Osaka Higashi Line
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (March 2017) |
| Osaka Higashi Line | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
 A 201 series EMU on a "Local" service in February 2011 | |||
| Overview | |||
| Native name | おおさか東線 | ||
| Owner | Osaka Soto-Kanjo Railway Co., Ltd. | ||
| Locale | Osaka Prefecture | ||
| Termini |
| ||
| Stations | 14 | ||
| Service | |||
| Type | Heavy rail | ||
| System | Urban Network | ||
| Operator(s) | JR-West JR Freight | ||
| Depot(s) | Aboshi | ||
| Rolling stock | 201 series EMU 207 series EMU 321 series EMU | ||
| History | |||
| Opened | March 15, 1929 (as Katamachi Freight Branch Line) March 15, 2008 (as Osaka Higashi Line) | ||
| Technical | |||
| Line length | 20.2 km (12.6 mi) | ||
| Track gauge | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) | ||
| Electrification | 1,500 V DC, overhead lines | ||
| Operating speed | 120 km/h (75 mph) | ||
| |||
The Osaka Higashi Line (おおさか東線, Ōsaka-Higashi-sen) (Literally: Osaka East Line) is a railway line in Osaka, Japan, operated by the West Japan Railway Company (JR-West). The line connects Shin-Osaka Station in northern Osaka with Kyūhōji Station in Yao, forming an arc around the northern and eastern suburbs of the city. Before being named on August 23, 2007, the line was constructed with the tentative name "Osaka Outer Loop Line (大阪外環状線, Ōsaka-soto-kanjōsen)".
The line is constructed and owned by the Osaka Soto-Kanjo Railway Co., Ltd. (大阪外環状鉄道株式会社, Ōsaka Sotokanjō Tetsudō Kabushiki Kaisha) as a Category-3 railway business under the Railway Business Act of Japan. JR-West and JR Freight operate trains as Category-2 railway business.[citation needed] The Kita-Umeda extension will open in 2023, replacing the above-ground Umeda Freight Line.
History
Conceived in the 1950s during Japan's explosive postwar economic growth, it was planned as a grand "outer loop" of the city, using existing freight lines to link Amagasaki with Shin-Osaka, Suita, Awaji, Hanaten, Kami, Uriwari and Sugimotochō, with a newly constructed segment into Osaka's (then primarily industrial) Nankō Port Town. However, with JNR's financial situation deteriorating catastrophically (culminating in its privatization) and continuing issues surrounding land acquisition and squatting by local residents on railway property, the plan was cut back to Shin-Osaka and Kami, terminating at Kyūhōji in the south.[citation needed] (The Hanwa Freight Line, which would have carried the southern segment from Kami to Sugimotochō, was officially abandoned by JR Freight in 2009.) The line connects Shin-Osaka Station in northern Osaka with Kyūhōji Station in Yao, forming an arc around the northern and eastern suburbs of the city.
The southern part opened on March 15, 2008.[1] But because of problems with the illegal occupation of a site, construction of the northern part was delayed.[2] Construction of the northern segment started in 2011 and the section between Shin-Osaka and Hanaten has opened on March 16, 2019.[3][4]
Stations
- ● : Direct Rapid service stop
- | : Direct Rapid service non-stop
| Status | No. | Station | Japanese | Distance (km) | Direct Rapid | Transfers | Location | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Between Stations | Total | |||||||
| Under construction | F01 | Ōsaka (Ume-kita underground station) | 大阪（うめきた地下駅） | - | - |  JR Kōbe Line (JR-A47)
From Umeda Station:
From Higashi-Umeda Station:
From Nishi-Umeda Station:
From Kitashinchi Station:
|
Kita-ku, Osaka | |
| In operation | F02 | Shin-Osaka | 新大阪 | - | 0.0 | ● | JR Kyoto Line (JR-A46)
|
Yodogawa-ku, Osaka |
| F03 | Minami-Suita | 南吹田 | 2.0 | 2.0 | | | Suita | ||
| F04 | JR-Awaji | JR淡路 | 1.3 | 3.3 | | | From Awaji Station:
|
Higashiyodogawa-ku, Osaka | |
| F05 | Shirokitakōendōri | 城北公園通 | 2.1 | 5.4 | | | Miyakojima-ku, Osaka | ||
| F06 | JR-Noe | JR野江 | 2.2 | 7.6 | | | From Noe Station:
From Noe-Uchindai Station:
|
Joto-ku, Osaka | |
| F07 | Shigino | 鴫野 | 1.8 | 9.4 | | |  Katamachi Line (Gakkentoshi Line, JR-H40)
| ||
| F08 | Hanaten | 放出 | 1.6 | 11.0 | ● | Katamachi Line (Gakkentoshi Line, JR-H39)
|
Tsurumi-ku, Osaka | |
| F09 | Takaida-Chūō | 高井田中央 | 1.7 | 12.7 | ● | From Takaida Station:
|
Higashiosaka, Osaka | |
| F10 | JR Kawachi-Eiwa | JR河内永和 | 1.6 | 14.3 | ● | From Kawachi-Eiwa Station
A Kintetsu Nara Line (A07) | ||
| F11 | JR Shuntokumichi | JR俊徳道 | 0.6 | 14.9 | | | From Shuntokumichi Station:
D Osaka Line (D07) | ||
| F12 | JR Nagase | JR長瀬 | 1.0 | 15.9 | | | |||
| F13 | Kizuri-Kamikita | 衣摺加美北 | 1.3 | 17.2 | | | |||
| F14 | Shin-Kami | 新加美 | 1.4 | 18.6 | | | Hirano-ku, Osaka | ||
| F15 | Kyūhōji | 久宝寺 | 1.6 | 20.2 | ● |  Yamatoji Line (Kansai Main Line)
|
Yao, Osaka | |
| Rapid service through to Nara via the Yamatoji Line | ||||||||
- Notes
Rolling stock
Passenger
- 201 series (until 2023)
- 207 series (used for rapid services since March 12, 2011)
- 321 series (used for rapid services)
- 221 series (from 2020)
Former
- 103 series (until 2018)
- 223-6000 series (used for rapid services from March 15, 2008 until March 11, 2011)
The 103 and 201 series trains are based at Nara Depot, the 207 series trains are based at Aboshi Depot, while the 223-6000 series trains were based at Miyahara Depot.
Freight
Locomotives seen hauling freight trains include the DD51, DE10, EF66, EF81 and EF210.[citation needed]
-
A DD51 locomotive on the Osaka Higashi Line in November 2001 -
An EF81 locomotive on the Akagawa Bridge in August 2013
See also
- Musashino Line, in the Tokyo area
- Aichi Loop Line
References
- ^ JR-West Press Release (December 20, 2007)[permanent dead link] (in Japanese)
- ^ "JRおおさか東線、北ヤード乗り入れ、18年度までに開業、150億円追加投資。" (in Japanese). Nihon Keizai Shimbun. 2009-01-31. Retrieved 2009-01-31.[dead link]
- ^ "2019年 春ダイヤ改正について" (Press release). 西日本旅客鉄道. 2018-12-14. Retrieved 2019-01-29.
- ^ "直結！おおさか東線". jr-odekake.net. 2019-03-16. Archived from the original on 2019-03-04. Retrieved 2019-03-18.
External links
- Osaka Soto-Kanjo Railway Co., Ltd. (in Japanese)