Hankai Tramway
Headquarters of Hankai Tramway | |
Native name | 阪堺電気軌道株式会社 |
|---|---|
Romanized name | Hankai Denki Kidō Kabushiki Gaisha |
| Company type | Public-private KK |
| Industry | Transportation |
| Founded | 7 July 1980 |
| Website | Official website |
Hankai Tramway Co., Ltd. (阪堺電気軌道株式会社, Hankai Denki Kidō Kabushiki Gaisha) is a company which owns two tramway lines in the cities of Osaka and Sakai, Osaka, Japan. It was originally part of Nankai Electric Railway Co., Ltd.[1] and it still uses the Nankai symbol as its logo.
Lines
Hankai Tramway operates two officially designated lines:[2][3]
| Line | Route | Stops | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hankai Line | Ebisucho — Sumiyoshi — Abikomichi — Hamadera eki-mae | 31 | 14.0 km (8.7 mi) |
| Uemachi Line | Tennoji eki-mae — Sumiyoshi | 10 | 4.3 km (2.7 mi) |
| Total: | 18.3 km (11.4 mi) | ||
The lines use standard gauge tracks and are electrified at 600 Volts via catenary.[1]
Services
As is often the case with Japanese tramway operators, the services operated differ from the officially designated routes shown above.
Two routes are in operation (no route number is displayed):[4]
| Route | Major stations | Stops | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hankai Line | Ebisucho — Sumiyoshi — Abikomichi | 16 | 6.1 km (3.8 mi) |
| Uemachi Line/ Hankai Line | Tennoji eki-mae — Sumiyoshi — Abikomichi — Hamadera eki-mae | 29 | 13.8 km (8.6 mi) |
Services operate at the following approximate frequencies:[5][6][7]
| Uemachi Line/Hankai Line | Hankai Line | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Time Period | Tennoji eki-mae ↔
Abikomichi |
Tennoji eki-mae ↔
Hamadera eki-mae |
Ebisucho ↔
Abikomichi |
| Morning peak hours | 3–4 minutes | 12–15 minutes | 15-30 minutes |
| Evening peak hours | 5 minutes | 10 minutes | 25-30 minutes |
| Daytime & all-day weekends/holidays | 6–8 minutes | 12–14 minutes | 25-30 minutes |
| Early morning & night | 12–15 minutes | 20–30 minutes | 30-60 minutes |
Rolling stock
Current
- 161 series
- 351 series
- 501 series
- 601 series
- 701 series
- 1001 series
- 1101 series
-
161 series
-
351 series
-
501 series
-
601 series
-
701 series
-
1001 series
-
1101 series
Former lines when owned by Nankai Railway
| Line | Route | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Hirano Line | Imaike — Hirano | 5.9 km (3.7 mi) |
| Ohama Branch Line | Shukuin — Ohama-kaigan | 1.4 km (0.87 mi) |
History
Hankai Tramway Co., Ltd. was founded in 1910. In 1915, the company merged with the Nankai Railway which runs both north and south in Osaka. The city's overall tram network was once extensive. As motorization developed as an alternative form of transportation along with the construction of subway lines underneath major routes, the trams lost their passengers, causing Osaka's once-extensive tram network to shrink, with only the Hankai and Uemachi tram lines remaining. By 1980, the company split from Nankai and became an independent company, with Nankai holding 100% of the Hankai stock. Therefore, Hankai still uses the Nankai symbol as its logo.
On January 31, 2016, the stop at Sumiyoshikoen was removed and the Uemachi line terminus was moved to Sumiyoshi, reducing the Uemachi line's length by 200 m (660 ft) to 4.4 km (2.7 mi).[8]
On February 1, 2020, the stop at Ebisucho was relocated 100m south to provide 100% barrier-free access, reducing the Hankai line's length from 14.1 km (8.8 mi) to 14.0 km (8.7 mi).[9]
References
- ^ a b Pattison, Tony, ed. (2000). Jane's Urban Transport Systems 2000-2001 (19th ed.). Jane's Information Group. p. 274. ISBN 0-7106-2033-0.
- ^ "阪堺電気軌道阪堺線". 配線略図.net (in Japanese). 2026-01-04. Retrieved 2026-01-06.
- ^ "阪堺電気軌道上町線". 配線略図.net (in Japanese). 2026-01-04. Retrieved 2026-01-06.
- ^ "路線図｜阪堺電気軌道株式会社". www.hankai.co.jp. Retrieved 2026-01-06.
- ^ "tennoji-ekimae-20230204.pdf" (PDF). hankai.co.jp. 2023-02-04. Retrieved 2025-09-30.
- ^ "abikomichi-20230204.pdf" (PDF). hankai.co.jp. 2023-02-04. Retrieved 2025-09-30.
- ^ "阪堺電気軌道阪堺線". 配線略図.net (in Japanese). 2026-01-04. Retrieved 2026-01-06.
- ^ "e61a76dce9454a5fc64581fd3c71eb41.pdf" (PDF). hankai.co.jp. 2015-12-25. Retrieved 2025-09-30.
- ^ "0ebe9b2e6def39e75783c1dd2a588f3f.pdf" (PDF). hankai.co.jp. 2020-01-08. Retrieved 2025-09-30.
External links
- Official website (in English)
- Official website (in Japanese)