Naniwasuji Line

The Naniwasuji Line (なにわ筋線, Naniwasuji-sen) is the tentative name for an underground heavy rail line under construction, which will run north-south through Osaka City, primarily under the avenue Naniwasuji.[1] It has long been pursued by West Japan Railway Company (JR West) and Nankai Railway in order to connect the Yamatoji Line (Kansai Main Line) and Nankai Main Line with Shin-Osaka Station, greatly enhancing both companies' connections to Kansai Airport and Wakayama Prefecture.[2] As of 18 March 2023, the tracks through the northern terminus at Osaka Station and adjoining platforms were opened for Haruka and Kuroshio services as well as ordinary trains on the Osaka Higashi Line.[3]

Naniwasuji Line
Space at JR Namba Station reserved for the Naniwasuji Line
Overview
Native nameなにわ筋線
StatusApproved
OwnerKansai Rapid Railway (Third-sector operator)
LocaleOsaka Prefecture
Termini
Service
Operator(s)JR West
Nankai Electric Railway
History
Planned opening2031 (tentative)
Technical
Line length7.2 km (4.5 mi)
Track gauge1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification1,500 V DC, overhead lines
Route map

Background

While both JR and Nankai operate trains to Wakayama (via the Hanwa Line and the Nankai Main Line, respectively) and to Kansai Airport (via the Kansai Airport Line and the Nankai Airport Line, respectively), neither route is ideal. For JR, trains must use the Osaka Loop Line past Tennoji Station, both creating and being affected by delays on that line, and bypassing JR Namba Station, the company's closest link to Osaka's commercial center. Additionally, until February 2023, express trains to Shin-Osaka and Kyoto used the Umeda Freight Line, bypassing Osaka Station entirely. For Nankai, all trains go direct to its terminal in Namba, precluding links to points further north.

The first proposals to alleviate the problems for both companies through the construction of a new underground line date back to 1982, with further proposals in 1989 and 2004. The line is intended to run primarily under the north-south thoroughfare Naniwasuji (hence the name), branching at its south end to connect both the Yamatoji Line (Kansai Main Line) terminal at JR Namba, and a Nankai line, with Shin-Osaka via a new underground route through what was then the Umeda Freight Terminal.[4] The Umeda portion of this plan was eventually incorporated into Phase II of the Osaka Higashi Line, with provisions in place for eventual construction of the Naniwasuji Line itself.

Ridership on the line from the two companies is expected to reach approximately 240,000 people per day.[5]

JR West

The issue surrounding Osaka Station for JR is set to be alleviated in fiscal 2022 with the opening of the first section (incorporated into the Osaka Higashi Line project, although construction delays have pushed its opening back 4 years compared to the rest of Phase II), which will terminate at new underground platforms of Osaka Station on a route replacing the aboveground Umeda Freight Line. Without constructing an entirely new line through central Osaka, however, the other problems remain.

JR West is expected to be in charge of the section between Umeda Station and JR Namba Station.

Nankai Railway

Early plans for Nankai called for moving the Shiomibashi Line (the northern end of the Kōya Line) underground and connecting to the Naniwasuji Line via Shiomibashi Station (thus upgrading and increasing traffic on an otherwise lightly traveled, local route), but the company ultimately rejected this routing in favor of one via a new underground station at Namba.[6]

Hankyu Railway
Map of the rail lines and freight terminals in northern Osaka. Haruka and Kuroshio run on the Umeda Freight Line (shown in black). The thinner lines represent Hankyu's commuter rail network, which bybasses Shin-Osaka Station.

Hankyu Railway has also announced tentative plans to build a new underground line connecting the Naniwasuji Line to Juso and another line from Juso to a Shin-Osaka Station of its own.[7] The rail link from Osaka to Juso is called the Naniwasuji Link Line (ja:なにわ筋連絡線, Naniwasuji renraku-sen), and the rail link from Juso to Shin-Osaka is called the Hankyu Shin-Osaka Link Line (ja:阪急新大阪連絡線, Hankyu Shin-Osaka renraku-sen).[8] On 27 December 2022, Yasuo Shimada, president of Hankyu Hanshin Holdings, said in an interview by the Sankei Shimbun that Hankyu would open both of these narrow-gauge lines at the same time as the Naniwasuji Line in 2031.[8]

History
Underground platforms at Osaka Station (left) under construction in the Umeda district (14 August 2019)

On 9 July 2019, the railway business was approved by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism under the railway business act.[1] Construction of the project was approved in February 2020.[9]

In February 2023, track switching work took place between the 11th and the 13th of that month (including the decomissioning of the former Umeda Freight Line).[10] Before then, JR passenger trains used a single-track freight spur from Osaka Station to join the Osaka Loop Line at Nishi-Kujō. Track switching was finished within the allotted timeframe and the Haruka and Kuroshio have since been using the new tracks.[3]

The new underground platforms at Osaka Station opened for service on 18 March 2023.[11]

Current plans

Current plans are to begin construction once the Osaka Higashi Line opens to Osaka Station, with completion anticipated in spring 2031.[12] Total construction costs, including provisions for the line at Kita-Umeda, are projected to total 330 billion yen.[5]

Stations
JR Nankai Station Japanese Transfers Location
◯ ◯ Ōsaka[13] 大阪 JR West:

Osaka Metro:

Hankyu:

 Kita-ku (North District)
◯ ◯ Nakanoshima 中之島 Keihan:

KH Nakanoshima Line[14]

◯ ◯ Nishihommachi 西本町 Osaka Metro:
Nishi-ku (West District)
◯ ｜ JR Namba JR難波 JR West:

Kansai Main Line ( Yamatoji Line ( JR-Q17 )

Osaka Metro:

Kintetsu:

 A  Kintetsu Namba Line (A01: Ōsaka Namba Station)

Hanshin:

HS Hanshin Namba Line (HS41: Ōsaka Namba Station)

Nankai:

 Naniwa-ku
｜ ◯ Nankai Shin-Namba 南海新難波 JR West:
Kansai Main Line ( Yamatoji Line JR-Q17 )

Osaka Metro:

Kintetsu:

Hanshin:

Nankai:

NK Nankai Main Line (NK01: Namba Station)
｜ ◯ Shin-Imamiya 新今宮 Nankai:

JR West:

Osaka Metro:

Hankai:

KH Hankai Line (HN52: Shin-Imamiya Ekimae)

 Nishinari-ku


References
  1. "なにわ筋線「北梅田～ＪＲ難波・南海新今宮」の鉄道事業許可" [Railway business license for Naniwasuji Line "Kita Umeda-JR Namba / Nankai Shin-Imamiya"] (PDF). Japan Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport (MLIT) (in Japanese). 9 July 2019. Archived (PDF) from the original on 3 July 2021. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  2. "地下鉄なにわ筋線整備へ 橋下知事と金子国交相会談" [Governors Hashimoto and Kaneko Discuss Naniwasuji Line Construction]. Sankei Shimbun (in Japanese). 21 February 2009. Archived from the original on 24 February 2009. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  3. "「はるか」地下へ切り替え 東海道線、ホーム開業控え工事" [Work Continues at Osaka Umekita as the Haruka Limited Express Is Rerouted Underground]. Yomiuri Shimbun (in Japanese). 14 February 2023. Archived from the original on 14 February 2023. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
  4. "運輸政策審議会 答申図（三大都市圏） - 大阪圏" [Transport Policy Council Report Map (Three Major Metropolitan Areas) - Osaka Area] (PDF). Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transportation (in Japanese). 10 March 2007. Archived (PDF) from the original on 22 February 2021. Retrieved 7 February 2020.
  5. "なにわ筋線事業計画に係る都市計画素案説明会（2019年3月）" [City Planning Briefing Session on Naniwasuji Line Construction (March 2019)] (PDF). city.osaka.lg.jp (in Japanese). March 2019. Archived (PDF) from the original on 3 July 2021. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  6. "南海高野線の汐見橋-木津川間を地下化 なにわ筋線竣工時に" [Underground Between Kizugawa and Shiomibashi on the Nankai Koya Line - When the Naniwasuji Line is completed]. 朝日新聞 (The Asahi Shimbun) (in Japanese). 17 August 1990. p. 3.
  7. Kamiyama, Junichi (23 October 2016). "なにわ筋・新大阪連絡線、実現へ一歩 阪急などが協議へ" [Naniwasuji-Shin-Osaka connecting line, one step towards realization Hankyu and others to discuss]. Asahi Shimbun DIGITAL (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 15 November 2019. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
  8. "＜独自＞阪急十三駅と新大阪、うめきたを結ぶ新線、１３年開業へ". 産経新聞. 産経新聞社. 27 December 2022. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
  9. "なにわ筋線の工事施行認可を取得しました" [Approval Obtained for Construction of the Naniwasuji Line] (PDF). kr-railway.co.jp (in Japanese). 28 February 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on 21 January 2022. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  10. "梅田貨物線「地下化」来年2月に「うめきた地下ホーム」使用開始に先行" [Umeda Freight Line "Underground ahead of the start of use of "Umekita Underground Platform in February next year]. news.railway-pressnet.com. 9 December 2022. Archived from the original on 9 December 2022. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
  11. "「うめきた地下線」開通は2月13日！ 「はるか」「くろしお」が一足先に運転開始 新駅は通過" ["Umekita Underground Line" will open on February 13! "Haruka" and "Kuroshio" start operation ahead of opening the new station]. trafficnews.jp (in Japanese). 18 December 2022. Archived from the original on 18 December 2022. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  12. Sato, Masaki (9 July 2019). "大阪の南北を結ぶ「なにわ筋線」の建設が正式にスタートへ…開業は2031年度春を予定" [Construction of "Naniwasuji Line" Connecting North and South of Osaka Officially Starts, Opening is Scheduled for Spring 2031]. Response Automotive Media (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 17 April 2022. Retrieved 7 February 2020.
  13. "「うめきた(大阪)地下駅」と「大阪駅」の改札内連絡通路の整備 並びに「うめきた(大阪)地下駅」の駅名について" [Development of connecting passages within the ticket gates of Umekita (Osaka) Underground Station and Osaka Station And about the station name of "Umekita (Osaka) Underground Station"] (PDF) (in Japanese). West Japan Railway Company. 25 March 2020.
  14. "なにわ筋線事業計画に係る都市計画素案説明会" [City planning draft briefing session pertaining to the Naniwasuji Line business plan] (PDF). city.osaka.lg.jp. March 2019. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 November 2022. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
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