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| Naniwasuji Line | |||
|---|---|---|---|
  | |||
 Space at JR Namba Station reserved for the Naniwasuji Line | |||
| Overview | |||
| Native name | なにわ筋線 | ||
| Status | Under Construction | ||
| Owner | Kansai Rapid Railway (Voluntary sector operator) | ||
| Locale | Osaka | ||
| Termini |
| ||
| Service | |||
| Operator(s) | JR West Nankai Electric Railway | ||
| History | |||
| Planned opening | Spring 2031 (tentative) | ||
| Technical | |||
| Line length | 7.2 km (4.5 mi) | ||
| Track gauge | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) | ||
| Electrification | 1,500 V DC,overhead lines | ||
| |||
TheNaniwasuji Line (なにわ筋線,Naniwasuji-sen) is an undergroundheavy rail line scheduled to open in spring 2031, which will run north-south through centralOsaka, primarily under the avenueNaniwasuji [ja].[1] It has long been pursued byWest Japan Railway Company (JR West) andNankai Railway in order to connect the JRYamatoji Line (Kansai Main Line) andNankai Main Line withShin-Osaka Station, greatly enhancing both companies' connections toKansai International Airport andWakayama Prefecture.[2] As of 18 March 2023, the tracks through the northern terminus atOsaka Station and adjoining underground platforms were opened for theHaruka,Kuroshio,Mahoroba andRakuraku Yamatolimited express services as well as ordinary trains on theOsaka Higashi Line.[3]
While both JR and Nankai operate trains to Wakayama (via theHanwa Line and theNankai Main Line, respectively) and to Kansai Airport (via theKansai Airport Line and theNankai Airport Line, respectively), neither route is ideal.
For JR, trains must use theOsaka Loop Line pastTennoji Station, both creating and being affected by delays on that line, and bypassingJR Namba Station in theNamba district, which is Osaka's major commercial center. Additionally, until February 2023, theHaruka andKuroshio trains from and toKyoto and Shin-Osaka used the abovegroundUmeda Freight Line [ja], bypassing Osaka Station, the busiest station in western Japan, entirely. The connection to the Osaka Loop Line past the new Osaka Station underground platforms involves asingle track sharedtrackage withJR Freight service, as well as alevel junction crossing the Osaka Loop Line right beforeNishikujō Station.
For Nankai, all trains go direct to its terminal atNamba Station, precluding access to points further north, including Umeda, Osaka, and Shin-Osaka stations.
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 thenJR Freight'sUmeda Freight Terminal.[4] The Umeda portion of this plan was eventually incorporated into Phase II of the Osaka Higashi Line project (extension from Shin-Osaka to the underground platforms of Osaka Station), 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]
The issue surrounding Osaka Station for JR was 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 four years compared to the rest of Phase II), which terminates at the 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 Osaka Station and JR Namba Station.
Early plans for Nankai called for moving theShiomibashi Line (the northern end of theKōya Line) underground and connecting to the Naniwasuji Line viaShiomibashi 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 has also announced tentative plans to build a new underground line connecting the Naniwasuji Line toJūsō Station and another line from Jūsō 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 [ja], president ofHankyu Hanshin Holdings, said in an interview by theSankei Shimbun that Hankyu would open both of thesenarrow-gauge lines at the same time as the Naniwasuji Line in 2031.[8]
On 9 July 2019, the railway business was approved by theMinistry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism under therailway 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 decommissioning 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 atNishi-Kujō. Track switching was finished within the allotted timeframe and theHaruka andKuroshio 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 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]
| Shinkansen | |
|---|---|
 JR West | |
 Osaka Metro | |
 Kobe Municipal Subway | |
 Kyoto Municipal Subway | |
 Hankyu | |
 Hanshin | |
 Keihan | |
 Nankai |
|
 Kintetsu | |
 Shintetsu | |
| Other commuter rail lines |
|
| Monorails and Trams | |
| Hinterland | |
| Cable car andaerial tramways | |
| Public ferries |
|
| Major terminals | |
| Miscellaneous | |
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