Osaka Higashi Line

Railway line in Osaka prefecture, Japan From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Osaka Higashi Line (おおさか東線, Ōsaka-Higashi-sen; lit. 'Osaka East Line') is a railway line in Osaka, Japan, operated by the West Japan Railway Company (JR West). The line connects Ōsaka 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).

Native nameおおさか東線
OwnerOsaka Soto-Kanjo Railway Co., Ltd.
LocaleOsaka Prefecture
Termini
  • Ōsaka
  • Kyūhōji
Quick facts Overview, Native name ...
Osaka Higashi Line
A 221 series EMU on a Local service in March 2022
Overview
Native nameおおさか東線
OwnerOsaka Soto-Kanjo Railway Co., Ltd.
LocaleOsaka Prefecture
Termini
  • Ōsaka
  • Kyūhōji
Stations15
Service
TypeHeavy rail
SystemUrban Network
Operator(s)JR-West
JR Freight
DepotAboshi
Rolling stock221 series EMU
History
Opened
  • March 15, 1929; 97 years ago (March 15, 1929) (as Katamachi Freight Branch Line)
  • March 15, 2008 (as Osaka Higashi Line)
Technical
Line length20.2 km (12.6 mi)
Track gauge1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification1,500 V DC (overhead lines)
Operating speed120 km/h (75 mph)
Route map

Legend
Osaka Loop Line
Naniwasuji Line (future)
Tōkaidō Main Line (JR Kobe Line, JR Takarazuka Line)
Umeda Freight Line
 Umeda Signal Box (formerly JR Freight Umeda Freight Terminal)
–2023
  JR-F01  Ōsaka
Hankyu Kobe Main Line, Hankyu Takarazuka Main Line (Osaka-Umeda)
 old Umeda Freight Line
–2023
Tōkaidō Main Line (JR Kyoto Line)
Osaka Metro: Midōsuji Line
Yodo River
Old Tōkaidō Line
Hankyu Kyoto Main Line
Spur track to Miyahara Depot
0.0
–
  JR-F02  Shin-Ōsaka
LeftTōkaidō Shinkansen – Sanyō ShinkansenRight
Hoppō Freight Line
Osaka Metro: Midōsuji Line
Higashi-Yodogawa
Kanzaki River
 JR-F03  Minami-Suita
 LeftJōtō Freight Line
Kanzakigawa Signal Box
Hankyu Senri Line
–
10.3
 Senri Signal Box
–1982
–
10.7
 Suita
Suita Freight Terminal
Kanzaki River
Tōkaidō Shinkansen
Hankyu Kyoto Line
  JR-F04  JR-Awaji
Akagawa Bridge
Yodogawa River
–
5.7
 Miyakojima Signal Box
–1982
  JR-F05  Shirokitakōendōri
  JR-F06  JR-Noe
Osaka Metro: Tanimachi Line (Noe-Uchindai)
Keihan Main Line (Noe)
Yodogawa Freight Line and Sakuranomiya Line
–
2.9
 Tatsumi Signal Box
−1982
 UpJōtō Freight Line
Katamachi Line (Gakkentoshi Line)
Neya River
  JR-F07  Shigino
Osaka Metro: Imazatosuji Line
11.1
0.0
  JR-F08  Hanaten
Katamachi Line (Gakkentoshi Line)
Daini Neya River
 Aboshi Depot Hanaten Branch
12.8
1.7
  JR-F09  Takaida-Chūō
Osaka Metro: Chūō Line (Takaida)
14.4
3.3
  JR-F10  JR Kawachi-Eiwa
Kintetsu Nara Line (Kawachi-Eiwa)
15.0
3.9
  JR-F11  JR Shuntokumichi
Osaka Line (Shuntokumichi)
 Shuntokumichi Signal Box
2007–2008
16.0
4.9
  JR-F12  JR Nagase
 Hagusa Signal Box
–2003
  JR-F13  Kizuri-Kamikita
 Shōgakuji Signal Box
 South Jōtō Freight Line
(see inset below)
 Old Jōtō Freight Line
(see inset below)
18.7
7.6
  JR-F14  Shin-Kami
LeftKansai Main Line (Yamatoji Line) Kami
LeftHanwa Freight Line
20.3
9.2
  JR-F15  Kyūhōji
 Ryūge Signal Box
–1997
10.4
 Yao
Kansai Main Line (Yamatoji Line)
 Old Jōtō Freight Line
0.0
 Shōgakuji Signal Box
Osaka Higashi Line
Kansai Main Line (Yamatoji Line)
 Jōtō Freight–Yamatoji connection
 Kutara No. 1 Signal Box
1.5
 Hirano
Jōtō Freight–Yamatoji connexion
Kudara Freight Terminal
Kudarashijō –1984
Close

The line is constructed and owned by 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 run trains as Category 2 operators.[citation needed] The Kita-Umeda extension opened on March 18, 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-Ōsaka, 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][clarification needed] Due to 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-Ōsaka and Hanaten opened on March 16, 2019.[3][4]

Incorporated into the second phase of the Osaka Higashi Line project is the construction of underground platforms at Osaka Station (known as Umekita).[5] The project provides the basis for the future Naniwasuji Line while also providing a small shortcut on current services on the Haruka and Kuroshio limited express trains.

In February 2023, track switching work took place between the 11th and 13th of that month.[6] The underground platforms began operation later in the year on March 18.[7]

Stations

  • ● : Direct Rapid service stops here
  • | : Direct Rapid service does not stop here

Local trains stop at all stations. For limited express Mahoroba, see the respective article.

More information No., Station ...
No. Station Japanese Distance (km) Direct Rapid Transfers Location
Between Stations Total
 JR-F01  Ōsaka 大阪 3.8 3.8 ●

JR Kōbe Line (JR-A47)

JR Takarazuka Line (JR-G47)

Osaka Loop Line (JR-O11)

From Osaka-umeda Station:

From Osaka-Umeda Station:

From Umeda Station:

From Higashi-Umeda Station:

From Nishi-Umeda Station:

From Kitashinchi Station:

 Kita-ku, Osaka
 JR-F02  Shin-Ōsaka 新大阪 - 0.0 ● JR Kyoto Line (JR-A46)

Tokaido・Sanyo Shinkansen

Osaka Metro Midōsuji Line (M13)

 Yodogawa-ku, Osaka
 JR-F03  Minami-Suita 南吹田 2.0 2.0 |   Suita
 JR-F04  JR-Awaji JR淡路 1.3 3.3 ● From Awaji Station: Higashiyodogawa-ku, Osaka
 JR-F05  Shirokitakōendōri 城北公園通 2.1 5.4 ●   Miyakojima-ku, Osaka
 JR-F06  JR-Noe JR野江 2.2 7.6 | From Noe Station:

Keihan Main Line (KH-05)

From Noe-Uchindai Station:

Osaka Metro Tanimachi Line (T16)

 Joto-ku, Osaka
 JR-F07  Shigino 鴫野 1.8 9.4 | Katamachi Line (Gakkentoshi Line, JR-H40)

Osaka Metro Imazatosuji Line

 JR-F08  Hanaten 放出 1.6 11.0 ● Katamachi Line (Gakkentoshi Line, JR-H39) Tsurumi-ku, Osaka
 JR-F09  Takaida-Chūō 高井田中央 1.7 12.7 ● From Takaida Station:

Osaka Metro Chūō Line (C22)

 Higashiosaka, Osaka
 JR-F10  JR Kawachi-Eiwa JR河内永和 1.6 14.3 ● From Kawachi-Eiwa Station

 A  Kintetsu Nara Line (A07)

 JR-F11  JR Shuntokumichi JR俊徳道 0.6 14.9 | From Shuntokumichi Station:

 D  Osaka Line (D07)

 JR-F12  JR Nagase JR長瀬 1.0 15.9 |  
 JR-F13  Kizuri-Kamikita 衣摺加美北 1.3 17.2 |  
 JR-F14  Shin-Kami 新加美 1.4 18.6 |   Hirano-ku, Osaka
 JR-F15  Kyūhōji 久宝寺 1.6 20.2 ● Yamatoji Line (Kansai Main Line) Yao, Osaka
Direct Rapid service through to Nara via the Yamatoji Line
Close
Notes

Rolling stock

Passenger

  • 221 series (used for Local services from March 12, 2022 and Direct Rapid services from March 18, 2023)[8][9]

Former

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
    A DD51 locomotive on the Osaka Higashi Line in November 2001
  • An EF81 locomotive on the Akagawa Bridge in August 2013
    An EF81 locomotive on the Akagawa Bridge in August 2013

See also

References

External links

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