Editing Osaka Loop Line (section)

==Operation==
{{routemap
|title =Osaka Loop Line trains
|title bg    =#e80000
|map1-title=Osaka Loop Line trains
|map1 =
\exSTRl\exHSTq\exSTRr\
xABZg+l\STRq\HSTq\STRq\STR+r~~{{STN|Osaka|x}}
STR\\KBHFaq\STR+r\STR
STR\\\HST\HST~~{{STN|Kyōbashi|x|Osaka}}
HST\\\STR\STR~~{{STN|Nishikujō|x}}
STR\\KBHFaq\STRr\STR
ABZlxr\eABZql\HSTq\STRq\xABZqr+xr~~{{STN|Tennōji|x}}

|map2-title =JR Yumesaki Line through trains
|map2 =
\xABZg+l\STRq\HSTq\STR+r~~{{STN|Osaka|x}}
\STR\\\BHF~~{{STN|Kyōbashi|x|Osaka}}
\HST\\\STR~~{{STN|Nishikujō|x}}
KBHFaq\xABZgr\\\STR~~{{STN|Sakurajima|x}}
\exSTRl\exABZql\KBHFxaq\xABZqr+xr~~{{STN|Tennōji|x}}

|map3-title=Yamatoji Rapid, Regional Rapid
|map3 =
xABZg+l\HSTq\STRq\STR+r\~~{{STN|Osaka|x}}
STR\\\HST\~~{{STN|Kyōbashi|x|Osaka}}
HST\\\STR\~~{{STN|Nishikujō|x}}
eABZgr\\KBHFaq\STRr\~~{{STN|Tennōji|x}}
STRl\eABZql\HSTq\eABZq+r\STR+r
\\\\BHF~~{{STN|Nara|x}}
\\\\KBHFe~~{{STN|Kamo|x|Kyoto}}

|map4-title=Kansai Airport Rapid,<br />
Kishūji Rapid, Direct Rapid
|map4 =
\xABZg+l\HSTq\STRq\STR+r\~~{{STN|Osaka|x}}
\STR\\\BHF\~~{{STN|Kyōbashi|x|Osaka}}
\HST\\\STR\~~{{STN|Nishikujō|x}}
\eABZgr\\KBHFaq\STRr\~~{{STN|Tennōji|x}}
STRl\eABZql\HSTq\xABZqxr+r
\\\STR
\FLUG\KBHFaq\ABZgr~~{{STN|Kansai Airport|x}}
\\\KBHFe~~{{STN|Wakayama|x}}

|map5-title=Haruka
|map5 =
\\KHSTa~~{{STN|Yasu|x|Shiga}}
\\BHF~~{{STN|Kyoto|x}}
\\BHF~~{{STN|Shin-Ōsaka|x}}
STR+l\STRq\xABZgr
eKRZu\exHSTq\exSTRr
\eABZg+l\exHSTq\exSTRq\exSTR+r
\STR\\\exHST
\ABZlxr\eABZql\BHFq\xABZqxr+r~~{{STN|Tennōji|x}}
\\\\STR
\\FLUG\KBHFaq\xABZgr~~{{STN|Kansai Airport|x}}

|map6-title=Kuroshio
|map6 =
\\KBHFa~~{{STN|Kyoto|x}}
\\BHF~~{{STN|Shin-Ōsaka|x}}
STR+l\STRq\xABZgr
eKRZu\exHSTq\exSTRr
\eABZg+l\exHSTq\exSTRq\exSTR+r
\STR\\\exHST
\HST\\\exSTR~~ ~~ ~~{{STN|Nishikujō|x}}
\ABZlxr\eABZql\BHFq\xABZqxr+r~~{{STN|Tennōji|x}}
\\\\STR
\\\\eABZgr
\\\\HST~~ ~~ ~~{{STN|Wakayama|x}}
\\\\KBHFe~~{{STN|Shingū|x}}
}}

On this line, JR West operates several types of trains. The line serves as a link between Ōsaka Station in northern Osaka (actually the Umeda district), and Tennōji in southern central Osaka. Some [[Limited Express]] trains linking north and south of the [[Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto|Osaka–Kobe–Kyoto]] area use the line as a bypass between the [[Tōkaidō Main Line]] in the north and the [[Hanwa Line]] in the south. Traffic is heavier in the eastern half, Osaka–Kyōbashi–Tennōji, than in the western half via Nishi-Kujō.

===Direction===
The completely loop shaped Osaka Loop Line is unable to use the {{Nihongo|"up"|上り|Nobori}} and {{Nihongo|"down"|下り|Kudari}} [[Rail directions|rail direction]] convention usually applied to JR lines. Instead, the words {{Nihongo|"outer loop" (running clockwise)|外回り|Soto mawari}} and the {{Nihongo|"inner loop" (running counter-clockwise)|内回り|Uchi mawari}} are used to refer to the direction of the train, similar to the [[Yamanote Line|Yamanote line]] in [[Tokyo]].

For purposes of rail registration of the line at the [[Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism]],<ref>[[Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (Japan)|Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport]] (2001) {{Nihongo|''Railway directory: FY [[Heisei]] 13th ed.''|鉄道要覧平成13年度版|Tetsudō Yōran Heisei 13 nendo-ban}}, Tokyo: {{Nihongo||鉄道図書刊行会 or 電気車研究会|Tetsudō Tosho Kankōkai or Denkisha Kenkyūkai}} {{ISBN|4-88548-099-X}}</ref> the inner loop is considered "down".

===Local===
Local trains are operated all day. Some operate over the complete loop, while some serve the eastern half between Osaka and Tennōji via Kyōbashi.

Eight-car EMUs of [[323 series]] are used. 221 series, 223 series and 225 series are used only for morning rush.

===Sakurajima Line trains===
Trains of the [[Sakurajima Line|Sakurajima Line (JR Yumesaki Line)]] are now operated through to the loop line to/from Kyōbashi and Tennoji.

Eight-car [[323 series]] EMUs are used.

===Rapids of Kansai Main Line===
Through trains to the [[Kansai Main Line]] ([[Yamatoji Line]]) began operated in 1973. {{Nihongo|"Yamatoji Rapid"|大和路快速|Yamatoji Kaisoku}} and {{Nihongo|"Regional Rapid"|区間快速|Kukan Kaisoku}} trains originate at Tennōji on the loop, passing the loop as "inner" via Osaka, and after stopping at Tennōji after a complete circuit, exit the loop onto the Kansai Main Line and terminate at {{STN|Kamo|x|Kyoto}}, {{STN|Nara|x}} or {{STN|Ōji|x|Nara}}. In the loop, Yamatoji Rapids pass some stations while Regional Rapids stop all.

For "Yamatoji Rapid" and "Regional Rapid", usually 8-car and 4+4 car [[221 series]] EMUs are used.

===Rapids of Hanwa Line===
Trains to the [[Hanwa Line]], {{Nihongo|"Kansai Airport Rapid"|関空快速|Kankū Kaisoku}} for {{STN|Kansai Airport|x}} and {{Nihongo|Kishūji Rapid|紀州路快速|Kishūji Kaisoku}} for {{STN|Wakayama|x}} originate at either Tennoji or Kyobashi, and together with other types of rapid trains, operate on the inner loop via Osaka, pausing at Tennoji and then exiting from the loop. This pattern commenced in 1989, but increased significantly in 1994 on the opening of [[Kansai Airport]].

8-car [[223 series]] and [[225 series]] EMUs in 4+4 formations are used for Kansai Airport and Kishūji rapids. [[113 series]] 4-car units were used for rapids of Shin-Ōsaka - {{STN|Kii-Tanabe|x}} in early morning and late night. They were withdrawn in 2010.

===Limited express===
Charged Limited Express services such as ''[[Haruka (train)|Haruka]]'' for [[Kansai International Airport]], and south bound [[Kuroshio (train)|''Kuroshio'']] on the [[Hanwa Line]] and [[Kisei Main Line|Kisei Main Line (Kinokuni Line)]] heading for the scenic southern [[Wakayama Prefecture]] utilize the Osaka Loop Line to bypass the Tōkaidō Main Line and reach the Hanwa Line. On the loop, aside from Tennōji, limited numbers of trains stop only at Nishi-Kujō.

Between the Tōkaidō Main Line and the Osaka Loop Line, trains utilize the {{Ill|Umeda Freight Line|ja|梅田貨物線}} via a new underground route through Ōsaka Station, until it merges the main line at Shin-Ōsaka. This route was introduced in 1989 on the completion of a bypass track from the Hanwa Line to platforms of the Kansai Main Line at Tennōji. Until then no through operations were possible from the Hanwa Line.

[[281 series]] and [[271 series]] EMUs are used for ''Haruka'', [[283 series]] EMUs, [[287 series]] EMUs and [[289 series]] EMUs for ''Kuroshio''.

===Freight trains===
After the abandonment of the Naniwa freight terminal, freight trains on the line operate only between Fukushima and Nishikujō, from the "Umeda Freight Line" to {{STN|Ajikawaguchi|x}} on the Sakurajima Line (JR Yumesaki Line).