Nankai Main Line
| Nankai Main Line |
Nankai 1000 series EMU on local service |
| Operation |
| Operator(s) |
Nankai Electric Railway Co., Ltd. |
| Technical |
| Track gauge |
1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) |
| Electrification |
1,500 V DC, overhead line |
The Nankai Main Line (南海本線, Nankai Honsen?) is one of the two main railway lines of Japanese private railway company Nankai Electric Railway, together with Kōya Line. The route is from Namba Station in south downtown of Osaka to Wakayamashi Station in Wakayama via Sakai, Izumiōtsu, Kishiwada, Kaizuka, Izumisano, Sennan, Hannan and Misaki municipalities. The proper name is with the company's name, "the Nankai Main Line", not simply "the Main Line" often seen in other Japanese private railways. Lines of the Nankai Main Lane and the connecting lines excluded the Kōya Line and the Airport Line are named generically "the Nankai Line (南海線, Nankai Sen?)". The line is shown with a pictogram of waves, or distinguished with blue from conifer or green Kōya Line.
Descriptions
- Line length: 64.2 km
- Track: quadruple from Namba to Suminoe (to Kishinosato-Tamade, eastern two tracks are for Kōya Line exclusively), double from Suminoe to Wakayamashi
History
One of the oldest private railway lines still existing, the Nankai Main Line was opened in 1885 by Hankai Railway (阪堺鉄道, Hankai Tetsudō?) (separate from the present-day Hankai Tramway) between Namba and later abandoned Yamatogawa stations with 838mm gauge and steam motive power. Extension was made in 1888 to Sakai. In 1897 the then separate Nankai Railway opened between Sakai and Sano (present-day Izumisano). In 1897 Hankai regauged, in 1898 they merged with Nankai Railway. The present stretch was completed in 1903 to Wakayamashi Station. Electrification was begun in 1907 on the section from Namba to Hamaderakōen, and was completed in 1911.
Express and rapid service
Nankai and Kintetsu are the only two operators that offers charged Limited Express trains in private railways in Kansai.
- Limited Express Southern (特急サザン, Tokkyū "Sazan"?) (LE)
- Partly charged for seat reservation, between Namba and Wakayamashi (or Wakayamakō) as the trains connecting to the Shikoku region.
- Airport Limited Express rapi:t (空港特急ラピート, Kūkō Tokkyū "Rapīto"?) (ALE)
- Named rapi:t. Charged. operated between Namba and Kansai Airport, rapi:t α trains stop at only stations marked with S, and rapi:t β trains at stations marked with S and S*. Since Kansai International Airport opened in 1994. Exclusively with 50000 series 6 car formation.
- Limited Express (特急, Tokkyū?) (LE)
- Day time, between Namba and Wakayamashi. Stops are the same as the Southern. No seat reservations.
- Express (急行Kyūkō?) (Ex)
- Longest operation between Namba and Wakayamakō, passes Haruki Station. Before 10 a.m., after 4 p.m. on weekdays, early in morning on Saturdays, Sundays, Holidays, and up Express trains in the early morning and midnight. Half through to the Wakayamakō Line. Six or eight cars. The fourth car of eight-car trains for Namba is only for women in the morning until arriving at Tengachaya.
- Before November 26, 2005, operated all day, two per hour from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Airport Express (空港急行, Kūkō Kyūkō?) (AE)
- All day, between Namba and Kansai Airport, stops at Haruki. Two trains per hour per direction from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Six or eight cars. The fourth car of eight-car trains for Namba is only for women in the morning until arriving at Tengachaya.
- Sub Express (区間急行, Kukan Kyūkō?) (SbE)
- All day, between Namba and Hagurazaki, Misakikoen or Wakayamashi. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. between Namba and Misakikoen. In the rush hours, between Namba and Hagurazaki or Wakayamashi
- Semi-Express (準急, Junkū?) (SE)
- In the morning, from Hagurazaki or Haruki to Namba.
- Local (普通, Futsū?) (L)
- All day, between Namba and Wakayamashi or Kansai Airport. In the rush hours and at night, some return to Namba at Hagurazaki, Tarui or Misakikōen. One train is operated from Izumisano to Wakayamashi and from Takaishi to Namba in each direction as the first train in the early morning. Trains are operated from Wakayamashi to Hagurazaki in the midnight. Passes Imamiyaebisu and Haginochaya stations due to absence of platforms on the tracks of Nankai Main line. Those stations are served by Locals of Kōya Line.
- In Japanese railway operation, "Futsū" (literally "ordinary, normal") and "Kakueki Teisha" (literally "train that stop each station", "Kakutei" for short) are understood interchangeably as trains that stop each station. In Nankai alone, however, sympatrically and for separate type of stops the two words are used. The former is for Locals of Nankai Main Line that do not stop at the above two stations, while the latter is of Kōya Line that stop there true to the Japanese sense.
Rolling stock
- 9000 series
- 8000 series exclusively for Southern (non-reserved car)
- 7100 series exclusively for Southern (non-reserved car)
- 7000 series exclusively for Southern (non-reserved car)
- 2000 series
- 1000 series
- 10000 series exclusively for Southern (reserved car)
- 12000 series exclusively for Southern (reserved car)
- 50000 series exclusively for rapi:t
Stations
- S: Trains stop.
- S*: rapi:t α trains pass, β trains stop.
- s: Trains stop in the off-peak hours from January 1 until 3 every year.
- ^: one direction
For connections and distances, see route diagram.