Hankyū Kōbe Main Line

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Hankyu Kobe Main Line
An 8000 series EMU on a local service
Overview
Native name	阪急神戸本線
Locale	Kansai
Termini	Ōsaka-Umeda Kōbe-Sannomiya
Stations	19
Service
Operator(s)	Hankyu Railway
Depot(s)	Nishinomiya Depot
Rolling stock	1000 series 3000 series 6000 series 7000 series 8000 series 8200 series 9000 series
Technical
Line length	32.3 km (20.1 mi)
Number of tracks	Double
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Electrification	1,500 V DC (overhead line)
Operating speed	115 km/h (71 mph)
Route map

The Kōbe Main Line (神戸本線, Kōbe Honsen) of Hankyu Railway is one of the three major commuter heavy rail lines in the Keihanshin conurbation of Japan. It links the urban centres of Osaka and Kobe by connecting the major stations of Umeda in Osaka and Sannomiya in Kobe.

The Hanshin Electric Railway Main Line and West Japan Railway Company (JR West) Tokaido Main Line (this section nicknamed JR Kobe Line) are the two lines parallel to the Hankyu Kobe Line within a short distance of each other.

The line is commonly called Kobe Line (神戸線, Kōbe sen) for short, but in the broader sense 'Kobe Line' refers to the entire network of the trunk Kobe Main Line and connecting branch lines of Itami, Imazu and Kōyō Lines.

At the Kobe end of the line some trains continue through onto the Kobe Rapid Railway, an underground line allowing interchange between the lines of several commuter rail companies operating in Kobe.

The Kobe Main Line has interchanges at several of its stations with other lines operated by Hankyu. The Hankyu main lines to Kyoto and Takarazuka share stations at Umeda and Juso with the Kobe Line. The other lines with connections to the Kobe line are smaller lines with only local trains: the Itami Line connects at Tsukaguchi, the Imazu Line at Nishinomiya-kitaguchi and the Koyo Line at Shukugawa.

The Umeda - Juso section was opened in 1910 as part of the Hankyu Takarazuka Line.

The Juso - Oji-Koen section opened as a 1435mm gauge line electrified at 600 V DC in 1920. In 1926 the line was duplicated, and in 1936 it was extended to Kobe Sannomiya. In 1967 the voltage was increased to 1,500 V DC.

Until 1936, the line's terminal in Kobe was in Kamitsutsui. As a branch of the main line, the 1 km (0.62 mi) line between Oji-Koen Station and Kamitsutsui Station continued to provide a connection to the Kobe tram network until 1941.

A flood gate is installed on the Kanzakigawa Bridge on the west side of Kanzakigawa Station, and it may be closed as a measure against high tides caused by approaching typhoons or tsunamis after earthquakes. In this case, service is suspended between Osaka-Umeda Station and Sonoda Station ( only the Kobe Main Line is suspended between Osaka-Umeda Station and Juso Station), but in the past, trains have been operated between Juso Station and Kanzakigawa Station using only the up line, and there have been times when only local trains have been operated between Sonoda Station and Sannomiya Station (now Kobe-Sannomiya Station) using the turnaround line at Sonoda Station. In addition, in the event of a transportation disruption such as a personal injury accident, trains may be operated at Sonoda Station.  In addition, as an alternative route between Osaka-Umeda Station and Nishinomiya-Kitaguchi Station, trains have been advised to take the Takarazuka Main Line (Osaka-Umeda Station - Takarazuka Station ) and the Imazu Line (Takarazuka Station - Nishinomiya-Kitaguchi Station).

Okamoto Station and Ojikoen Station are only a few hundred meters away from JR Kobe Line stations, and the former can be transferred to Settsu-Motoyama Station, and the latter to Nada Station, but there is no transfer information for JR. On the other hand, there is a station with the same name, Tsukaguchi Station, on the JR Fukuchiyama Line, but the two stations are about 1 km apart, so there is no transfer information.

The Kobe Main Line was damaged by the Great Hanshin earthquake in January 1995. Restoration work on the Kobe Line took 7 months to complete.^[1]

Station numbering was introduced on 21 December 2013.^[2]

A new station will be built near the Muko River between Nishinomiya-Kitaguchi and Tsukaguchi. The project, which includes a bicycle parking lot and reconstruction of the surrounding roads, is expected to cost ¥6 billion.^[3] Agreements to build the station were signed by the railway and the national treasury was signed in October 2022.

During the day, only local trains (普通) and limited express trains (特急) which stop only at major stations along the line, are operated. Other commuter and express services operate only early mornings, commuting times, and late nights.^[4]

• Local trains (普通) stop at all stations, all times of the day. Most operate between Osaka-Umeda and Kobe-Sannomiya, but some start and end at Nishinomiya-Kitaguchi.
• Semi-Express trains (準急) are operated from Takarazuka to Osaka-Umeda via the Imazu Line and the Kobe Line on weekday mornings.
• Commuter Express trains (通勤急行) operate on weekdays, from Kobe-Sannomiya to Osaka-Umeda in the morning, and from Osaka-Umeda to Kobe-Sannomiya in the evening rush hour.
• Express trains (急行) operate from Osaka-Umeda to Kobe-Sannomiya or Shinkaichi late nights, as well as one eastbound train on weekend mornings.
• Semi-Limited Express (準特急) operate from Osaka-Umeda to Kosoku Kobe or Shinkaichi in the evenings as well as one early morning train towards Osaka-Umeda.
• Commuter Limited Express trains (通勤特急) operate in both directions on weekday mornings. Some trains consist of 10 cars, of which the last car (to Osaka-Umeda) or the first car (to Kobe-Sannomiya) is for women only.
• Limited Express trains (特急) operate in both directions, all day except early morning and late night.
• Maximum speed: 115 km/h (71 mph)

Hankyu Railway is a Class II railway operator on the Kobe Rapid Railway Tozai Line between Kobe-Sannomiya Station and Shinkaichi Station, and operates direct trains from Kobe-Sannomiya Station to Shinkaichi Station on its own line, the Kobe Rapid Railway Line.

The basic timetable is that express and local trains run every 10 minutes from 9:00 to 22:00 on weekdays, and from 7:00 to 19:00 on Saturdays and holidays (12 minutes from 19:00 on Saturdays and holidays). During the evening rush hour on weekdays, commuter express trains and local trains departing from and arriving at Nishinomiya-Kitaguchi Station run in the outbound direction, and semi-express trains run after 22:00 on weekdays, Saturdays, and holidays. During the morning rush hour on weekdays, the cycle is 16 minutes, and in addition to express and local trains, commuter express, commuter express, and semi-express trains (direct from Takarazuka Station on the Imazu Line, only to Osaka-Umeda) also run.

A holiday timetable is applied on Saturdays. Previously, trains ran on weekdays from Monday to Saturday, and on holiday schedules on Sundays and holidays, but in Kansai, following the lead of Keihan Electric Railway, the Takarazuka Line introduced a Saturday timetable in December 1992, and the Kyoto Line in February 1993. The Kobe Line also introduced a Saturday timetable in July 1993. Incidentally, the Sanyo Electric Railway, which operated through-running services at the time, and the Hanshin Electric Railway, which ran on the Kobe Rapid Railway Tozai Line and the Sanyo Electric Railway Main Line, also introduced a Saturday timetable on the same day. Later, this Saturday timetable was based on the holiday timetable, and the number of local trains bound for Umeda (now Osaka Umeda) from Nishinomiya-Kitaguchi was increased only in the mornings when transportation capacity was insufficient, and after the timetable revision on October 28, 2006, it was completely abolished and unified into a Saturday and holiday timetable.

Crew members may change at Nishinomiya-Kitaguchi Station, and the new driver may sound the horn when departing from the station.

This is the fastest train on the Kobe Main Line, and it runs almost all day except late at night. It basically runs between Osaka Umeda Station and Shinkaichi Station, but there is also a train from Nishinomiya Kitaguchi to Shinkaichi in the early morning, and between Osaka Umeda Station and Kosoku Kobe Station in the morning and evening. Since the timetable revision on December 17, 2022, it has been running at a maximum speed of 115 km/h between Juso Station and Nishinomiya Kitaguchi Station, and a maximum speed of 110 km/h in other sections, and both up and down trains run at a maximum speed of 27 minutes 20 seconds (nominal speed: 70.9 km/h, average speed: 76.8 km/h) between Osaka Umeda Station and Kobe Sannomiya Station. In addition, between Juso Station and Nishinomiya Kitaguchi Station, which has a good linearity and a relatively long passing distance, the outbound train runs at a maximum speed of 8 minutes 45 seconds, and the inbound train runs at a maximum speed of 8 minutes 30 seconds (average speed: 93.2 km/h), which is comparable to the JR West's New Rapid Service that runs in parallel.

When the timetable was revised on October 28, 2006, express trains running at a speed of 115 km/h were marked as "A Limited Express" on the staff held by the crew members. However, with the timetable change on March 14, 2020 to coincide with the timetable revision of the Sanyo Electric Railway Line, which connects via the Kobe Kosoku Line, the 5000 and 6000 series cars that run during the day and have a maximum speed of 110 km/h were withdrawn, and the "A Limited Express" markings were no longer written on the staff held by the crew members.

On the way, it connects with local trains at Nishinomiya-Kitaguchi Station. Also, trains bound for Osaka-Umeda connect with local trains at Kobe-Sannomiya Station. Furthermore, it connects with local trains of Hanshin at Kosoku-Kobe Station.

Between Osaka-Umeda Station and Takarazuka Station, it is often the case that you can actually get to Takarazuka Station faster by taking the limited express to Nishinomiya-Kitaguchi Station and then transferring to the Imazu-Kita Line, rather than taking the express on the Takarazuka Main Line. During the daytime, the difference is about one minute.

Since it began operation in 1930, it has been set at this time almost consistently, except during wartime and immediately after the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake. When it first began operation in 1930, the only station it stopped at was Nishinomiya-Kitaguchi Station, and after Juso Station was added in 1937  it only stopped at Juso Station and Nishinomiya-Kitaguchi Station for a long time. After the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, it began stopping at Okamoto Station with the timetable revision on June 12, 1995, and at Shukugawa Station with the timetable revision on October 28, 2006. Since 2000, giant pandas have been on display at Oji Zoo along the line, and during tourist seasons, it sometimes made special stops at the nearest station, Oji Koen Station, but this is no longer the case.

During the weekday morning rush hour, some trains were operated with 10 cars, but with the revision on December 17, 2022, the 10-car operation will be discontinued and the number of cars will be standardized to 8.

This type of train includes Tsukaguchi Station, which is a connecting station with the Itami Line, in addition to the limited express stops. During the morning rush hour on weekdays, it operates between Osaka-Umeda Station and Kobe-Sannomiya Station, Kosoku-Kobe Station, and Shinkaichi Station with eight or ten cars. The front car on the Kobe-Sannomiya side of the ten-car train is a women-only car.

It began operation with the timetable revision on June 12, 1995, and was also operated during late-night hours from 1998 to 2001. Shukugawa Station was added as a stop in the timetable revision on October 28, 2006.

Express trains in the early morning and late night. They run between Osaka-Umeda Station and Shinkaichi Station, connecting at Nishinomiya-Kitaguchi Station on the way. There is one train from Shinkaichi to Osaka-Umeda in the early morning, and the rest run at night.

The timetable revision on December 17, 2022 will see the operation format, such as the stops of the "Rapid Express," remain the same, but only the name of the train will be changed.

When the rapid express train was established on December 14, 1987, it did not stop at Okamoto Station. On June 12, 1995, when the timetable was revised, the rapid express train began to stop at the station.

This type of train stops at every station and is operated all day. During the daytime, it runs between Osaka-Umeda Station and Kobe-Sannomiya Station, and both up and down trains must wait for and connect with limited express trains at Nishinomiya-Kitaguchi Station, but after departing from Nishinomiya-Kitaguchi Station, the train arrives at Osaka-Umeda Station or Kobe-Sannomiya Station first. During weekday rush hours, some trains wait for limited express trains and commuter limited express trains at Sonoda Station and Rokko Station. Trains departing from Nishinomiya-Kitaguchi Station are scheduled in the morning, evening, and night, and all outbound commuter express trains in the evening on weekdays are bound for Nishinomiya-Kitaguchi. It only runs to Kosoku-Kobe Station and Shinkaichi Station in the early morning, during weekday morning rush hour, and late at night. In addition, there is one train on weekdays morning bound for Osaka-Umeda from Muko-no-sho.

For the Osaka-Umeda direction, the trains departing Kobe-Sannomiya Station at 23:23 on weekdays and 23:20 on weekends and holidays are the last trains between Muko-no-sho Station and Osaka-Umeda Station. However, they connect with a semi-express train at Nishinomiya-Kitaguchi Station. Also, the trains departing Shinkaichi at 24:03 on weekdays and weekends and holidays are the last trains between Shinkaichi Station and Nishinomiya-Kitaguchi Station. For the Kobe-Sannomiya direction, the trains departing Osaka-Umeda Station at 24:10 are the last trains between Nakatsu Station and Nishinomiya-Kitaguchi Station.

During the daytime before the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, limited express trains operated between Umeda Station and Kobe-Sannomiya Station in as little as 26 minutes only on weekdays and Saturdays, so in principle trains waited at Rokko Station. Also, on holidays, trains did not wait at Rokko Station (so following limited express trains were forced to slow down), but instead made long stops at Nishinomiya-Kitaguchi Station and waited at Sonoda Station to allow for the operation of special trains.

In the timetable revision on March 19, 2016, one weekday morning train bound for Umeda was changed to one bound for Nishinomiya-Kitaguchi, one train bound for Umeda from Nishinomiya-Kitaguchi was discontinued, and two weekday morning trains bound for Umeda Station (Osaka-Umeda Station from 2019) were eliminated. In addition, three weekday evening trains bound for Kosoku Kobe from Nishinomiya-Kitaguchi and one train bound for Kobe-Sannomiya from Nishinomiya-Kitaguchi were discontinued. For these return trains, the starting station was changed from Kosoku Kobe Station or Kobe-Sannomiya Station to Nishinomiya-Kitaguchi Station, and four round trips between Nishinomiya-Kitaguchi Station and Kobe-Sannomiya Station were eliminated.

With the 2021 timetable revision, the final departure time from Osaka Umeda Station has been brought forward.

Since the timetable change on December 17, 2022, during the daytime, upbound trains between Osaka Umeda Station and Kobe Sannomiya Station run at a maximum speed of 43 minutes 20 seconds (list speed: 44.7 km/h, average speed: 58 km/h, downbound trains run at a maximum speed of 44 minutes 00 seconds). In the early morning, because there are no express trains waiting at Nishinomiya Kitaguchi Station, downbound trains between Osaka Umeda Station and Kobe Sannomiya Station run at a maximum speed of 39 minutes 00 seconds (list speed: 49.7 km/h, average speed: 59.2 km/h, upbound trains run at a maximum speed of 39 minutes 30 seconds). In addition, between Juso Station and Nishinomiya Kitaguchi Station, where the line is well-aligned and the distance between stations is relatively long, daytime inbound trains run at a maximum speed of 13 minutes 40 seconds (list speed: 57.9 km/h, average speed: 66 km/h, fastest outbound trains 13 minutes 45 seconds), and early morning inbound trains run at a maximum speed of 13 minutes 30 seconds (list speed: 58.7 km/h, average speed: 66.9 km/h, fastest outbound trains 13 minutes 45 seconds), which is quite a high speed for a train that stops at every station.

Until the timetable change in February 1998, Sanyo Electric Railway operated direct trains to Rokko Station, but trains on the Kobe Main Line were operated as local trains regardless of the type of train on the Sanyo Electric Railway Line. However, the train type display showed the type of train on the Sanyo Electric Railway Line (for example, in the case of a Sanyo Electric Railway Line express train, it stopped at every station on the Kobe Main Line while showing the express train display).

In addition, local trains operating between Osaka-Umeda Station and Muko-no-shou Station/Nishinomiya-Kitaguchi Station are displayed as "Section Local" or "Section Regular" on the timetable on the official Hankyu Railway website, and are distinguished from the "Local" trains operating between Osaka-Umeda Station/Nishinomiya-Kitaguchi Station and Kobe-Sannomiya Station/Kobe-Kobe Station/Shinkaichi Station.

Originally, it was a special train that started operating in the fall of 2008, running directly to Arashiyama Station only during the spring and autumn tourist seasons. Due to the effective length of the platforms at each station on the Arashiyama Line, it is a six-car train, and currently the 7000 series 7006F " Kyoto Train Miyako "  is used.

Until autumn 2009, it was operated as a special train, and the trains used for direct service had a special sign and stickers on the side of the doors to indicate this. From the spring tourist season in 2010, it was given the new classification of direct express, and a special "direct express" type banner was added to the trains used for direct service. The trains are operated on certain Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays during the spring and autumn tourist seasons (operating days are announced from time to time on the official website, etc.), and run one round trip per day from Kosoku Kobe Station and one from Takarazuka Station via the Imazu Line. This train does not enter Umeda Station, as it switches back at Juso Station and runs directly to the Kyoto Main Line. The stations on the Kobe Main Line where the trains depart from and arrive at Kosoku Kobe are the same as those for the rapid express, and the trains depart from and arrive at Takarazuka are the same as those for the semi-express. The trains bound for Kosoku Kobe waited for the express at Rokko Station.

In 2011, the trains were given the new nicknames "Atago" (departing from and arriving at Kosoku Kobe Station) and "Togetsu" (departing from and arriving at Takarazuka Station via the Imazu Line). Of the dedicated trains, the 7017F was renamed "Sōfu" (Sofu) from November 2015 to November 2017, and was decorated with illustrations of Kobe tourist spots by Seizō Watase [  In 2016, the direct express trains were also renamed "Sōfu".

From March 17, 2018 to October 31, 2019, a train with the nickname "Sōfu" was operated, decorated with illustrations by Yusuke Nakamura (the design was partially renewed on November 17, 2018)  However, because the train formation to be decorated was changed, the nickname of the special train that runs directly to Arashiyama Station was changed back to "Atago".

Since the spring of 2019, the "Atago" and "Togetsu" trains have been discontinued, and instead, the "Kyoto Train Miyako" direct express train (without a nickname) runs between Nishinomiya-Kitaguchi Station and Arashiyama Station only on weekdays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.

Since spring 2020, operations have been suspended due to the impact of the state of emergency declared in response to the spread of COVID-19 and in light of usage conditions.

• ● : All trains stop
• | : All trains pass
• ◆ : Extra services to the Imazu Line pass

• 1000 series EMU (from November 2013)
• 6000 series EMU
• 7000 series EMU
• 8000 series EMU
• 8200 series EMU (Rush hour only)
• 9000 series EMU

• 1000 series EMU (1954)
• 1010 series EMU
• 1200 series EMU
• 2000 series EMU
• 2200 series EMU
• 2300 series EMU (Temporary)
• 3000 series EMU
• 5000 series EMU
• 5100 series EMU
• 5200 series EMU

• Hankyū Kyōto Main Line
• Hankyū Takarazuka Main Line

• Official website (in English)
• Official website (in Japanese)