The is a railway line in Osaka, Japan, operated by the West Japan Railway Company (JR West). The line connects Ōsaka Station in northern Osaka with Kyūhōji Station in Yao, forming an arc around the northern and eastern suburbs of the city. Before being named on August 23, 2007, the line was constructed with the tentative name .
The line is constructed and owned by as a Category 3 railway business under the Railway Business Act of Japan. JR West and JR Freight run trains as Category 2 operators. The Kita-Umeda extension opened on March 18, 2023, replacing the above-ground Umeda Freight Line.
History
Conceived in the 1950s during Japan's explosive postwar economic growth, it was planned as a grand "outer loop" of the city, using existing freight lines to link Amagasaki with Shin-Ōsaka, Suita, Awaji, Hanaten, Kami, Uriwari and Sugimotochō, with a newly constructed segment into Osaka's (then primarily industrial) Nankō Port Town. However, with JNR's financial situation deteriorating catastrophically (culminating in its privatization) and continuing issues surrounding land acquisition and squatting by local residents on railway property, the plan was cut back to Shin-Osaka and Kami, terminating at Kyūhōji in the south. (The Hanwa Freight Line, which would have carried the southern segment from Kami to Sugimotochō, was officially abandoned by JR Freight in 2009.) The line connects Shin-Osaka Station in northern Osaka with Kyūhōji Station in Yao, forming an arc around the northern and eastern suburbs of the city.
The southern part opened on March 15, 2008. Due to problems with the illegal occupation of a site, construction of the northern part was delayed. Construction of the northern segment started in 2011, and the section between Shin-Ōsaka and Hanaten opened on March 16, 2019.
Incorporated into the second phase of the Osaka Higashi Line project is the construction of underground platforms at Osaka Station (known as Umekita). The project provides the basis for the future Naniwasuji Line while also providing a small shortcut on current services on the Haruka and Kuroshio limited express trains.
In February 2023, track switching work took place between the 11th and 13th of that month. The underground platforms began operation later in the year on March 18.
Stations
- ● : Direct Rapid service stops here
- | : Direct Rapid service does not stop here
Local trains stop at all stations.
For limited express Mahoroba, see the respective article.
{| class=wikitable
! rowspan="2" |No.
! rowspan="2" |Station
! rowspan="2" |Japanese
! colspan="2" |Distance (km)
! rowspan="2" |Direct Rapid
! rowspan="2" |Transfers
! rowspan="2" |Location
|-
!Between Stations
!Total
|-
|
|
|大阪
| align="right" | 3.8
|3.8
| style="text-align:center; background-color:#bbf;" | ●
| align="center" valign="bottom" |
20px JR Kōbe Line (JR-A47)
20px JR Takarazuka Line (JR-G47)
20px Osaka Loop Line (JR-O11)
From Osaka-umeda Station:
- 20x20px Hankyū Kōbe Main Line, 20x20px Hankyu Takarazuka Main Line, 20x20px Hankyu Kyoto Main Line (HK-01)
From Osaka-Umeda Station:
- 20x20px Hanshin Main Line (HS 01)
From Umeda Station:
- Midōsuji Line (M16)
From Higashi-Umeda Station:
- Tanimachi Line (T20)
From Nishi-Umeda Station:
- Yotsubashi Line (Y11)
From Kitashinchi Station:
- 20px JR Tōzai Line (JR-H44)
|Kita-ku, Osaka
|-
|
|
|新大阪
| align="right" | -
|0.0
| style="text-align:center; background-color:#bbf;" |●
|20px JR Kyoto Line (JR-A46)
20x20px20x20px Tokaido・Sanyo Shinkansen
Osaka Metro Midōsuji Line (M13)
|Yodogawa-ku, Osaka
|-
|
|
|南吹田
| align="right" |2.0
|2.0
| style="text-align:center; background-color:#bbf;" | <nowiki>|</nowiki>
|
|Suita
|-
|
|
|JR淡路
| align="right" |1.3
|3.3
| style="text-align:center; background-color:#bbf;" |●
|From Awaji Station:
- 20x20px Hankyu Kyoto Line (HK-63)
- 20x20px Hankyu Senri Line (HK-63)
|Higashiyodogawa-ku, Osaka
|-
|
|
|城北公園通
| align="right" |2.1
|5.4
| style="text-align:center; background-color:#bbf;" |●
|
|Miyakojima-ku, Osaka
|-
|
|
|JR野江
| align="right" |2.2
|7.6
| style="text-align:center; background-color:#bbf;" | <nowiki>|</nowiki>
|From Noe Station:
20x20px Keihan Main Line (KH-05)
From Noe-Uchindai Station:
Osaka Metro Tanimachi Line (T16)
| rowspan="2" |Joto-ku, Osaka
|-
|
|
|鴫野
| align="right" |1.8
|9.4
| style="text-align:center; background-color:#bbf;" | <nowiki>|</nowiki>
|20px Katamachi Line (Gakkentoshi Line, JR-H40)
Osaka Metro Imazatosuji Line
|-
|
|
|放出
| align="right" |1.6
|11.0
| style="text-align:center; background-color:#bbf;" | ●
|20px Katamachi Line (Gakkentoshi Line, JR-H39)
|Tsurumi-ku, Osaka
|-
|
|
|高井田中央
| align="right" |1.7
|12.7
| style="text-align:center; background-color:#bbf;" |●
|From Takaida Station:
Osaka Metro Chūō Line (C22)
| rowspan="5" |Higashiosaka, Osaka
|-
|
|
|JR河内永和
| align="right" |1.6
|14.3
| style="text-align:center; background-color:#bbf;" |●
|From Kawachi-Eiwa Station
Kintetsu Nara Line (A07)
|-
|
|
|JR俊徳道
| align="right" |0.6
|14.9
| style="text-align:center; background-color:#bbf;" | <nowiki>|</nowiki>
|From Shuntokumichi Station:
Osaka Line (D07)
|-
|
|
|JR長瀬
| align="right" |1.0
|15.9
| style="text-align:center; background-color:#bbf;" | <nowiki>|</nowiki>
|
|-
|
|
|衣摺加美北
| align="right" |1.3
|17.2
| style="text-align:center; background-color:#bbf;" | <nowiki>|</nowiki>
|
|-
|
|
|新加美
| align="right" |1.4
|18.6
| style="text-align:center; background-color:#bbf;" | <nowiki>|</nowiki>
|
|Hirano-ku, Osaka
|-
|
|
|久宝寺
| align="right" |1.6
|20.2
| style="text-align:center; background-color:#bbf;" | ●
|20px Yamatoji Line (Kansai Main Line)
|Yao, Osaka
|-
! colspan="8" |Direct Rapid service through to Nara via the Yamatoji Line
|}
;Notes:
Rolling stock
Passenger
- 221 series (used for Local services from March 12, 2022 and Direct Rapid services from March 18, 2023)
- 223-6000 series (used for Direct Rapid Services from March 15, 2008, until March 11, 2011)
- 321 series (Used for Direct Rapid Services until March 17, 2023)