Haruka (train)

Haruka
281 series EMU on Haruka service, August 2004
Service type	Limited express
Operator	JR West
Line used	Tōkaidō Main Line, Osaka Loop Line, Hanwa Line, Kansai Airport Line
Maximum speed	130 km/h
Started	1994
Rolling stock	281 series EMUs

Kansai Airport Limited Express Haruka (関空特急はるか, Kankū tokkyū haruka), is a limited express train service, connecting Maibara through Kyoto Station to Kansai International Airport in Osaka, Japan. It is operated by the West Japan Railway Company (JR West).

There are 60 Haruka train services per day, numbered 1 through 60; odd-numbered trains run south (toward the airport) and even-numbered trains run north (away from the airport). At Kansai Airport Station, trains to Kyoto depart between 6:34 and 22:16 and arrives from Kyoto between 7:11 and 21:37 (with small changes in weekends). They operate every half hour in daytime and early evening. A standard travel time between Kyoto Station and the airport is 75 minutes for southbound trains and 73 minutes for northbound trains.

Station stops

The Haruka primarily operates between Kyoto Station and Kansai Airport Station, with stops at Shin-Ōsaka Station and Tennōji Station in Osaka City. Some trains have additional stops.

The train passes through the Umeda Freight Line which bypasses Osaka Station when it moves from Tōkaidō Main Line to Osaka Loop Line and vice versa. Therefore it does not stop at Osaka Station.

Line	Station	Trains that stop		Transfers
		Down trains for airport	Up trains from airport
Tōkaidō (Biwako)	Maibara	9, 13	38, 42	Tōkaidō Shinkansen, Tōkaidō Main Line, Hokuriku Main Line, Ohmi Railway
	Hikone	9, 13	38, 42	Ohmi Railway
	Ōmi-Hachiman	9, 13	38, 42	Ohmi Railway
	Yasu	9, 13	38, 42
	Moriyama	9, 13	38, 42
	Kusatsu	3, 9, 13	38, 42	Kusatsu Line
	Ishiyama	3, 9, 13	38, 42	Keihan Ishiyama Sakamoto Line
	Ōtsu	3, 9, 13	38, 42
	Yamashina	3, 9, 13	38, 42	Kosei Line, Keihan Keishin Line, Subway Tōzai Line
	Kyoto	all		Tōkaidō Shinkansen, Sanin Main Line, Nara Line Kintetsu Kyoto Line, Subway Karasuma Line
Tōkaidō (JR Kyoto)
	Shin-Ōsaka	all		Tōkaidō Shinkansen, Sanyō Shinkansen, Subway Midōsuji Line
Tōkaidō (freight branch) Osaka Loop
	Tennōji	all		Kansai Main Line (Yamatoji Line), Subway Midōsuji and Tanimachi Lines, Kintetsu Minami-Osaka Line
Hanwa
	Izumi-Fuchū	33–47	2–6
	Hineno	33–47	2–6
Kansai Airport
	Kansai Airport	all

Rolling stock

Haruka services are operated by a dedicated fleet of 281 series EMUs formed in 6- or 9-car formations. Each formation includes one Green car (as Car No. 1).

Fares

The following fares, in Japanese Yen, apply to travel to and from Kansai Airport. For reserved seat fares, a ¥200 surcharge or a ¥200 discount may apply for travels on some designated days. Japan Rail Pass holders can ride Haruka free of charge. As a special express service, Haruka travel requires both a fare ticket (乗車券, jōshaken) and a special express ticket (特急券, tokkyūken) – see train tickets in Japan. The ICOCA card can be used as a fare ticket (for passing the ticket gate) for non-reserved travel, with the special express ticket purchased from the conductor on board the train.

Station	Green car	Reserved seat	Non-reserved seat
Kyoto	¥4,220	¥3,490	¥2,980
Shin-Ōsaka	¥3,710	¥2,980	¥2,470

External links

• Limited Express Haruka 281 series (Japanese)
• Haruka train service timetable, PDF (en icon}}