Editing Kansai Main Line

{{short description|Railway line in Japan}}
{{refimprove|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox rail line
| name        = Kansai Main Line
| other_name = [[Yamatoji Line]] ({{STN|Kamo|x|Kyoto}} - {{STN|JR Namba|x}})
| native_name   = 関西本線
| native_name_lang = ja
| color       = 00B284
| color2      = 0073bc
| logo        = [[File:JR Central Kansai Line.svg|50px]]  [[File:JRW kinki-Q.svg|50px]]  [[File:JRW kinki-V.svg|50px]] 
| logo_width  =
| logo_alt    =
| image       = JR West Kiha 120 DMU 005.JPG
| image_width = 300px
| image_alt   = 
| caption     = [[KiHa 120]] diesel car on a rural section in March 2007
| type        = Heavy rail
| system      = 
| status      = In operation
| locale      = {{Plainlist|
*[[Aichi Prefecture]]
*[[Mie Prefecture]]
*[[Kyoto Prefecture]]
*[[Nara Prefecture]]
*[[Osaka Prefecture]]
 }}
| start       = {{STN|Nagoya|x}}
| end         = {{STN|JR Namba|x}}
| stations    = 52
| routes      =
| daily_ridership = 
| open        = {{start date and age|1889}}
| close       =
| owner       = [[JR Central]]<br />[[JR West]]
| operator    = JR Central<br /> JR West<br />[[JR Freight]]
| character   = Both urban and rural
| depot       =
| stock       = 
| linelength_km = 179.6
| tracklength_km = 
| tracks = 
| gauge       = {{RailGauge|1067mm|lk=on}}
| electrification = 1,500 V DC, [[overhead line]]<br />(Nagoya&ndash;Kameyama, Kamo&ndash;JR Namba)
| speed_km/h  = 
| speed        = 120 km/h (75 mph) (Nagoya&ndash;Kawarada, Nara&ndash;Tennoji)<br />95 km/h (59 mph)<br />(Kawarada&ndash;Nara, Tennoji&ndash;JR Namba)
| elevation   =
}}
[[File:JR West Old Nara Station building 003.JPG|thumb|Old Nara Station building in March 2007]]

[[File:JR-Tokai Express Kasuga 002 JPN.jpg|thumb|A ''Kasuga'' express train in a rural section. The photo was taken in March 2006, shortly before the service was discontinued.]]

The {{Nihongo|'''Kansai Main Line'''|関西本線|Kansai-honsen|also called the "'''Kansai Line'''"}} is a railway line in Japan, which connects [[Nagoya Station]] with [[JR Namba Station]] in [[Osaka]]. It is jointly run by the [[Central Japan Railway Company]] (JR Central) and [[West Japan Railway Company]] (JR West), with the boundary between both companies being located at [[Kameyama Station (Mie)|Kameyama Station]] in [[Kameyama, Mie]].

The section from [[Kamo Station (Kyoto)|Kamo Station]] west to JR Namba Station is electrified and a part of the JR West "Urban Network", and is nicknamed the [[Yamatoji Line]]. The JR Central section from Nagoya to Kameyama is also electrified.

Despite its name, for much of its length it is a very local line with mainly single track sections and no regular express services. The line was originally built in the 1890s by Kansai Railway (later under the [[Japanese Government Railways]] and [[Japanese National Railways]]) as an alternate route from south Osaka to Nara and Nagoya, but competition from the [[Kintetsu Railway|Kintetsu]] lines and declining ridership forced the line to operationally become two electric suburban lines for Osaka and Nagoya respectively, with a less-used unelectrified rural section in the middle.

Formerly a ''Kasuga'' [[express train]] ran from {{STN|Nagoya|x}} to {{STN|Nara|x}}, but this service was discontinued in March 2006.

==History==
The Osaka Railway Co. opened the Minatomachi (now [[JR Namba Station|JR Namba]]) to Nara section between 1889 and 1892. The company merged with the Kansai Railway Co. in 1900.

The Nara Railway Co. opened the Nara to Kizu section in 1896. It merged with the Kansai Railway Co. in 1905.

The Kansai Railway Co. opened the Nagoya to Kizu section between 1890 and 1897, completing the line. The company was nationalised in 1907.

===Duplication===
The Minatomachi to Tennoji section was duplicated in 1903 and extended to Kashiwara in 1908. The Nara to Kizu section was duplicated in 1914, and the Kashiwara to Nara section between 1923 and 1926. In 1944 the Oji to Nara section was returned to single track and the materials recycled for the Japanese war effort. The section was re-duplicated in 1961.

The Tomita to Kuwana section (except for the bridge over the Inabe River) was duplicated in 1973, and the Kuwana to Yatomi section between 1977 and 1980. The Yokkaichi to Tomidahama section was duplicated in 1993.

===Electrification===
The Minatomachi to Nara section was electrified in 1973, extended to Kizu in 1984, and to Kamo in 1988.

The Nagoya - Hatta section was electrified in 1979, and extended to Kameyama in 1982.

===Other matters of note===
CTC signalling was commissioned between Kizu and Kameyama in 1983, and extended to Nagoya in 2001.

In 1994 Minatomachi Station was renamed {{STN|JR Namba|x}} to coincide with the opening of the  [[Kansai Airport Line]] to Kansai Airport. In 1996 Namba Station and the approach line were relocated underground to eliminate a number of level crossings. There are plans to extend the line from Namba to [[Osaka Station]], with construction to begin within the next few years. (See [[Naniwasuji Line]] for information.)

===Former connecting lines===
* Kamo Station - In 1898 the Kansai Railway Co. opened an {{Cvt|8|km}} branch to a station beside the Daibutsu (Great Buddha), and in 1899 extended the line {{Cvt|2|km}} to Nara. Following the nationalisation of the Kansai Railway Co. in 1907, the {{Cvt|10|km}} line was closed.
* Horyuji Station - The {{Cvt|4|km}} {{Track gauge|1435 mm|al=on}} Kintetsu line to Hirahata operated between 1915 and 1945.
* Kyuhoji Station - A branchline to serve the [[Yao Airport|Taisho airfield]] opened in 1942, and was extended to [[Sugimotocho Station]] on the [[Hanwa Line]] in 1952 to provide an electrified (1500 V DC) freight bypass between Wakayama and Nagoya. Passenger services were introduced in 1965 but ceased two years later, and the line closed in 2009 after being out of service for five years.
* Tennoji Station - The {{Cvt|2.4|km}} Nankai line to Tengachaya, electrified at 1500 V DC, operated between 1901 and 1993.

==Stations==

===JR Central (Nagoya&ndash;Kameyama)===
*S: Trains stop
* |: Trains pass
*Local trains stop at all stations.
{|class=wikitable
!No.
!Station
!Japanese
!Semi Rapid
!Rapid
!Rapid ''[[Mie (train)|Mie]]''
!Transfers
!colspan=2 |Location
|-
|{{JRCSN|CJ|00}}
|{{STN|Nagoya|x}}
|名古屋
|align="center"|S
|align="center"|S
|align="center"|S
|
*[[Tokaido Shinkansen]], [[File:JR Central Tokaido Line.svg|20px]] [[Tokaido Main Line]], [[File:JR Central Chuo Line.svg|20px]] [[Chuo Main Line]]
*[[Nagoya Subway]] [[Higashiyama Line]] (H08), [[Sakuradori Line]] (S02)
*[[Aonami Line]] (AN01)
*[[Meitetsu Nagoya Main Line]] ([[Meitetsu Nagoya Station]])
*[[Kintetsu Railway|Kintetsu]] [[Nagoya Line (Kintetsu)|Nagoya Line]] ([[Kintetsu Nagoya Station]])
|rowspan=2|[[Nakamura-ku, Nagoya]]
|rowspan=6|[[Aichi Prefecture]]
|-
|{{JRCSN|CJ|01}}
|{{STN|Hatta|x}}
|八田
|align="center"| |
|align="center"| |
|align="center"| |
|
*[[Nagoya Subway]] [[Higashiyama Line]] (H02)
*Kintetsu [[Nagoya Line (Kintetsu)|Nagoya Line]] ([[Kintetsu Hatta Station]])
|-
|{{JRCSN|CJ|02}}
|{{STN|Haruta|x}}
|春田
| align="center"| |
| align="center"| |
| align="center"| |
|
|[[Nakagawa-ku, Nagoya]]
|-
|{{JRCSN|CJ|03}}
|{{STN|Kanie|x}}
|蟹江
| align="center"|S
| align="center"| |
| align="center"| |
|
|[[Kanie, Aichi|Kanie]], [[Ama District]]
|-
|{{JRCSN|CJ|04}}
|{{STN|Eiwa|x}}
|永和
| align="center"| |
| align="center"| |
| align="center"| |
|
|[[Aisai]]
|-
|{{JRCSN|CJ|05}}
|{{STN|Yatomi|x}}
|弥富
| align="center"|S
| align="center"| |
| align="center"| |
|
*[[Meitetsu Bisai Line]]
*Kintetsu [[Nagoya Line (Kintetsu)|Nagoya Line]] ([[Kintetsu Yatomi Station]])
|[[Yatomi]]
|-
|{{JRCSN|CJ|06}}
|{{STN|Nagashima|x}}
|長島
| align="center"| |
| align="center"| |
| align="center"| |
|
*Kintetsu [[Nagoya Line (Kintetsu)|Nagoya Line]] ([[Kintetsu Nagashima Station]])
|rowspan=2|[[Kuwana, Mie|Kuwana]]
|rowspan=12|[[Mie Prefecture]]
|-
|{{JRCSN|CJ|07}}
|{{STN|Kuwana|x}}
|桑名
| align="center"|S
| align="center"|S
| align="center"|S
|
*Kintetsu [[Nagoya Line (Kintetsu)|Nagoya Line]]
*[[Yōrō Railway Yōrō Line]]
*[[Sangi Railway Hokusei Line]] ([[Nishi-Kuwana Station]])
|-
|{{JRCSN|CJ|08}}
|{{STN|Asahi|x|Mie}}
|朝日
| align="center"|S
| align="center"| |
| align="center"| |
|
|[[Asahi, Mie|Asahi]], [[Mie District, Mie|Mie District]]
|-
|{{JRCSN|CJ|09}}
|{{STN|Tomida|x}}
|富田
| align="center"|S
| align="center"| |
| align="center"| |
|
*[[Sangi Railway Sangi Line]] ([[Kintetsu Tomida Station]])
*Kintetsu [[Nagoya Line (Kintetsu)|Nagoya Line]] (Kintetsu Tomida Station)
|rowspan=5|[[Yokkaichi, Mie|Yokkaichi]]
|-
|{{JRCSN|CJ|10}}
|{{STN|Tomidahama|x}}
|富田浜
| align="center"|S
| align="center"| |
| align="center"| |
|
|-
|{{JRCSN|CJ|11}}
|{{STN|Yokkaichi|x}}
|四日市
| align="center"|S
| align="center"|S
| align="center"|S
|
*[[JR Freight]] Kansai Main Line (for Shiohama)
*Kintetsu [[Nagoya Line (Kintetsu)|Nagoya Line]] ([[Kintetsu Yokkaichi Station]]) connected by bus
|-
|{{JRCSN|CJ|12}}
|{{STN|Minami-Yokkaichi|x}}
|南四日市
| align="center"|S
| align="center"|S
| align="center"| |
|
|-
|{{JRCSN|CJ|13}}
|{{STN|Kawarada|x}}
|河原田
| align="center"|S
| align="center"|S
| align="center"| |
|
*[[Ise Railway Ise Line]]
|-
|{{JRCSN|CJ|14}}
|{{STN|Kawano|x}}
|河曲
| align="center"|S
| align="center"|S
| align="center" rowspan=4|Ise Railway Ise Line
|
|rowspan=2|[[Suzuka, Mie|Suzuka]]
|-
|{{JRCSN|CJ|15}}
|{{STN|Kasado|x}}
|加佐登
| align="center"|S
| align="center"|S
|
|-
|{{JRCSN|CJ|16}}
|{{STN|Idagawa|x}}
|井田川
| align="center"|S
| align="center"|S
|
|rowspan=2|[[Kameyama, Mie|Kameyama]]
|-
|{{JRCSN|CJ|17}}
|{{STN|Kameyama|x|Mie}}
|亀山
| align="center"|S
| align="center"|S
|
*[[Kisei Main Line]]
*[[File:JRW kinki-V.svg|20px]] JR West Kansai Main Line (for Kamo and Nara)
|}

===JR West (Kameyama&ndash;Kamo)===
All stations between Kameyama and Kamo featured passing double tracks.
{|class=wikitable
!Station
!Japanese
!Transfers
!colspan=2 |Location
|-
|{{STN|Kameyama|x|Mie}}
|亀山
|JR Central:
*[[File:JR Central Kansai Line.svg|20px]]  Kansai Main Line (for Nagoya)
*[[Kisei Main Line]]
|rowspan=3|[[Kameyama, Mie|Kameyama]]
|rowspan=8|[[Mie Prefecture]]
|-
|{{STN|Seki|x|Mie}}
|関
|
|-
|{{STN|Kabuto|x|Mie}}
|加太
|
|-
|{{STN|Tsuge|x}}
|柘植
|[[File:JRW kinki-C.svg|20px]] [[Kusatsu Line]]
|rowspan=5|[[Iga, Mie|Iga]]
|-
|{{STN|Shindō|x}}
|新堂
|
|-
|{{STN|Sanagu|x}}
|佐那具
|
|-
|{{STN|Iga-Ueno|x}}
|伊賀上野
|[[Iga Railway Iga Line]] (Ninja Line)
|-
|{{STN|Shimagahara|x}}
|島ヶ原
|
|-
|{{STN|Tsukigaseguchi|x}}
|月ケ瀬口
|
|rowspan=2|[[Minamiyamashiro, Kyoto|Minamiyamashiro]], [[Soraku District, Kyoto|Soraku District]]
|rowspan=4|[[Kyoto Prefecture]]
|-
|{{STN|Ōkawara|x}}
|大河原
|
|-
|{{STN|Kasagi|x}}
|笠置
|
|[[Kasagi, Kyoto|Kasagi]], Soraku District
|-
|{{STN|Kamo|x|Kyoto}}
|加茂
|({{RouteBox|Q39||#009933}} [[Yamatoji Line]])
|[[Kizugawa, Kyoto|Kizugawa]]
|}

===JR West (Kamo&ndash;JR Namba)===
:''See the '''[[Yamatoji Line#Stations|Yamatoji Line]]''' article for the train types and stopping patterns on this section.''
;Stations on this section
*{{STN|Kamo|x|Kyoto}} - {{STN|Kizu|x|Kyoto}} - {{STN|Narayama|x}} - {{STN|Nara|x}} - {{STN|Kōriyama|x|Nara}} - {{STN|Yamato-Koizumi|x}} - {{STN|Hōryūji|x}} - {{STN|Ōji|x|Nara}} - {{STN|Sangō|x|Nara}} - {{STN|Kawachi-Katakami|x}} - {{STN|Takaida|x|Kashiwara}} - {{STN|Kashiwara|x}} - {{STN|Shiki|x|Osaka}} - {{STN|Yao|x}} - {{STN|Kyūhōji|x}} - {{STN|Kami|x}} - {{STN|Hirano|x|JR West}} - {{STN|Tōbu-shijō-mae|x}} - {{STN|Tennōji|x}} - {{STN|Shin-Imamiya|x}} - {{STN|Imamiya|x}} - {{STN|JR Namba|x}}

==Rolling stock==

===JR Central===

====EMU====
* [[211 series]]
* [[313 series]]
* [[315 series]] (since 1 June 2023)<ref>{{cite web |title=JR東海315系(4両編成)関西本線で6/1運行開始、画像認識技術を検証 |trans-title=JR Tokaido 315 series (4-car train) to begin operation on the Kansai Main Line on 1 June, verifying image recognition technology |url=https://news.mynavi.jp/article/20230516-2680730/ |website=Mynavi News |publisher=Mynavi Corporation |access-date=15 May 2024 |location=Japan |language=ja |date=16 May 2023}}</ref>

====DMU====
* [[KiHa 75]] series
* [[HC85 series|HC85]] series
* [[Ise Railway Ise type III]]

===JR West===

====EMU====
{{Main|Yamatoji Line}}

====DMU====
* [[KiHa 120]] series

===Former===
* [[101 series]]
* [[113 series]]
* [[165 series]]
* [[213 series|213-5000 series]]
* [[201 series]]
* [[KiHa 17]]
* [[KiHa 35]]
* [[KiHa 50]]
* [[KiHa 51]]
* [[KiHa 55]]
* [[KiHa 58]]
* [[KiHa 65]]
* [[KiHa 81]]
* [[KiHa 82]]
* [[Ise Railway Ise I]]
* [[Ise Railway Ise II]]
* [[KiHa 85 series|KiHa 85]]

==In popular culture==
The Kansai Main Line is the home course of Takumi Fujiwara in Densha de D, a parody of [[Initial D]] where the main characters race with trains instead of cars.

==References==
{{Commons category|Kansai Main Line}}{{Reflist}}{{Nagoya transit}}
{{Central Japan Railway Company Lines}}
{{West Japan Railway Company Lines}}

[[Category:Kansai Main Line| ]]
[[Category:Rail transport in Aichi Prefecture]]
[[Category:Rail transport in Mie Prefecture]]
[[Category:Rail transport in Kyoto Prefecture]]
[[Category:Rail transport in Nara Prefecture]]
[[Category:Rail transport in Osaka Prefecture]]
[[Category:Lines of West Japan Railway Company]]
[[Category:Lines of Central Japan Railway Company]]
[[Category:Railway lines opened in 1889]]
[[Category:1067 mm gauge railways in Japan]]
[[Category:1500 V DC railway electrification]]
[[Category:1889 establishments in Japan]]