Koya Line

Koya Line
A Rinkan limited express service
Overview
Native name	高野線
Owner	Nankai Electric Railway
Locale	Osaka Prefecture, Wakayama Prefecture
Termini	Shiomibashi Gokurakubashi
Service
Type	Heavy rail Commuter rail
Depot(s)	Chiyoda, Oharata
Technical
Line length	64.5 km (40.1 mi)
Number of tracks	Double (Shiomibashi - Hashimoto) Single (Hashimoto - Gokurakubashi)
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification	1,500 V DC, overhead catenary
Operating speed	100 km/h (60 mph)

show v t Koya Line
Legend
Yotsubashi Line Midōsuji Line NK00-0 4.1 Namba (original) until 1980 NK01 3.9 Namba (new) ( M201 Y15 ) since 1980 Sakaisuji Line NK02 3.0 Imamiyaebisu Ebisuchō (K18) Daikokuchō ( M21 Y16 ) NK03 2.5 Shin-Imamiya Osaka Loop Line Yamatoji Line Minami-Kasumichō (HN52) Dōbutsuen-mae ( K19 M22 ) Midōsuji Line NK04 1.9 Haginochaya Tennoji Branch Line NK05 0.9 Tengachaya (K20) NK06-5 0.0 Shiomibashi NK06-0 00.0 show NK06-0 00.0 Ashiharabashi Osaka Loop Line NK06-4 0.9 Ashiharachō NK06-3 1.6 Kizugawa NK06-2 2.6 Tsumori Hankai Line NK06-1 3.6 Nishi-Tengachaya Shiomibashi Line 4.6 NK06 0.0 Kishinosato-Tamade Nankai Main Line Hankai Line NK51 1.1 Tezukayama Uemachi Line NK52 2.0 Sumiyoshihigashi NK53 2.9 Sawanochō 3.2 Wakamiya closed 1917 NK54 3.5 Abikomae Yamato River NK55 4.8 Asakayama NK56 6.4 Sakaihigashi Hanwa Line NK57 7.9 Mikunigaoka NK58 8.8 Mozuhachiman NK59 9.5 Nakamozu Semboku Rapid Railway Kōmyōike Izumi-Chūō 10.1 Mozu (freight) closed 1912? 10.4 Nakamozu Undojo-mae (extra) NK60 10.5 Shirasagi NK61 12.0 Hatsushiba NK62 12.9 Hagiharatenjin NK63 14.7 Kitanoda Nishiyoke River NK64 15.6 Sayama Higashiyoke River 16.7 Ikejiri Junction closed 1914 NK65 17.2 Ōsakasayamashi 17.6 Daiichi Handa (freight) closed 1930? 18.2 Daini Handa (freight) closed 1930? NK66 18.3 Kongō NK67 20.0 Takidani NK68 21.3 Chiyoda 22.0 Chiyoda Junction Chiyoda Depot & Workshop Kintetsu Nagano Line NK69 23.4 Kawachinagano Ishikawa River Amami River NK70 25.1 Mikkaichichō Kagata Junction closed 1984 NK71 26.7 Mikanodai NK72 28.6 Chihayaguchi NK73 30.3 Amami Kimi Tunnel Osaka Prefecture Wakayama Prefecture NK74 34.0 Kimitōge NK75 35.3 Rinkanden'entoshi 36.2 Hashitani Junction closed 1983 NK76 37.3 Miyukitsuji 38.2 Oharata Junction Oharata Inspection Depot 39.5 Ichiwakiyama (extra) closed 1918? 39.9 Hashimotocho (extra platform) closed ? NK77 40.1 Hashimoto 40.6 0.0 Tsuma Junction closed 1959 Wakayama Line   0.6 Kinokawaguchi closed 1959 Kinokawa NK78 43.2 Kii-Shimizu NK79 45.8 Kamuro NK80 47.6 Kudoyama Nyugawa River NK81 49.6 Kōyashita Fudotani River NK82 51.3 Shimo-Kosawa 2 tunnels Naka-Kosawa Bridge NK83 53.0 Kami-Kosawa 4 tunnels Kasagi Bridge 2 tunnels NK84 56.0 Kii-Hosokawa 7 tunnels NK85 58.4 Kii-Kamiya 4 tunnels NK86 59.9 Gokurakubashi

The Koya Line (高野線, Kōya sen) is a railway line in Osaka Prefecture and Wakayama Prefecture, Japan, owned and operated by the Nankai Electric Railway, a private railway operator.^[1] 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. To distinguish it from other Nankai Lines, the Kōya Line is indicated with pictograms of coniferous-like trees which bring to mind Mount Kōya, 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".

Service patterns[]

Local (各駅停車, Kakueki Teisha)

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)

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

Sub Express (区間急行, Kukan Kyūkō)

Trains are operated between Namba and Kawachinagano, Miikkaichichō, Rinkanden-entoshi or Izumi-Chūō (Semboku Line).

Express (急行, Kyūkō)

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)

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)

The Kōya (こうや) operates between Namba and Gokurakubashi, and the Rinkan (りんかん) between Namba and Hashimoto.

From December 5, 2015, Semboku Liner (泉北ライナー) services also commenced between Namba and Izumi-Chūō (Semboku Line). All seats on Limited Express trains are reserved.

Sightseeing train Tenku (観光列車「天空」)

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^[2]

Stations[]

Namba - Kishinosato-Tamade - Gokurakubashi[]

Legends:

• ● : All trains stop.
• ｜: All trains pass.
• ◆ : Extra Limited Express trains originating at Hashimoto stop here
• ▲ - Semboku Liner No Stop

Line name	No.	Station	Japanese	Distance (km)		Semi-Express	Sub-Express	Express	Rapid Express	Tenkū	Limited Express	Transfers	Location
					from Shiomibashi
Nankai Main Line	NK01	Namba	難波	(3.9)	-	●	●	●	●		●	Osaka Metro: Midosuji Line (M20) Yotsubashi Line (Y15) Sennichimae Line (S16)  A  Kintetsu Namba Line (A01: Osaka Namba) Hanshin Namba Line (HS41: Osaka Namba) JR West Kansai Main Line (Yamatoji Line) (JR-Q17:JR Namba)	Chūō-ku, Osaka	Osaka Prefecture
	NK02	Imamiyaebisu	今宮戎	(3.0)	-	｜	｜	｜	｜		｜		Naniwa-ku, Osaka
	NK03	Shin-Imamiya	新今宮	(2.5)	-	●	●	●	●		●	JR West: Osaka Loop Line (JR-O19) Kansai Main Line (Yamatoji Line) (JR-Q19) Osaka Metro (Dōbutsuen-mae): Midosuji Line (M22) Sakaisuji Line (K19) Hankai Tramway Hankai Line (HN52: Shin-Imamiya-Ekimae)	Nishinari-ku, Osaka
	NK04	Haginochaya	萩ノ茶屋	(1.9)	-	｜	｜	｜	｜		｜
	NK05	Tengachaya	天下茶屋	(0.9)	-	●	●	●	●		●	Osaka Metro Sakaisuji Line (K20)
	NK06	Kishinosato-Tamade	岸里玉出	0.0	4.6	｜	｜	｜	｜		｜	Nankai Main Line Shiomibashi Line
Kōya Line
	NK51	Tezukayama	帝塚山	1.1	5.7	｜	｜	｜	｜		｜		Sumiyoshi-ku, Osaka
	NK52	Sumiyoshihigashi	住吉東	2.0	6.6	｜	｜	｜	｜		｜	Hankai Tramway Uemachi Line (HN09: Kaminoki)
	NK53	Sawanochō	沢ノ町	2.9	7.5	｜	｜	｜	｜		｜
	NK54	Abikomae	我孫子前	3.5	8.1	｜	｜	｜	｜		｜
	NK55	Asakayama	浅香山	4.8	9.4	｜	｜	｜	｜		｜		Sakai-ku, Sakai
	NK56	Sakaihigashi	堺東	6.4	11.0	●	●	●	●		▲
	NK57	Mikunigaoka	三国ヶ丘	7.9	12.5	●	｜	｜	｜		｜	JR West Hanwa Line (JR-R29)
	NK58	Mozuhachiman	百舌鳥八幡	8.8	13.4	●	｜	｜	｜		｜
	NK59	Nakamozu	中百舌鳥	9.5	14.1	●	｜	｜	｜		｜	Semboku Rapid Railway (through service) Osaka Metro Midosuji Line (M30)	Kita-ku, Sakai
	NK60	Shirasagi	白鷺	10.5	15.1	●	｜	｜	｜		｜
	NK61	Hatsushiba	初芝	12.0	16.6	●	｜	｜	｜		｜		Higashi-ku, Sakai
	NK62	Hagiharatenjin	萩原天神	12.9	17.5	●	｜	｜	｜		｜
	NK63	Kitanoda	北野田	14.7	19.3	●	●	●	●		｜
	NK64	Sayama	狭山	15.6	20.2	●	●	｜	｜		｜		Ōsakasayama
	NK65	Ōsakasayamashi	大阪狭山市	17.2	21.8	●	●	｜	｜		｜
	NK66	Kongō	金剛	18.3	22.9	●	●	●	●		●
	NK67	Takidani	滝谷	20.0	24.6	●	●	｜	｜		｜		Tondabayashi
	NK68	Chiyoda	千代田	21.3	25.9	●	●	｜	｜		｜		Kawachinagano
	NK69	Kawachinagano	河内長野	23.4	28.0	●	●	●	●		●	O  Kintetsu Nagano Line (O23)
	NK70	Mikkaichichō	三日市町	25.1	29.7	●	●	●	●		｜
	NK71	Mikanodai	美加の台	26.7	31.3		●	●	●		｜
	NK72	Chihayaguchi	千早口	28.6	33.2		●	●	｜		｜
	NK73	Amami	天見	30.3	34.9		●	●	｜		｜
	NK74	Kimitōge	紀見峠	34.0	38.6		●	●	｜		｜		Hashimoto	Wakayama Prefecture
	NK75	Rinkanden'entoshi	林間田園都市	35.3	39.9		●	●	●		●
	NK76	Miyukitsuji	御幸辻	37.3	41.9			●	●		｜
	NK77	Hashimoto	橋本	40.1	44.7			●	●	●	●	JR West Wakayama Line
	NK78	Kii-Shimizu	紀伊清水	43.2	47.8			●	●	｜	｜
	NK79	Kamuro	学文路	45.8	50.4			●	●	●	◆
	NK80	Kudoyama	九度山	47.6	52.2			●	●	●	◆		Kudoyama, Ito District
	NK81	Kōyashita	高野下	49.6	54.2			●	●	｜	｜
	NK82	Shimo-Kosawa	下古沢	51.3	55.9			●	●	｜	｜
	NK83	Kami-Kosawa	上古沢	53.0	57.6			●	●	｜	｜
	NK84	Kii-Hosokawa	紀伊細川	56.0	60.6			●	●	｜	｜		Kōya, Ito District
	NK85	Kii-Kamiya	紀伊神谷	58.4	63.0			●	●	｜	｜
	NK86	Gokurakubashi	極楽橋	59.9	64.5			●	●	●	●	Nankai Cable Line

Shiomibashi - Kishinosato-Tamade[]

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

History[]

The Koya Railway opened the Shiomibashi to Sayama section between 1898 and 1900, and extended the line to Kawachinagano in 1902. That section was electrified at 600 V DC in 1912. All further extensions were electrified when opened.

The Kawachinagano - Mikkaichicho section opened in 1914, and the line was extended to Hashimoto the following year. In 1922, the company merged with Nankai, and the Hashimoto to Gokurakubashi section opened in 1929.

Double-tracking of the line commenced in 1924, reaching Kawachinagano in 1938. The line voltage was increased to 1,500 V DC in 1973, and the following year, double-tracking reached Mikkaichicho, and Hashimoto in 1995.

References[]