Nankai Kōya Line

Nankai Koya Line
A Rinkan limited express service
Overview
Type	Heavy rail
Locale	Osaka Prefecture, Wakayama Prefecture
Operation
Owner	Nankai Electric Railway
Technical
Line length	64.5 km (40.1 mi)
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification	1,500 V DC, overhead catenary
Operating speed	100 km/h (60 mph)

The Nankai Kōya Line (南海高野線, Nankai Kōya-sen) is a railway line in Osaka Prefecture and Wakayama Prefecture, Japan, operated by the private railway operator Nankai Electric Railway. It connects Osaka and Koyasan, the capital of the Japanese Buddhist sect Shingon, via the suburbs of Osaka, such as Sakai, Osakasayama, Tondabayashi and Kawachinagano in Osaka Prefecture and Hashimoto and Kōya in Wakayama Prefecture. The Kōya Line is indicated, to distinguish it from other Nankai Lines, with pictograms of coniferous-like trees which infer Mount Koya, or with the line colour, green.

For historical reasons, the line formally begins at Shiomibashi Station in Osaka and crosses the Nankai Main Line, the company's other main line, at Kishinosato-Tamade Station, though operationally it starts at Namba Station together with the Nankai Line, diverges at Kishinosato-Tamade Station and goes to Gokurakubashi Station, to connect to Koyasan through Nankai Cable Line.

The section from Shiomibashi to Kishinosato-Tamade, called the "Shiomibashi Line" (汐見橋線), has trains operating only in between those two stations. The section from Hashimoto to Gokurakubashi and the Koyasan Cable is named the "Koya Flower Railway" (こうや花鉄道) by operating a sightseeing train "Tenku".

Route map

Legend Stations of Nankai Railway line unless otherwise noted 4.1 Namba (first)-1980 3.9 Namba (second)1980- (for connections, see below) 3.0 Imamiyaebisu 2.5 Shin-Imamiya(for connections, see below) 1.9 Haginochaya Tennoji Branch Line Subway: Sakaisuji Line (K20) 0.9 Tengachaya Shiomibashi "Shiomibashi Line"   for details, see below 0.0 Kishinosato-Tamade Nankai Main Line Hankai: Hankai Line 1.1 Tezukayama Hankai: Uemachi Line (Kaminoki Station) 2.0 Sumiyoshihigashi 2.9 Sawanochō 3.2 Wakamiya-1917 3.5 Abikomae Yamato River 4.8 Asakayama 6.4 Sakaihigashi JR-W: Hanwa Line 7.9 Mikunigaoka 8.8 Mozuhachiman Subway: Midosuji Line (M30) 9.5 Nakamozu Osaka Urban Development:   Semboku Rapid Railway Kōmyōike Izumi-Chūō 10.1 Mozu (freight)-1912? 10.4 (extra) Nakamozu Undojo-mae 10.5 Shirasagi 12.0 Hatsushiba 12.9 Hagiharatenjin 14.7 Kitanoda Nishiyoke River 15.6 Sayama Higashiyoke River 16.7 Ikejiri Signal Box-1914 17.2 Ōsakasayamashi 17.6 Daiichi Handa (freight)-1930? 18.2 Daini Handa (freight)-1930? 18.3 Kongō 20.0 Takidani 21.3 Chiyoda Chiyoda Signal Box Chiyoda Depot and Chiyoda Workshop Kintetsu: Nagano Line 23.4 Kawachinagano Ishikawa River Amami River Amami River Amami River 25.1 Mikkaichichō Kagata Signal Box-1984 26.7 Mikanodai 28.6 Chihayaguchi 30.3 Amami Osaka Prefecture Kimi Tunnel Wakayama Prefecture 34.0 Kimitōge 35.3 Rinkanden'entoshi 36.2 Hashitani Signal Box-1983 37.3 Miyukitsuji Oharada Signal Box Oharada Inspection Depot 39.5 (extra) Ichiwakiyama-1918? 39.9 Hashimotocho (extra platform)-? 40.1 Hashimoto 40.6 0.0 Tsuma Signal Box-1959 JR-W: Wakayama Line - 0.6 Kinokawaguchi-1959 Kinokawa 43.2 Kii-Shimizu 45.8 Kamuro 47.6 Kudoyama Nyugawa River 49.6 Kōyashita Fudotani River 51.3 Shimo-Kosawa 2 tunnels Naka-Kosawa Bridge 53.0 Kami-Kosawa 4 tunnels Kasagi Bridge 2 tunnels 56.0 Kii-Hosokawa 7 tunnels 58.4 Kii-Kamiya 4 tunnels 59.9 Gokurakubashi Kōyasan Cable funicular Shiomibashi Branch Subway: Sennichimae Line (Sakuragawa) Hanshin: Hanshin Namba Line (Sakuragawa) 0.0 Shiomibashi JR-W: Osaka Loop Line (Ashiharabashi) 0.9 Ashiharachō 1.6 Kizugawa 2.6 Tsumori 3.6 Osaka Tram: Hankai Line 3.6 Nishi-Tengachaya 4.6 Kishinosato-TamadeNankai Main Line Koya Line Details of Namba area Subway: Yotsubashi Line (Y15) Subway: Midōsuji Line (M20) Subway: Sennichimae Line (S16) Kintetsu: Namba Line (Osaka Namba) Hanshin: Hanshin Namba Line (Osaka Namba) Namba Subway: Sakaisuji Line Subway: Daikokuchō Imamiyaenisu Subway, Hankai: Ebisuchō Hankai: Hankai Line JR-W: Osaka Loop, Kansai Main (Yamatoji) lines Shin-Imamiya /Hankai: Minami-Kasumichō Subway: Midōsuji Line (M22) Subway: Dōbutsuen-mae Subway: Sakaisuji Line (K19) HaginochayaHankai: Imaike Tengachaya Nankai Line (left)/Koya Line (right)

Service patterns

Local (各駅停車, Kakueki Teisha) (Lo)

Between Namba and Sakaihigashi, Kitanoda, Kongō, Chiyoda, Kawachinagano, Miikkaichichō, Rinkanden-entoshi or Hashimoto, and between Hashimoto and Kōyashita or Gokurakubashi.

Semi-Express (準急, Junkyū) (SE)

All the southbound trains are operated from Namba to Kōmyōike or Izumi-Chūō on the Semboku Rapid Railway Line. On weekday mornings, northbound trains for Namba are operated from Mikkaichicho, Kawachinagano and Chiyoda in addition to the through trains from the Semboku Rapid Railway Line.

Sub Express (区間急行, Kukan Kyūkō) (SbE)

Trains are operated between Namba and Kawachinagano, Miikkaichichō or Rinkanden-entoshi. Through trains from the Semboku Rapid Railway Line to Namba are available on weekday mornings.

Express (急行, Kyūkō) (Ex)

Trains are operated mainly between Namba and Miikkaichichō, Rinkanden-entoshi or Hashimoto. Several trains are operated between Namba and Kōyashita or Gokurakubashi.

Rapid Express (快速急行, Kaisoku Kyūkō) (RE)

All trains are operated between Namba and Gokurakubashi, and use a special "Zoomcar" rolling stock. On weekday evenings, southbound trains for Hashimoto from Namba are operated using other rolling stock.

Limited Express (特急, Tokkyū) (LE)

The Kōya (こうや) operates between Namba and Gokurakubashi, and the Rinkan (りんかん) between Namba and Hashimoto. All seats of both trains are reserved.

Sightseeing train Tenku (観光列車「天空」) (Tk)

From July 3, 2009, trains operate between Hashimoto and Gokurakubashi daily except Wednesdays and Thursdays from March until November, and on Saturdays, Sundays and national holidays from December until February. They stop at Kamuro and Kudoyama.

• For fare calculation, the distance between Tengachaya and Tezukayama is defined as 1.8 km

Stations

Namba - Kishinosato-Tamade - Gokurakubashi

Shiomibashi - Kishinosato-Tamade

The section is known as the Shiomibashi Line (汐見橋線).