Osaka Loop Line

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title: "Osaka Loop Line" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["osaka-loop-line", "railway-loop-lines", "railway-lines-opened-in-1898", "1067-mm-gauge-railways-in-japan"] description: "Railway line in Japan" topic_path: "geography/japan" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osaka_Loop_Line" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Railway line in Japan ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox rail line"]

Field	Value
name	Osaka Loop Line
native_name	大阪環状線
native_name_lang	ja
color	e80000
logo	JRW kinki-O.svg
logo_width	50
image	Series323-LS05.jpg
image_width	300px
caption	A 323 series train on the Osaka Loop Line in September 2017
type	Heavy rail
system	Urban network
locale	Osaka, Japan
start
end
stations	19
daily_ridership	984,395 (FY2015)
open	April 5, 1898 (first section)
April 25, 1961 (entire line)
owner	JR West
operator	JR West
JR Freight
depot	Morinomiya
stock	323 series
221 series
223-0 series
223-2500 series
225-5000 series
271 series
281 series
283 series
287 series
289 series
linelength_km	21.7
tracks	3 (Fukushima — Nishikujo)
2 (other sections)
gauge
electrification	(overhead line)
trainprotection	ATS-P
signalling	Automatic block signalling
speed_km/h	100
map	[[File:JRwest-Osaka-Loop-Line-MAP.jpg
::

| box_width = | name = Osaka Loop Line | native_name = 大阪環状線 | native_name_lang = ja | color = e80000 | logo = JRW kinki-O.svg | logo_width = 50 | logo_alt = | image = Series323-LS05.jpg | image_width = 300px | image_alt = | caption = A 323 series train on the Osaka Loop Line in September 2017 | type = Heavy rail | system = Urban network | status = | locale = Osaka, Japan | start = | end = | stations = 19 | routes = | daily_ridership = 984,395 (FY2015) | open = April 5, 1898 (first section) April 25, 1961 (entire line) | owner = JR West | operator = JR West JR Freight | character = | depot = Morinomiya | stock = 323 series 221 series 223-0 series 223-2500 series 225-5000 series 271 series 281 series 283 series 287 series 289 series | linelength_km = 21.7 | tracks = 3 (Fukushima — Nishikujo) 2 (other sections) | gauge = | minradius = | racksystem = | routenumber = | electrification = (overhead line) | trainprotection = ATS-P | signalling = Automatic block signalling | speed_km/h = 100 | website = | map = [[File:JRwest-Osaka-Loop-Line-MAP.jpg|320px]] | map_state = The Osaka Loop Line is a railway loop line in Japan operated by the West Japan Railway Company (JR West). It encircles central Osaka.

Part of a second, outer loop line, the Osaka Higashi Line, from Hanaten to Kyuhoji was opened on March 15, 2008, and the line from Shigino to Shin-Ōsaka opened in March 2019. This entry covers the original central loop line.

Outline

The loop line consists of two tracks around the heart of metropolitan Osaka. All train services consist of eight cars, with distinctive orange color with white JR graphics on the front, rear and sides. The train schedule varies, but on average, two trains leave Tennōji Station and Ōsaka Station every five minutes, in opposite directions.

Operation

|title =Osaka Loop Line trains |title bg =#e80000 |map1-title=Osaka Loop Line trains |map1 = \exSTRl\exHSTq\exSTRr
xABZg+l\STRq\HSTq\STRq\STR+r~~ STR\KBHFaq\STR+r\STR STR\\HST\HST~~ HST\\STR\STR~~ STR\KBHFaq\STRr\STR ABZlxr\eABZql\HSTq\STRq\xABZqr+xr~~

|map2-title =JR Yumesaki Line through trains |map2 = \xABZg+l\STRq\HSTq\STR+r~~ \STR\\BHF~~ \HST\\STR~~ KBHFaq\xABZgr\\STR~~ \exSTRl\exABZql\KBHFxaq\xABZqr+xr~~

|map3-title=Yamatoji Rapid, Regional Rapid |map3 = xABZg+l\HSTq\STRq\STR+r~~ STR\\HST~~ HST\\STR~~ eABZgr\KBHFaq\STRr~~ STRl\eABZql\HSTq\eABZq+r\STR+r \\BHF~~ \\KBHFe~~

|map4-title=Kansai Airport Rapid,

Kishūji Rapid, Direct Rapid |map4 = \xABZg+l\HSTq\STRq\STR+r~~ \STR\\BHF~~ \HST\\STR~~ \eABZgr\KBHFaq\STRr~~ STRl\eABZql\HSTq\xABZqxr+r \\STR \FLUG\KBHFaq\ABZgr~~ \\KBHFe~~

|map5-title=Haruka |map5 = \KHSTa~~ \BHF~~ \BHF~~ STR+l\STRq\xABZgr eKRZu\exHSTq\exSTRr \eABZg+l\exHSTq\exSTRq\exSTR+r \STR\\exHST \ABZlxr\eABZql\BHFq\xABZqxr+r~~ \\STR \FLUG\KBHFaq\xABZgr~~

|map6-title=Kuroshio |map6 = \KBHFa~~ \BHF~~ STR+l\STRq\xABZgr eKRZu\exHSTq\exSTRr \eABZg+l\exHSTq\exSTRq\exSTR+r \STR\\exHST \HST\\exSTR~~ ~~ ~~ \ABZlxr\eABZql\BHFq\xABZqxr+r~~ \\STR \\eABZgr \\HST~~ ~~ ~~ \\KBHFe~~

On this line, JR West operates several types of trains. The line serves as a link between Ōsaka Station in northern Osaka (actually the Umeda district), and Tennōji in southern central Osaka. Some Limited Express trains linking north and south of the Osaka–Kobe–Kyoto area use the line as a bypass between the Tōkaidō Main Line in the north and the Hanwa Line in the south. Traffic is heavier in the eastern half, Osaka–Kyōbashi–Tennōji, than in the western half via Nishi-Kujō.

Direction

The completely loop shaped Osaka Loop Line is unable to use the "up" and "down" rail direction convention usually applied to JR lines. Instead, the words "outer loop" (running clockwise) and the "inner loop" (running counter-clockwise) are used to refer to the direction of the train, similar to the Yamanote line in Tokyo.

For purposes of rail registration of the line at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, the inner loop is considered "down".

Local

Local trains are operated all day. Some operate over the complete loop, while some serve the eastern half between Osaka and Tennōji via Kyōbashi.

Eight-car EMUs of 323 series are used. 221 series, 223 series and 225 series are used only for morning rush.

Sakurajima Line trains

Trains of the Sakurajima Line (JR Yumesaki Line) are now operated through to the loop line to/from Kyōbashi and Tennoji.

Eight-car 323 series EMUs are used.

Rapids of Kansai Main Line

Through trains to the Kansai Main Line (Yamatoji Line) began operated in 1973. "Yamatoji Rapid" and "Regional Rapid" trains originate at Tennōji on the loop, passing the loop as "inner" via Osaka, and after stopping at Tennōji after a complete circuit, exit the loop onto the Kansai Main Line and terminate at , or . In the loop, Yamatoji Rapids pass some stations while Regional Rapids stop all.

For "Yamatoji Rapid" and "Regional Rapid", usually 8-car and 4+4 car 221 series EMUs are used.

Rapids of Hanwa Line

Trains to the Hanwa Line, "Kansai Airport Rapid" for and Kishūji Rapid for originate at either Tennoji or Kyobashi, and together with other types of rapid trains, operate on the inner loop via Osaka, pausing at Tennoji and then exiting from the loop. This pattern commenced in 1989, but increased significantly in 1994 on the opening of Kansai Airport.

8-car 223 series and 225 series EMUs in 4+4 formations are used for Kansai Airport and Kishūji rapids. 113 series 4-car units were used for rapids of Shin-Ōsaka - in early morning and late night. They were withdrawn in 2010.

Limited express

Charged Limited Express services such as Haruka for Kansai International Airport, and south bound Kuroshio on the Hanwa Line and Kisei Main Line (Kinokuni Line) heading for the scenic southern Wakayama Prefecture utilize the Osaka Loop Line to bypass the Tōkaidō Main Line and reach the Hanwa Line. On the loop, aside from Tennōji, limited numbers of trains stop only at Nishi-Kujō.

Between the Tōkaidō Main Line and the Osaka Loop Line, trains utilize the via a new underground route through Ōsaka Station, until it merges the main line at Shin-Ōsaka. This route was introduced in 1989 on the completion of a bypass track from the Hanwa Line to platforms of the Kansai Main Line at Tennōji. Until then no through operations were possible from the Hanwa Line.

281 series and 271 series EMUs are used for Haruka, 283 series EMUs, 287 series EMUs and 289 series EMUs for Kuroshio.

Freight trains

After the abandonment of the Naniwa freight terminal, freight trains on the line operate only between Fukushima and Nishikujō, from the "Umeda Freight Line" to on the Sakurajima Line (JR Yumesaki Line).

Stations

Listed counterclockwise: All stations are in the city of Osaka, Osaka Prefecture. ::data[format=table]

No.	Station	Distance (km)	Transfers	Location
↑ Loop line towards Shin-Imamiya ↑
		天王寺	11.0
::

| rowspan="5"| Tennōji |- | | |寺田町|| align="right" | 12.0 ||
|- | | |桃谷|| align="right" | 13.2 ||
|- | | |鶴橋|| align="right" | 14.0 || [[File:KT number-A.svg|20px|A]] Kintetsu Nara Line (A04), [[File:KT number-D.svg|20px|D]] Osaka Line (D04) Osaka Metro: Sennichimae Line (S19) |- | | |玉造|| align="right" | 14.9 || Osaka Metro: Nagahori Tsurumi-ryokuchi Line (N19) |- | | |森ノ宮|| align="right" | 15.8 || Osaka Metro: Chūō Line (C19), Nagahori Tsurumi-ryokuchi Line (N20) || Chūō |- | | |大阪城公園|| align="right" | 16.7 || || rowspan=2| Jōtō |- | | |京橋|| align="right" | 17.5 || [[File:JRW kinki-H.svg|20px]] Katamachi Line (Gakkentoshi Line)/[[File:JRW kinki-H.svg|20px]]JR Tōzai Line () 20px Keihan Main Line (KH03) Osaka Metro: Nagahori Tsurumi-ryokuchi Line (N22) |- | | |桜ノ宮|| align="right" | 19.3 || || Miyakojima |- | | |天満|| align="right" | 20.1 || Osaka Metro: Sakaisuji Line (K12: Ōgimachi Station) || Kita |- | | |大阪|| align="right" | 0.0 || Tōkaidō Main Line ( [[File:JRW kinki-A.svg|20px]] JR Kyoto Line (), [[File:JRW kinki-A.svg|20px]] JR Kobe Line (), [[File:JRW kinki-G.svg|20px]] JR Takarazuka Line ()), [[File:JRW kinki-F.svg|20px]] Osaka Higashi Line (), [[File:JRW kinki-H.svg|20px]] JR Tōzai Line (:Kitashinchi Station) Osaka Metro: Tanimachi Line (T20: Higashi-Umeda Station), Yotsubashi Line (Y11: Nishi-Umeda Station), Midōsuji Line (M16: Umeda Station) Hankyu: 20px Kōbe Line, 20px Kyoto Line, 20px Takarazuka Line (HK-01:Osaka-umeda Station) 20px Hanshin Main Line (HS 01:Osaka-umeda Station) || Kita |- | | Fukushima |福島|| align="right" | 1.0 || [[File:JRW kinki-H.svg|20px]] JR Tōzai Line (:Shin-Fukushima Station) 20px Hanshin Main Line (HS 02) 20px Keihan Nakanoshima Line (KH54:Nakanoshima Station)|| rowspan=2| Fukushima |- | | |野田|| align="right" | 2.4 || Osaka Metro: Sennichimae Line (S12: Tamagawa Station) |- | | |西九条|| align="right" | 3.6 || [[File:JRW kinki-P.svg|20px]] Sakurajima Line (JR Yumesaki Line) () 20px Hanshin Namba Line (HS 45) || Konohana |- | | |弁天町|| align="right" | 5.2 || Osaka Metro: Chūō Line (C13) || Minato |- | | |大正|| align="right" | 7.0 || Osaka Metro: Nagahori Tsurumi-ryokuchi Line (N11) || Taishō |- | | |芦原橋|| align="right" | 8.2 || || rowspan=3| Naniwa |- | | |今宮|| align="right" | 8.8 || [[File:JRW kinki-Q.svg|20px]] Kansai Main Line (Yamatoji Line) |- | | |新今宮|| align="right" | 10.0 || [[File:JRW kinki-Q.svg|20px]] Kansai Main Line (Yamatoji Line) Nankai (NK03): 20px Nankai Main Line, 20px Kōya Line Osaka Metro: Midōsuji Line (M22: Dōbutsuen-mae Station), Sakaisuji Line (K19: Dōbutsuen-mae Station) 20px Hankai Line (HN52: Minami-Kasumichō Station) |- | colspan="6" style="text-align:center"| ↓ Loop line towards ↓ |}

Stopping patterns

;Stations

• ● : All trains stop.
• ▲ : Stop, outer loop (Tennoji → Nishikujo → Osaka → Kyobashi → Tennoji)
• Number: Track (Platform) numbers to arrive at and depart from.
• | : All trains skip

::data[format=table] | Station | Local 普通 | Local 普通 | Regional Rapid 区間快速 | Yamatoji Rapid 大和路快速 | Direct Rapid 直通快速 | Rapid 快速 | Kishuji Rapid 紀州路快速 | Kansai Airport Rapid 関空快速 | Through to/from | * Loop service in Osaka Loop Line* | JR Yumesaki Line | Yamatoji Line | Hanwa Line | Hanwa Line & Kansai Airport Line | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | Tennoji | ● 11-14 | ● 11-14 | ● 11-14 | ● 11-14 | ▲ 13, 14 | ● 11-14 | ● 11-14 | ● 11-14 | | | | | | | | Teradacho | ● | ● | ● | ● | ▲ | ● | ● | ● | | | | | | | | Momodani | ● | ● | ● | ● | ▲ | ● | ● | ● | | | | | | | | Tsuruhashi | ● | ● | ● | ● | ▲ | ● | ● | ● | | | | | | | | Tamatsukuri | ● | ● | ● | ● | ▲ | ● | ● | ● | | | | | | | | Morinomiya | ● | ● | ● | ● | ▲ | ● | ● | ● | | | | | | | | Osakajokoen | ● | ● | ● | ● | ▲ | ● | ● | ● | | | | | | | | Kyobashi | ● | ● | ● | ● | ▲ | ● | ● | ● | | | | | | | | Sakuranomiya | ● | ● | ● | ● | ▲ | ● | ● | ● | | | | | | | | Temma | ● | ● | ● | ● | ▲ | ● | ● | ● | | | | | | | | Osaka | ● | ● | ● | ● | ▲ | ● | ● | ● | | | | | | | | Fukushima | ● | ● | ● | ● | ▲ | ● | ● | ● | | | | | | | | Noda | ● | ● | ● | | | ▲ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Nishikujo | ● | ● | ● | ● | ▲ | ● | ● | ● | | | | | | | | Bentencho | ● | | ● | ● | ▲ | ● | ● | ● | | | | | | | | Taisho | ● | ● | ● | ▲ | ● | ● | ● | | | | | | | | | Ashiharabashi | ● | ● | | | ▲ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Imamiya | ● | ● | | | ▲ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Shin-Imamiya | ●1, 4 | ● 2, 3 | ● 2-4 | ▲ 3, 4 | ● 2-4 | ● 2-4 | ● 2-4 | | | | | | | | | Tennoji | ●11, 14 | ● 15-18 | ● 15-18 | ▲ 18 | ● 15, 18 | ● 15, 18 | ● 15, 18 | | | | | | | | ::

Rolling stock

Local

• 323 series (since 24 December 2016)

The first of a fleet of 21 new 323 series eight-car EMU trains were introduced from 24 December 2016, scheduled to entirely replace the fleet of 23 103 and 201 series trains by 2018. As of December 2021, few of the remaining 103 series (from Nara Line) and 201 series (Osaka Higashi & Yamatoji Line) continue to be used on the Loop Line.

Yamatoji Rapid, Regional Rapid

• 221 series

Kansai Airport Rapid, Kishūji Rapid, Direct Rapid and Local

• 223 series (0 and 2500 subseries)
• 225 series (5000 and 5100 subseries)

Limited express

• 271 series (Haruka service, from Spring 2020)
• 281 series (Haruka service)
• 283 series (Kuroshio service)
• 287 series (Kuroshio service)
• 289 series (Kuroshio service)

Freight

Locomotives seen hauling freight trains include the M250 series, EF65, EF66, EF81, EF210 and DE10.

Former

Passenger

• 72 series
• 101 series (March 22, 1964 – April 28, 1991)
• 103 series (1969 – 3 October 2017)
• 113 series (until December 10, 2011)
• 381 series (Kuroshio service, until October 30, 2015)
• 201 series (2005 – 7 June 2019)

File:JRW-201 and 103 001JPN.JPG|103 series (left) and 201 series EMUs

Freight

• DD51

Fares

A special discount rate is applied for travels within the Osaka Loop Line, the Sakurajima Line and the segment between JR Namba Station and Tennōji Station of the Kansai Main Line (collectively called the Osaka Loop Zone). The following table is the rate for adult single-ride tickets. (Note: Fractions of one kilometre are rounded up to the nearest full kilometre.)

::data[format=table]

Kilometre	Yen
1–3	120
4–6	160
7–10	170
11–15	190
16–20	260
::

For travel between a station within the zone and a station out of the zone or between two stations out of the zone, fares are calculated in accordance with a universal fare table and the discount rate as above is not applicable.

For the calculation of the fare for travel between two stations out of the zone that includes the segment between Ōsaka Station and Tennōji Station of the Osaka Loop Line, where two routes (10.7 km route via Temma and 11.0 km route via Fukushima) are practical, the shorter route is always used irrespective of the actual travel route.

History

The Ōsaka Loop Line consists of four segments, namely: ;Jōtō Line :Eastern half of present line, Ōsaka – Tennōji via Kyōbashi ;Nishinari Line :The northwestern quarter, Osaka – Nishi-Kujō ;Kansai Main Line freight line :Southwestern portion, Tennōji – Sakaigawa Junction ;Purpose-built section :The remainder to complete the loop, Nishi-Kujō – Sakaigawa Junction

Jōtō Line

The Ōsaka to Tennōji via Kyōbashi section (the eastern half of Osaka Loop Line) was opened by the Osaka Railway (which also opened the present Minami Osaka Line network) to link it to the Japanese Government Railway (JGR) network in 1895. The line was opened in 2 stages: Tennōji – Tamatsukuri (2 mi. 28 chain, ca. 3.8 km) on 28 May; and Tamatsukuri – Umeda (4 mi. 29 chain, ca. 7.0 km) on 17 October.

Earlier, in 1889, the company opened its main line from – Tennōji – Minatomachi which includes a short section of the Osaka Loop Line, being Tennōji – ; Imamiya station itself, located between Tennōji and Minatomachi, was opened in 1890.

The Osaka Railway merged with the Kansai Railway in 1900, creating a single entity for the line from Tennōji Station to JGR Ōsaka Station. The Kansai Railway was acquired by the national government in 1907 under the 1906 Railway Nationalization Act. In 1909 the line was named the "Jōtō Line".

In 1930, distances were changed to metric, thus the distance changed from 6.6 miles to 10.7 km. Electrification of the Jōtō Line was commissioned in 1933.

Nishinari Line

The Osaka to Nishi-Kujō section (the northwestern quarter of the line) was built by the Nishinari Railway to provide rail access to the Osaka Port. In 1898, the company opened the Osaka – line, which was leased to JGR in 1904. In 1906 the company was nationalized under the act of the same year. In 1909, the line was named the "Nishinari Line" which included the present-day Sakurajima Line.

The Nishinari Line was electrified in 1941.

Kansai Main Line Freight Line

The Tennōji to Sakaigawa Signal Box (between Taishō and Bentenchō, closed in 2006 when the branch to the port closed) section (south-western portion of the loop) was constructed for freight traffic by the JGR to the port area in 1928, connecting to a freight branch line of the Kansai Main Line, Imamiya – Naniwa – Osaka-minato with a distance of 5.2 mi. (ca. 8.4 km). In 1930 with the change to metric measurement, it became 8.2 km. The former Osaka-Minato and Osaka-Tōkō stations were closed in 1984.

Purpose-built loop line section

To complete the Loop Line, new tracks were constructed between Nishi-Kujō and Sakaigawa Signal Box by the then Japanese National Railways. In 1961, this section opened and the new Osaka Loop Line was named for the entirety of the then Jōtō Line, Osaka – Nishi-Kujō section of the Nishinari Line (the rest, Nishi-Kujō – Sakurajima was named the Sakurajima Line) and the new Nishi-Kujō – Taishō – Tennōji section.

In 1964, operation as a complete Loop Line commenced with the opening of elevated double tracks around Nishi-Kujō. Until then the operation had been undertaken in the shape of a mirrored "6", Sakurajima – Nishi-Kujō – Osaka – Kyōbashi – Tennōji – Nishi-Kujō. The Tennōji – Shin-Imamiya section was quadrupled in 1968, to separate operations from the Kansai Main Line.

References

This article incorporates material from the corresponding article in the Japanese Wikipedia

References

1. link
2. [[Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (Japan). Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport]] (2001) {{Nihongo. ''Railway directory: FY [[Heisei]] 13th ed.''. 鉄道要覧平成13年度版. Tetsudō Yōran Heisei 13 nendo-ban, Tokyo: {{Nihongo. 鉄道図書刊行会 or 電気車研究会. Tetsudō Tosho Kankōkai or Denkisha Kenkyūkai {{ISBN. 4-88548-099-X
3. link. Daisuke. Ueshin. (25 December 2016). Mynavi News. Mynavi Corporation
4. link. (5 September 2017). Japan Railfan Magazine Online. Koyusha Co., Ltd.
5. link. (6 June 2019). Tetsudo Channel Online
6. West Japan Railway Company. "きっぷのルール".
7. link. West Japan Railway Company
8. Section 69, West Japan Railway Company Terms and Conditions for Passenger Transport

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