between Katamachi and Shijōnawate became the first electrified then Japan Governmental Railways line in Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto area and later in 1950 extended to Nagao, the improvement of facility and service was long forgotten. Only after privatization of the then Japanese National Railways, here the network was succeeded to West Japan Railway Company (JR West), electrification in 1989 and gradual operational advancement have been made.

In 1997 JR Tōzai Line was opened and connected to Katamachi Line at Kyōbashi, and Katamachi Station was abandoned (with Ōsakajō-kitazume Station being a replacement for ridership). Most trains began operated through to Fukuchiyama Line (JR Takarazuka Line).

Conversion from a freight branch of the line to a passenger route, Osaka Higashi Line began service in 2008. Trains from Nara via Kansai Main (Yamatoji) Line are operated to Amagasaki Station.

Route and Operation

The line is connected via the JR Tōzai Line in downtown Osaka, at Amagasaki, to the Tōkaidō Main Line (JR Kobe Line) and Fukuchiyama Line (JR Takarazuka Line). This link enables trains operated from Nara to the west, as Kobe, Himeji, and Sanda.

Rapid services of several types of stops, with no surcharge, are alsp provided. Abbreviations are tentative for this article.

Local (普通, Futsū) (Lo)

Operated all day, most trains between Matsuiyamate and Nishi-Akashi on Sanyō Main (JR Kobe) Line. Some in busy hours to Fukuchiyama Line (JR Takarazuka Line), some terminate at Kyōbashi.

Regional Rapid (区間快速, Kukan Kaisoku) (RR)

Operated in early morning, late night, and busy hours only. Some from/to Nara, most from/to Dōshishamae or Kyōtanabe. Through to Nishiakashi or Shin-Sanda.

Rapid (快速, Kaisoku) (Ra)

Mostly through to Shin-Sanda or Sasayamaguchi on Fukuchiyama (JR Takarazuka) Line. One per 15 minutes per direction.

Direct Rapid (直通快速, Chokutsū Kaisoku) (DR)

Through trains from Osaka Higashi Line, only between Hanaten and Kyōbashi in this line. Four trains to Amagasaki from Nara in the morning, 4 vice versa in the evening.

Stations

For distances and transfers, see the route diagram.

Station	Stops	Location
Kizu	RR Ra	Kizugawa	Kyoto
Nishi-Kizu	RR Ra
Hōsono	RR Ra	Seika, Sōraku
Shimokoma	RR Ra
JR Miyamaki	RR Ra	Kyōtanabe
Dōshisha-mae	RR Ra
Kyōtanabe	RR Ra
Ōsumi	RR Ra
Matsuiyamate	RR Ra
Nagao	RR Ra	Hirakata	Osaka
Fujisaka	RR
Tsuda	RR
Kawachi-Iwafune	RR Ra	Katano
Hoshida	RR Ra
Higashi-Neyagawa	RR	Neyagawa
Shinobugaoka	RR	Shijōnawate
Shijōnawate	RR Ra	Daitō
Nozaki
Suminodō	RR Ra
Kōnoikeshinden		Higashiosaka
Tokuan
Hanaten	RR Ra DR	Tsurumi, Osaka
Shigino		Jōtō, Osaka
Kyōbashi	RR Ra DR

Rolling stock

• 207 series (from 1991)
• 321 series (from 2005)

All trains are based at Hanaten Depot (shared with Osaka Higashi Line).

Miscellaneous

There is a Kinki Sharyo factory located between Kōnoikeshinden Station and Tokuan Station used for manufacturing rolling stock. In addition, two weapons storage areas used during the early 20th century are accessible by spurs located between Fujisaka and Tsuda Stations (where two explosions occurred in 1909 and 1939), and between Kawachi-Iwafune and Hoshida Stations.