Hankyu Railway (阪急電鉄)

Hankyu Corporation (Hankyu Dentetsu) is a major private railway company operating the railways that connect Osaka Umeda Station with Kobe City, Takarazuka City and Kyoto City. It is a subsidiary of Hankyu Hanshin Holdings, Inc., and belongs to the Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group.

The company's central office is located in Osaka City (Kita Ward, Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture), but the location of the registered head office is 1-1, Sakae-machi, Ikeda City, Osaka Prefecture. It is one of the major private railway companies with an average of 1,950,000 (one million nine hundred fifty thousand) users a day and a total operation of 146.6 kilometers. The company is also known for managing the 'Takarazuka Revue,' a theater troupe consisting exclusively of female members.

At an automated ticket gate accepting KANSAI THRU PASS, the code HK is printed on the card.

History

Mino-Arima Electric Tramline (Mino-Arima denki kido), which was founded in 1907, began operating the section between Umeda Station and Takarazuka Station as well as the section between Ishibashi Station (Osaka Prefecture) and Mino Station, which respectively correspond to the current Takarazuka Line and the Mino Line, on March 10, 1910,
The founder, Ichizo KOBAYASHI, made efforts to develop the areas along the railway line in order to stabilize the management, and introduced multiple businesses such as land sales in lots, developing the Takarazuka New Hot Spring and creating the Takarazuka Shokatai (Takarazuka Chorus Group, which later became the Shojo Kageki-dan (Girls' Operetta Company), the current Takarazuka Revue Company).

Subsequently, the company went into the transportation business, operating between Osaka and Kobe. In 1918, the company changed its name to Hanshin Electric Express Railway. The company's abbreviated name, 'Hankyu,' is derived from this name (later it was adopted as the official name). Its emergence in the field of transportation between Osaka and Kobe triggered a severe rivalry in competition with Hanshin Electric Railway Co., Ltd., which was already operating urban commuter trains between Osaka and Kobe. In 1920, the operation between Juso Station on the Kobe Line and Kobe Station (later Kamitsutsui Station) started, and in 1936 the railway was extended to Sannomiya Station (located in Kobe City) using an elevated track.

Incidentally, the word 'Dentetsu' is a term coined by Ichizo KOBAYASHI because the then Japanese Government Railways (JGR) was opposed to the use of the term 'Denki Tetsudo (electric railway)' as a corporate name, based on the argument that this name was considered identical with 'electric tramways,' the term regulated by the Tramways Act; thereafter, the word 'Dentetsu' was conveniently adopted by various companies regulated by the Tramways Act when they intended to convert into rapid electric railways.

In 1943, under the wartime enterprise integration policy Rikujokotsu Jigyo Chosei-ho (Land Traffic Business Adjustment Act), the company incorporated Keihan Electric Railway and became Keihanshin Electric Express Railway (for details of the merger, please refer to "Unification of Hanshin Electric Express Railway and Keihan Electric Railway"). Subsequently, the abbreviated names 'Hankyu' and 'Keihan' were officially abandoned and 'Keihanshin (Express)' was introduced as a new abbreviation; however, the new name had not been fixed among the people and these names were used in a confused manner, such as 'Hankyu-Hanshin-mae' (Umeda) for an Osaka city tram station, 'Keihan-mae' (Tenmabashi) or 'Keihanshin-kyuko-mae' (Tenroku).

After the war (in 1949), the Keihan Line, Katano Line, Uji Line, Keishin Line and Ishiyama-Sakamoto Line were separated to form Keihan Electric Railway. The Shinkeihan Railway (which was part of the Keihan) remained in Hankyu, forming the Kyoto Line, Senriyama Line (later the Senri Line), Juso Line (later incorporated into the Kyoto Line) and Arashiyama Line.
On this occasion, the abbreviated name was also changed back to 'Hankyu' from 'Keihanshin.'

In 1959, the section between Umeda Station and Juso Station was installed with three tracks in each direction, and the terminal on the Kyoto Line was changed to Umeda Station from Tenjinbashi Station (currently Tenjinbashisuji-rokuchome Station).

In 1973, the company's name was changed to Hankyu Railway. In 1992, a travel card called the Lagare Card was introduced, but subsequently it developed into the KANSAI THRU PASS.

However, when the bubble economy collapsed the company suffered a huge loss due to the failure of redevelopment projects in areas such as Chayamachi. Moreover, the Kobe Line, Itami Line and the Imazu-kita (north) Line, among others, were seriously damaged by the great Hanshin Awaji Earthquake that occurred on January 17, 1995, but nearly all the lines were restored by June 12 of the same year and Itami Station (Hankyu) was reconstructed in 1998.

However, given the influence of the prolonged consumer recession, being intensified competition with West Japan Railway Company (JR West) and the declining birthrate, the number of passengers has subsequently decreased. The group's businesses are now undergoing reorganization, such as the restructuring of real estate and hotel management; the closing of the 'Takarazuka Family Land' amusement park, whose 90-year history goes back to the opening of Takarazuka New Hot Spring; and the withdrawal from the management of 'Kobe Portopia Land' located in the Port Island (which was run by Kobe City for a while afterwards but was permanently closed in 2006). To finalize the restructuring, on April 1, 2005 the company was reorganized into three companies: i) New Hankyu Corporation (the corporate name was changed from Hankyu Dentetsu Bunkatsu Junbi KK (Hankyu Corporation Division Preparation Company)), which partially succeeded four businesses--railway, real estate, leisure and commodity distribution--from the former Hankyu Corporation, ii) Hankyu Hotel Management, which controls the hotel business, and iii) Hankyu Travel International Co., Ltd., for tour business, amalgamating two direct subsidiaries; moreover, the former Hankyu Railway was transferred to the company Hankyu Holdings (currently Hankyu Hanshin Holdings, Inc.).

Hankyu Corporation celebrated its centennial anniversary on October 19, 2007.

Chronology

January 15, 1906: The organizing committee of Mino-Arima Electric Tramline (Mino-Arima denki tetsudo) was established.

June 1, 1907: The name was changed to Mino-Arima Electric Tramline (Mino-Arima denki kido).

October 19, 1907: The inaugural general meeting of Mino-Arima Electric Tramway Company was held.

September 25, 1909: Shin-Yodogawa Bridge was completed.

March 10, 1910: The Takarazuka line between Umeda and Takarazuka, as well as the Mino Line between Ishibashi and Mino, went into operation.

May 1, 1911: Takarazuka New Hot Spring (later Takarazuka Family Land) was opened.

July 1, 1913: The Takarazuka Chorus Group (current Takarazuka Revue Company) was organized.

February 4, 1918: The name was changed to Hanshin Electric Express Railway.

July 16, 1920: The Kobe Line between Juso and Kobe (later Kamitsutsui) was opened, along with the Itami Line.

April 1, 1921: The Kita-Osaka Electric Railway (the business was transferred to Shinkeihan Railway in 1923) opened the section between Juso and Toyotsu (a part of the current Kyoto Line and Senri Line).

September 2, 1921: The Saiho Line began operating between Takarazuka and Nishinomiya-kitaguchi.

October 1, 1924: The Koyo Line was opened.

June 1, 1925: Hankyu Market was opened in the Umeda Hankyu Building (the old wing).

October 15, 1925: Shinkeihan Railway (incorporated into Keihan Electric Railway in 1930) opened the section between Tenjinbashi and Awaji (a part of the current Senri Line).

July 5, 1926: Elevated quadruple tracks were introduced in the section between Umeda and Juso. The old line became the Hankyu Kitano Line.

December 18, 1926: The entire section of the Saiho Line was opened. The name was changed to the Imazu Line.

January 16, 1928: The Shinkeihan Railway opened the section between Awaji and Takatsuki-cho (current Takatsuki City).

November 1, 1928: The Shinkeihan Railway opened the section between Takatsuki-cho and Saiin.

November 9, 1928: The Shinkeihan Railway opened the Arashiyama Line.

April 15, 1929: The Hankyu Department Store was opened at Umeda Station.

March 31, 1931: The Keihan Electric Railway started operating the Shinkeihan Line between Saiin and Keihan Kyoto (current Omiya Station).

August, 1932: The Tokyo Takarazuka Theater (currently Toho Co., Ltd.) was established to promote theatrical performance and motion pictures.

April 1, 1936: The Kobe Line between Nishinada (presently Oji-koen Station) and Kobe (presently Sannomiya Station) was opened. The section between Nishinada and Kamitustusi became the Kamitsutsui Line.

May 20, 1940: The Kamitsutsui Line was abolished.

October 1, 1943: The Hanshin Electric Express Railway swallowed the Keihan Electric Railway and became the Keihanshin Electric Express Railway.

May 1, 1945: The company took over the business of Katano Electric Railway and began operating the Katano Line.

November 20, 1946: The production department was separated as Nikko Shokusan KK (currently Hankyu Sangyo Co., Ltd.)

January 1, 1949: The operation of the Kitano Line was suspended.

December 1, 1949: The Keihan, Katano, Uji, Keishin and Ishiyama-Sakamoto lines were split off to form the (New) Keihan Electric Railway. The Shinkeihan Line changed its name to the Kyoto Line.

February 18, 1959: The section between Umeda and Juso was installed with three tracks in each of the two directions.

June 17, 1963: The Kyoto Line began full operation between Juso and Kawaramachi with the opening of the section between Omiya and Kawaramachi.

March 1, 1967: The Senriyama Line changed its name to the Senri Line and extended the operation to Kita-Senri Station. A full-scale automatic ticket wicket was installed for the first time in Japan at Kita-Senri Station.

April 7, 1968: The Kobe Line started mutual direct operations with Kobe Rapid Transit Railway and Sanyo Electric Railway.

December 6, 1969: The Senri and Kyoto lines started mutual direct operations with Osaka Municipal Subway Sakaisuji Line.

April 1, 1973: The company changed its name to Hankyu Corporation.

November 23, 1973: Umeda Station's relocation/expansion work was finished.

October 31, 1988: The Orix Buffaloes baseball team was transferred to Orient Leasing Co., Ltd. (currently ORIX Corporation).

April 1, 1989: The 'Lagare Card' prepaid card was introduced.

December 7, 1989 was the registered date of the foundation of Hankyu Dentetsu Bunkatsu Junbi KK (Hankyu Dentetsu Division Preparation Company), a complete subsidiary set up in order to prepare for Hankyu's split-up and make it a holding company.

April 1, 1992: The 'Lagare Thru' stored-fare system was launched.

September 1, 1994: The 'Fair-Ride System' was introduced as the first illegal-ride protection system in Japan.

January 17, 1995: The Great Hanshin Awaji Earthquake caused damage to various lines. By January 23 of the same year, the Kyoto Line, Takarazuka Line and a part of the Kobe Line restarted their operations.

February 5, 1995: The Imazu Line was completely restored.

March 1, 1995: The Koyo Line was completely restored.

March 11, 1995: The Itami Line restarted the operation between Shin-Itami and Itami (with the provisional station building).

June 12, 1995: The Kobe Line was restored in the entire section.

January 1, 1996: As a part of 'Gentle Sound Service,' the contents of the announcements at stations and trains were changed (for details, please refer to Special Comments).

March 20, 1996: The common travel card 'KANSAI THRU PASS' in the Kansai District became available as an improved system of 'Lagare Thru.'

November 17, 1997: Operation of the Nissei Express began to Nose Electric Railway Nissei-chuo Station on the Takarazuka Line, using the shared track.

February 15, 1998: Mutual direct operation with the Sanyo Electric Railway was discontinued, and the operation of the Kobe Line was limited to Shinkaichi Station.

October 1, 1998: The trains began running without conductors aboard the Imazu (south) and Koyo lines.

November 21, 1998: The Itami Station Building (the permanent structure) was completed. Between Itami provisional station and Itami Station, the operation was restarted with a single-track.

March 6, 1999: With the restart of double-track operation between the Itami provisional station and Itami Station, full operation was finally recovered after four years since the earthquake disaster.

April 1, 1999: The reserved priority seats for elderly or disabled persons were abolished in all cars on all lines (all seats of all cars became designated as priority seats).

October 1, 2002: Women-only train cars were experimentally introduced over a period of two months on the Kyoto Line. The introduction of the women-only cars was limited to the limited express, commuter limited express and rapid limited express trains of the Hankyu (Electric) Railway Series 6300. From February 2 of the same year they were fully introduced in all trains.

June 10, 2003: The car named 'Mobile Phone Power Source Off Car,' where the passengers are requested to switch off their mobile phones, was experimentally introduced on all trains (for details, please refer to Special Comments). This rule was fully introduced for all cars from July 11.

August 1, 2004: Boarding service with a non-contact type IC card, the PiTaPa, started. The STACIA Card was issued.

April 1, 2005: The company was transferred to a holding company, Hankyu Holdings, which directly controls Hankyu Corporation, Hankyu Hotel Management and Hankyu Travel International. On the same date, the company was split off and the businesses such as railway and real estate were succeeded by Hankyu Dentetsu Bunkatsu Junbi KK (= a now-defunct subsidiary called KK Act Systems, which was founded on December 7, 1989, and changed the name on March 29, 2004), after which the corporate name of Hankyu Dentetsu Bunkatsu Junbi KK was changed to Hankyu Corporation and the former Hankyu Railway to Hankyu Holdings, respectively.

January 21, 2006: ICOCA, a transportation card of West Japan Railway, became accepted on the Hankyu lines.

July 1, 2006: 'IC commuter ticket service (PiTaPa commutation fare discount),' which permits the use of compatible cards with PiTaPa, was launched.

October 1, 2006: When the parent company, Hankyu Holdings, swallowed Hanshin Electric Railway, the holding company's name was changed to Hankyu Hanshin Holdings Inc. (for details please see "Business Merger of Hankyu and Hanshin").

October 1, 2007: Issuance of the STACIA card began, replacing the HANA PLUS card.

October 19, 2007: The company celebrated the 100th anniversary of its founding.

October 29, 2007: The reserved priority seats were designated again in all cars on all lines. Concurrently, some of the cars, where mobile phones should have been switched off, underwent a modification of the place where the rule was applied.

Lines

The railway is generally divided into three lines--the Kobe, the Takarazuka and the Kyoto--each of which consists of a main line and feeder lines. The Kobe Line and Takarazuka Line share nearly all the cars (for details, see "Rolling Stock"); sometimes they are collectively called 'Jinpo-sen,' taking the first letter of both lines (but once they were also called 'Kido-sen,' or the tramway line). The Color Codes of Railways in Japan is used not only in the diagram shown on the right but also for the platform numbers and the destination boards of local trains (only feeder lines).

Generally speaking, the main lines are often referred to with the word 'main' omitted, as in the Kobe Line, Takarazuka Line and Kyoto Line.

■Kobe Line (color-coded in blue from the blue sea of the port city, Kobe)
Hankyu Kobe Main Line: Umeda Station - Sannomiya Station
Kobe Rapid Transit Railway Tozai Line: Sannomiya Station - Nishidai Station (Hankyu operates as a railway business entity, second-class railway business, while Kobe Rapid Transit Railway possesses the railways and other facilities as a railway business entity, third-class railway business. However, the trains operate only between Sannomiya Station and Shinkaichi Station.

Hankyu Itami Line: Tsukaguchi Station (Hankyu) - Itami Station (Hankyu)
Hankyu Imazu Line: Takarazuka Station - Imazu Station (Hyogo Prefecture) (the section between Takarazuka and Nishinomiya-kitaguchi is called the Imazu-kita (north) Line, and the section between Nishinomiya-kitaguchi and Imazu is called the Imazu-minami (south) Line).
Hankyu Koyo Line: Shukugawa Station - Koyoen Station
■Takarazuka Line (color-coded in orange to represent the autumn leaves in Mino)
Hankyu Takarazuka Main Line: Umeda Station - Takarazuka Station
Hankyu Mino Line: Ishibashi Station (Osaka Prefecture) - Mino Station
■Kyoto Line (color-coded in green for the trees of the ancient capital, Kyoto)
Hankyu Kyoto Main Line: Juso Station - Kawaramachi Station (Kyoto Prefecture)
Hankyu Senri Line: Tenjinbashisuji-rokuchome Station - Kita-Senri Station
Hankyu Arashiyama Line: Katsura Station - Arashiyama Station (Hankyu)

Discontinued lines
Hankyu Kitano Line: Umeda Station - Kitano Station (Osaka Prefecture) (the operation was suspended on January 1, 1949).
Hankyu Kamitsutsui Line: Oji-koen Station - Kamitsutsui Station (the line was abandoned on May 20, 1940)
Lines transferred to other companies
Keihan Main Line: Tenmabashi Station - Sanjo Station (Kyoto Prefecture), etc.
Keihan Otsu Line: Sanjo Station - Hamaotsu Station / Ishiyamadera Station - Sakamoto Station (Shiga Prefecture)
*Both lines were transferred in 1949 to the Keihan Electric Railway, which was divided from Keihanshin Electric Express Railway to form a new company. For details, please refer to "Lines of Keihan Electric Railway."

Planned lines, uncompleted lines
Hankyu Shin-Osaka Inter-urban Line
Awaji Station - Shin-Osaka Station - Juso Station
Shin-Osaka Station - Kanzakigawa Station
*A business license was granted for both routes in 1961. However, the license was revoked on March 1, 2003, except for the section between Shin-Osaka Station and Juso Station (Awaji Station - Shin-Osaka Station / Shin-Osaka Station - Kanzakigawa) (please refer to "Shin-Osaka Station Initiative").

The Hankyu lines have very few tunnels. This was because they were deliberately avoided, as the construction of tunnels was very costly, time consuming, and extremely dangerous with the civil engineering technology available during the Meiji and Taisho periods. The Takarazuka Line was constructed by avoiding routes that would have required tunneling, and as a result it has many curves. Even today there are only three tunnels in all lines except for the section designated as a second-class railway business (Kobe Rapid Transit Railway), and moreover, two of them serve as entrances toward underground lanes, one between Saiin and Kawaramachi and the other, near Tenroku; therefore, Senri Tunnel on the Senri Line is the only tunnel that in fact has a beginning and an end. However, Nose Railway, which offers direct operation, has many tunnels.

From 2009, when the Hanshin Nishi-Osaka Line of Hanshin Electric Railway Co., Ltd. is extended to Kintetsu Nanba Station (which is scheduled to be called the Hanshin Nanba Line after its inauguration), the Hankyu Railway will be the only large private railway company in the Kansai District that has no line in the area of Chuo Ward, Osaka City (although some of the trains on the Kyoto Line (Hankyu) go to Chuo Ward by using the track of the Osaka Municipal Subway's Sakaisuji Line).

Types of rolling stock

For details, please refer to the section on each type and line.

The trains operated by Hankyu Corporation are categorized by type, as follows:

Limited Express; by rolling stock type and commuter type; rapid express

Kobe Line / Kyoto Line

Nissei Express

Takarazuka Line

Express; by rolling stock type and commuter type

Kobe Line / Takarazuka Line

Semi Express

Kobe Line / Imazu Line / Takatazuka Line / Senri Line

By rolling stock type and commuter type

Takarazuka Line / Mino Line

Description by rolling stock type

The type of rolling stock can be recognized by marker lights or a rollsign (destination blind) installed on the front surface of the lead vehicle.

The marker light patterns (headcodes of marker lights) are as follows:

Seen head-on, the lights on both sides are illuminated: Rapid Express, Commuter Limited Express, Limited Nissei Express, Limited Express (including group trains, deadhead trains and trial-run trains).

Seen head-on, a light on the right side is illuminated: Commuter Semi Express, Semi Express, Commuter Express and Express.

Marker light is unlit: All local trains

The pattern of marker lights (the headcode of marker lights) for the express is the same as that of Kintetsu Railways.

Shared operation with the lines of other companies

Osaka Municipal Transportation Bureau: Kyoto Line and Senri Line share the track with Osaka Municipal Subway Sakaisuji Line.

Although the sections shared with Osaka Municipal Subway are up to Takatsuki City or Kita Senri, some fleets have entered into Katsura Station for trial runs or particular events.

Kobe Rapid Transit Railway: The Kobe Line shares the track with Kobe Rapid Transit Railway (to Shinkaichi Station).

Sanyo Electric Railway shared track with the Kobe Line until 1998 (the trains of the Kobe Line reached Sumaura-koen Station on the Sanyo Electric Railway Main Line through the Kobe Rapid Transit Railway Tozai Line, while the trains of Sanyo Electric Railways reached Rokko Station on the Kobe Line).

Even today the fleets of Sanyo Electric Railway operate to Sannomiya Station, and when the shuttle trains are deadheaded they edge into the track (of the Kobe Line), although just a few hundred meters, toward Umeda Station; thus it can be said that there still exist the trains of Sanyo Electric Railway running on the Hankyu Line (they don't admit passengers).

Nose Electric Railway: the Takarazuka Line uses the same track (as a member of the Hankyu Group). At present the trains are painted in the same solid maroon color as the trains of Hankyu.

Hankyu's train cars will be substituted for the Nose Electric fleet in the event of a safety inspection or for other events. They will enter the line via the spur tracks of the Hirai Depot or Shojaku Depot.

Rolling Stock

The rolling stock used on the Mino-Arima Electric Tramline and on the Kobe Line/Takarazuka Line (Jinpo-Sen) that were constructed by its successor Hanshin Electric Express Railway (Hankyu), as well as the rolling stock used on the Kita-Osaka Electric Railway and the Kyoto Line, as constructed by its successor Shinkeihan Railway, differ in their specifications due to the different backgrounds.

As for electric components, trains for the Jinpo-sen (Kobe/Takarazuka Lines) use products by Toshiba, while the trains on the Kyoto Line are still equipped with products by Toyo Denki Seizo, as a vestige of the Shinkeihan Railway era. This custom is still maintained (in addition to the electric components used on the Jinpo-sen (Kobe/Takarazuka Lines), and therefore Toshiba products are used in various areas in Hankyu Railways, such as the office equipment of all stations, the air conditioners installed in the cars, elevators and personal computers for business use). Regarding the master controller, the company actively employs the one-handle master controller, which is not common in the Kansai District.

Following the post-war launch of the Hankyu (Electric) Railway Series 550 in 1948, Hankyu's rolling stock was manufactured by Naniwa-Koki (later, Alna Sharyo (rolling stock) Co., Ltd.), an affiliate of Hankyu (in Hankyu Railway, the word Japanese word for 'build' is used to refer to the manufacturing of a new series of rolling stock). However, since their clients, such as Hankyu Corporation, Tobu Railway Company, the Bureau of Transportation Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the Osaka Municipal Transportation Bureau, have held down the introduction of new rolling stock due to the harsh business conditions, the orders have consequently decreased drastically and the rolling-stock company was dissolved in 2002. Subsequently, Hitachi, Ltd. was selected as a builder of Hankyu's rolling stock, although Hitachi did not have business relationships with large private railway companies in the Kansai District (nonetheless, it was dealing with the public transportation companies Kyoto Municipal Subway and Osaka Municipal Subway). Because Hankyu Corporation still suffers from severe financial health, in parallel with the investment in new trains, the cars fabricated from the late 1960s to the early 1980s are renovated at Alna Sharyo Co., Ltd. and Globaltec Ltd., in order to prolong their life for practical use (among them, those fabricated in the early 1970s or before have undergone a second renovation).

As the choice of an exterior color, maroon is traditionally adopted (being known as Hankyu Maroon). This color is also used for the special cars for the Imperial Family (with the exception of cars selected as ad-wrapped cars), and the interior is also finished in a uniform manner with panel boards in a woodtone finish and the seats covered with angora (goat) fabric dyed in colors listed in the Shikimei Ichiran (the standardized color list used in Japan) that begin with the Japanese letter "こ" (pronounced "ko"). The interiors of recent cars (included the renovated cars) tend to be finished with considerably darker-toned panels for doors and the front face panel (bargeboard), anticipating deterioration due to age.

When the Series 8000 and 9300 were introduced, a new coating color was proposed (the introduction of metallic orange coating or a maroon-colored belt on the body was studied); however, many users and company staff opposed these new ideas and they were rejected except for changing the color of the roof edge to ivory for the Series 6000 and 7000 (however, even today a few users and company staff continue to insist that an ivory belt at the bottom of the car body or something similar should be admissible).

In the case of the Osaka Municipal Subway Sakaisuji Line, which shares the track with the Kyoto Line, the Series 66 train carries a brownish belt painted around its stainless-steel body. Previously, the trains of Series 60, with aluminum-alloy bodies and brown belts painted around them, were also running. Since 2000, among the cars running on the Hankyu Lines, these two types are the only cars that are not painted in the dominant maroon color (since 1998 the Sanyo Electric Railway has suspended the operation of cars from Sannomiya Station and to the east).

The following are Hankyu Railways' numbering rules by type:
According to the Hankyu Railway numbering rule, all car numbers have consisted of four figures since the abandonment of the Series 810 in the 1980s.

The tracked cars (T-car) are given the motor-car (M-car) number of the same series, plus 50.

The middle cars are given the first-car number, plus 500.

An identification code by type, such as motor car, controller car or tracked car, is not attached.

1. started with the new vehicles of Series 700 (in the case of the Jinpo-sen (Kobe/Takarazuka Lines), this series was later changed to Series 800); and 2. started with Series 3000 and 3300.

Taking C7512 as an example (in this case it belongs to 7012F and is the second car toward Umeda Station), let's see how it woks:

The 7 (in the thousandth place) indicates the railway series. Currently, each number from 1 to 9 is allocated by type and capacity (4 is for utility cars).

5 (hundredth place)…0-4: first car; 5-9: middle car; 0-2/5-7: Jinpo-sen (Kobe/Takarazuka Line); 3/4/8/9: Kyoto Line. When Series 1100 to Series 3100 were used, 0 and 5 were for the Kobe Line while 1 and 6 were for the Takarazuka Line. The numbers 2 and 7 aren't for ordinary use but are instead reserved for experimental cars and special cars.

The number 1 (in the tenth place)…0-4: electric motor coach; 5-9: tracked cars
The number 2 (in the ones place)…numbering by order of production
Unlike other companies, the number starts in order from 0 (Sanyo Electric Railway also employs the same rule). However, until the time the Series 3300 came into use the cars for the Kyoto Line were given their numbers starting from 1 (as a vestige of the Shinkeihan era).

However, it should be noted that the cars originally fabricated as leading vehicles that underwent remodeling with the removal of the driver's platform (modification to middle cars) are still used with the original production numbers without renumbering (e.g., Series 3000-C3000).

Trains with shared sections

Osaka Municipal Transportation Bureau
Osaka Municipal Transportation Bureau Series 66

Trains with shared sections in the past

Sanyo Electric Railway - This currently only goes through to the Hanshin Electric Railway and the Kobe Rapid Transit Railway. It operates only the local trains (and the S-Limited Express only available on Saturdays and holidays), which can be seen at Hankyu Sannomiya Station.

Sanyo Electric Railway Series 5000
Sanyo Electric Railway Series 3000
Osaka Municipal Transportation Bureau
Osaka Municipal Transportation Bureau Series 60（with the enhanced deployment of Series 66, this series was completely abandoned).

Characteristics of cars by business group

Kita-Osaka Kyuko Railway (Kitakyu), Kobe Electric Railway (Shintetsu) and Hokushinkyuko Railway (Hokushin), which are affiliates of Hankyu Railway, follow the interior decoration theme of Hankyu trains (in the case of Kitakyu, Kita Osaka Electric Railway Type 8000; in Shintetsu, Kobe Electric Railway Series 5000; in Hokushin, Hokushin Electric Railway Series 7000). For images of the interiors, please see the sections "MediaKitakyu 8000 inside" and "MediaShintetsu 5000").

The sections and affiliations of the crew

Umeda operation section（Kyoto, Takarazuka and Kobe lines)
Nishinomiya-kitaguchi operation section (Kobe Line)
Katsura Section (Kyoto Line)
Awaji operation section (Senri and Kyoto lines)

Fares

Normal passenger fare for adults (half fare for children: less than 10 yen is rounded up).
As of December 1, 2004

Coupon ticket

Effective on April 1, 2007 all coupon tickets--for the section of 180 yen, 260 yen and 310 yen--became accepted for the trains of Hanshin Electric Railway, as far as they have not expired. However, to use the coupon for a Hanshin line it cannot be used directly; before the passenger enters the gate it must be changed to the ticket of Hanshin lines using the blue-colored ticket vending machine.

Travel cards/designed travel cards

Please see the following sections:

STACIA Card
Lagare Card

Hankyu Hanshin one-day pass
OSAKA Kaiyu Kippu (Osaka Sea round-trip ticket)
Osaka Unlimited Pass
Koya-san one-day ticket
Nara-Ikaruga one-day ticket

Professional baseball teams

The old Hankyu Corporation, which later became Hankyu Holdings (currently Hankyu Hanshin Holdings), was the parent company of a pro baseball team, the Hankyu Braves (later Orix Blue Wave and currently the Orix Buffaloes) from 1936 to 1988, and owned the Nishinomiya Kyujo (later Hankyu Nishinomiya Stadium, which was closed in 2002) under the right of pro baseball area protection.

About the Hankyu Densha name

In the Kansai District, the way of calling a private railway company, 'XX-Densha ('company name'- train)' is quite common; however, nowadays 'Hankyu Densha' is seldom used on advertisement displays. This is because, in 1992, the company changed its common official name to 'Hankyu Dentetsu (Hankyu Railway)' when it celebrated the 85th anniversary of its founding.
However, most of the passengers continue to call it 'Hankyu Densha' or 'Hankyu.'

Names of platforms

Generally, the name of a platform includes the number like 'Platform X'; however, in Hankyu Railway 'go' is attached to the number, such as 'Platform X-go.'
That is because this method is commonly used in the company to indicate the cables of the station wiring.
Nevertheless, at Sannomiya Station the platforms are exceptionally called 'Platform X.'

Because there are only two platforms, regardless of the type of platform (island type or opposing type), instead of an automated announcement of the platform number, basically the direction the car is heading toward is announced, as follows: 'Ladies and gentlemen, in a short time the train for the direction of Osaka Umeda Station will arrive.'

Even at stations where there are exceptionally more than three platforms, the number isn't always mentioned (in most cases at stations on the Kyoto Line or the stations where higher-category trains pass nonstop,
as in Sonoda Station, Ibaraki-shi Station, Takatsuki-shi Station and Katsura Station).

However, at Nigawa Station, where on the days the Hanshin Race Course opens, deadhead trains arrive and depart due to the operation of special trains, even the destination isn't mentioned in the announcement. Previously, the destinations weren't mentioned at Shojaku Station either, because the two trains for the opposite direction departed from the same platform due to the wiring setup; however, since February 2008, the announcement has become as detailed as that of a station for higher-category trains, thanks to the updated system for train information and announcement equipment for the passengers.

At Awaji Station there is no Platform 1-go, so only from 2-go to 5-go are available. This is because there once existed Platform 1-go, and when it was abandoned the remaining platform numbers weren't shifted forward in order to prevent confusion among the passengers.

At Katsura Station, next to Platform 1-go, there is a track called 'Platform C-go.'
Originally, Platform C-go was the lane constructed in the adjacent Katsura depot, and later a platform was added along the track to complete the station. The reason why the platform numbers have not been adjusted forward is the same as that of Awaji Station, which does not have Platform 1-go.

Announcements at stations and in the cars

The trains that stop at Tenjinbashisuji-rokuchome Station give announcements such as, 'Next stop is Tenjinbashisuji-rokuchome, Tenroku.'
It is an exceptional case because most of the conductors initially announce the station by its abbreviated name.

In the announcement given in a train arriving at a transfer station to a certain main line of the West Japan Railway Company, such as Umeda Station, Sannnomiya Station or Takarazuka Station, no information on the transfer to JR Lines is mentioned, as has been the case since the time of the former Japan National Railways. However, with the timetable revision in 2006/2007 the JR lines were included in the diagram.

For example, while the Osaka Municipal Transportation Bureau indicates Ogimachi Station on the Sakaisuji Line as a transfer station to the JR Osaka Loop Line, in the diagram of Hankyu Railway it isn't mentioned.

Automatic announcements in the stations are made by two entertainers: Mitsuo KATAYAMA and Yumi MARUKO. KATAYAMA also makes an announcement in the stations for the Fukuchiyama Line, which runs in parallel.

On January 1, 1996, as part of the 'Gentle Sound Service,' the announcements at stations and in the cars were changed. More specifically, the departing signal whistled by the conductor was principally discontinued.
The announcement on the next stop for higher-category trains was changed from 'Next, the train will not stop until XX' to 'Next, the train makes a stop at XX,'
the announcement on the next station was changed from 'Next is XX' to 'Next stop is XX,' and basically the announcement was to be made only once except for major stations.
Since October 1, 2006, the announcement in the cars has been 'Next is XX' instead of 'Next stop is XX, XX.'
At the stations on the Kobe and Takarazuka lines, the announcement has been changed since October 1, 2006, from: 'The train now arriving is a local train bound for Umeda' to 'The train now arriving is a local train bound for Osaka Umeda,' and on the platforms of the stations of the Kyoto Line since March 16, 2007.

Regarding the four stations of Umeda, Sannomiya, Shinkaichi and Kawaramachi, the names are announced as 'Osaka Umeda,' 'Kobe Sannomiya,' 'Kobe Shinkaichi' and 'Kyoto Kawaramachi' (so that when the name is repeated twice or more, Osaka, Kobe or Kyoto is omitted).

The name 'Kobe Shinkaichi' is used only inside Osaka Prefecture (Umeda Station, Juso Station, etc.), however; at the stations located in Hyogo Prefecture, just 'Shinkaichi' is announced.
In the inbound trains running on Kobe Rapid Transit Railway lines, the names of the destinations are announced as 'Hankyu Sannomiya' and 'Hankyu Osaka Umeda.'

Boarding at Umeda Station

There are many passengers who insist on being seated, and therefore at Umeda Station one can always see many passengers, who although they are staying in rows in front of the doors of a limited express or an express train that is soon to depart, are in fact waiting for the next train with the expectation of sitting. At some transfer stations to other lines like Kawanishi-Noseguchi Station and Takarazuka Station, one can see many passengers dashing furiously for the next train in order to secure seats. Meanwhile, on ordinary days it's considered illegal to ride on a turned-back train between Juso Station and Umeda Station (since the return-trip of the section is not calculated in the fare); however, the day on which the Naniwa Yodogawa Fireworks Display (formerly called Heisei Yodogawa Fireworks Display) is celebrated, the round trip to Umeda Station is exceptionally admitted because Juso Station becomes enormously crowded.

Mobil Phone Power Source Off Car

Hankyu Railway places in each train a car called the 'Priority Seat / Mobile Phone Power Source Off Car,' in which mobile phones must remain off at all times. This car was provisionally introduced on a trial basis during a one-month period beginning June 10, 2003, but since July 11 of the same year it has been formally operated. The car is also introduced in the Osaka Municipal Subway Sakaisuji Line, which connects directly with the Kyoto Line as well as the Nose and Kobe electric railways, both of which are members of the Hankyu Group. The manner in which the 'Mobile Phone Power Source Off Car' is announced varies occasionally, according to the conductor.

The designated car is car 1, (the first car of a train heading for Kobe, Takarazuka, Kyoto, Arashiyama, Itami, Mino, Kawanishi-Noseguchi).

Revived 'priority seats'

Another unique rule of Hankyu Railway worth mentioning was the designation of 'all seats--priority seats.'
In Hankyu Railway, 'Priority seats' were abolished and 'All seats--priority seats' was introduced in April 1999, based on the idea that 'we must show a spirit of give-and-take at each seat, whether it is designated or not.'
Coincident with this rule, Hankyu Railway had to set up 'Mobile Phone Power Source Off Cars' because it didn't have any designated priority seats in the cars, but all other companies introduced the rule that mobile phones should remain off only around the reserved seats.

However, against the company's expectation it was revealed that the 'all seats--priority seats' rule had not been accepted among the passengers and the give-and-take spirit of the seats was seldom practiced; therefore, the company decided to review the 'all seats--priority seats' rule, based on the request to bring back the priority seating, as presented at the shareholders' meeting of the Hankyu Hanshin Holdings at the end of June 2007; and on October 29 of the same year the 'all seats--priority seats' rule was abolished and the reserved 'priority seats' were designated.

However, there still is a concern that, although the 'priority seats' are basically set as 'the seats that shall be the most posterior part of the car when heading toward Umeda Station,' it is not well unified among the cars because, in the cars with the driver's platform or the vacant space remaining after the platform was removed, the priority seats are set just on the opposite side of it, and when the fleet includes such a car in the middle (like 8032F of the Kobe Line), the priority seat position is sometimes in the anterior part or other times in the posterior part.

Crew and railway operation

The crew of a local train waiting for a higher-category train to pass at a station is obliged to stand on the platform and monitor the passing train. Then, the driver, in addition to setting the brake handle at the emergency position, stands on the platform, taking the master controller key with him (when the train is Kyoto Line Train Series 5300 or older, the reverse handle: a switching handlebar for going forward/backward, which is attachable to the principle controller).

When the train starts at a station where the crew change has been made, it is sometimes signaled with an alarm horn.

TV and movie shooting

In the late 1990s, as the first railway company in the Kinki District, Hankyu Railway allowed third-party entities to shoot TV programs, movies and dramas in its premises (in Japan, Keisei Electric Railway was the first railway company that started business activity related to the shooting of TV and movies).

Others

Because the address of the registered office of the company is in Ikeda City, Osaka Prefecture, it is always at the top in the corporate tax ranking at Toyono Tax Office, which has jurisdiction over Ikeda City.

The company set out the 'exit exclusively for students' in the mid-1960s at several stations, starting at Koyoen Station on the Koyo Line, which was the first attempt as a railway company in Japan (but it applied only to students who wore school uniforms).

During the Year End/New Year period, the timetable for Saturdays and holidays is applied, but the Takarazuka Line exceptionally operates the express and local trains every 10 minutes each in the first three days of the new year. At one time the Kyoto Line also operated the limited express and express trains on an extra basis during the first three days of the new year, until the frequency of the limited express during daytime was increased.

During the morning and evening rush hours, 'student corps' are stationed as 'Oshiya,' the staff people who push customers into trains (a part-time job). As the name suggests, those employed are university students and vocational college students.

Among the private railway companies in Kansai District, it was Hankyu Railway that opened the Tachigui soba/udon noodle stands (Hankyu Soba) inside the station for the first time.

The company owns land in the International Culture Park (Saito).

Railway models

An economical, unfinished model kit of Hankyu commuter trains is sold by Greenmax Corporation. Using various parts in combination, trains of the Series 2000 through 8000 can be made.

For other types, please refer to the section "Models by Type."

Associated companies

For all the companies belonging to the Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group, please refer to the section "Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group."

Hankyu Department Store
Toho Co., Ltd.
Hanshin Electric Railway Group
Hankyu Corporation Group
Nose Electric Railway Co., Ltd. Kita-Osaka Kyuko Railway Co., Ltd. Kobe Electric Railway Co., Ltd. Hokushinkyuko Railway Co., Ltd.
Kobe Rapid Transit Railway Co., Ltd
Hankyu Bus Co., Ltd. Hankyu Den'en Bus Co., Ltd. Shintetsu Bus Co., Ltd. Tango Kairiku Kotsu Co., Ltd. Hankyu Taxi Inc. Hankyu Travel International Co., Ltd. Kansai Telecasting Corporation is a sub-key station of the Fuji News Network and Fuji Network System. It is also closely allied with the Fujisankei Communications Group.

Hankyu Communications Co., Ltd. (formerly TBS-Britannica)
Alna Sharyo Co., Ltd. Station Finance Inc.
Theater Drama City
Urban Ace Corporation
Mori-Gumi Co., Ltd. Koma Stadium Co., Ltd. belongs to the Toho Group. Tokyo Rakutenchi Co., Ltd. also belongs to the Toho Group. OS Co., Ltd. also belongs to the Toho Group.

Shimotsui Dentetsu receives Hankyu Railway's capital participation but has a somewhat minimal relationship.

Zentan Bus Co., Ltd. was once an affiliate of Hankyu Railway.

The Bank of Ikeda, Ltd. has Hankyu Hanshin Holdings as its major shareholder; the bank is in charge of the management of the automated teller machines (PatSat) installed at stations on the Hankyu Railway lines.

Mainichi Broadcasting System, Inc.: Although many people imagine that Hankyu is the company that took part in launching Kansai Telecasting Corporation, it was also involved in opening the station of Mainichi Broadcasting System, formerly the Shinnihon Broadcasting System.

FM Osaka: Hankyu Hanshin Holdings is one of its shareholders. The company sponsors the Stop Drunk Driving (SDD) project in order to promote abstinence from drunk-driving, doing so in the name of Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group.

Kiss-FM/Kobe: Although the period of time is unknown, there was a program sponsored by Hankyu.