The Hankyu Senri Line (阪急千里線, Hankyū Senri-sen) is a railway line in Osaka Prefecture, Japan, operated by Hankyu Railway. It commenced operation in 1921 and was completed on March 1, 1967. Through trains operate to and from the Hankyu Kyoto Line and the Osaka Municipal Subway Sakaisuji Line.

Hankyu Senri Line
Senri Line train crossing the Kanzaki River (between Shimo-Shinjō Station and Suita Station), April 2013
Overview
LocaleKansai
Termini
  • Tenjinbashisuji Rokuchōme
  • Kita-senri
Stations11
Service
Operator(s)Hankyu Railway
Depot(s)Shojaku
History
Completed1967
Technical
Line length13.6 km (8.5 mi)
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in)
Electrification1,500 V DC, overhead line
Operating speed80[1] km/h (50 mph)
Route map

History

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The Kita-Osaka Electric Railway opened the Awaji - Senriyama section (1435 mm gauge, dual track) electrified at 600 VDC in 1921.

The Senri line was nicknamed the "Graveyard Train" as the northern terminus around Senriyama was once the site of numerous graveyards.[2]

In 1923, the Shin-Keihan Railway assumed management of the railway. The Awaji-Tenjimbashi (Tenjimbashisuji Rokuchme) segment opened in 1925 (1435 mm gauge, twin track), electrified at 600 VDC, then extended to 1500 VDC in 1928. With the terminal at Tenjimbashi, this section was a part of the main line of the Shin-Keihan Railway (later the Shin-Keihan Line of the Keihan Electric Railway) connecting Kyoto and Osaka.[2]

The Senriyama - Shin-Senriyama (now Minami-Senri) section opened in 1963, and was extended to Kita-Senri in 1967 (both dual track and electrified). These extensions were to serve the newly developed Senri New Town.

After the Shinkeihan lines were merged to Hankyu in 1943, the role of Tenjimbashi Station as the terminal was gradually shifted to Umeda, the terminal built by Hankyu, and ended in 1969 when the through-running from Tenjimbashisuji Rokuchōme (replacing the old terminal with a single underground platform) to the Osaka Subway Sakaisuji Line commenced. In 1970, the line was one of major access routes to Expo '70 with the temporary Expo West Gate Station.

Construction has been in progress since 2012 to elevate a 3.8 km (2.4 mi) section of track from Kunijima Station to Shimo-Shinjō Station including the junction with the Kyoto Line at Awaji Station.[3] Originally projected for a 2020 completion, various delays have pushed back the start of operations on the new tracks to 2031.[4]

As of 2013, all stations on the line are assigned station numbers.[5]

The Senri line celebrated its 100th year of operation on 21 April 2021.[6]

Service types

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In the timetable revised on December 21, 2013,[7] regular trains are classified in three types:

  • Local (普通, futsū)
  • Sakaisuji Semi-Express (堺筋準急, sakaisuji junkyū)
  • Limited Express "Hozu" (直通特急 ほづ, chokutsū tokkyū) - in spring and autumn

Stations

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No. Station Japanese Distance (km) Sakaisuji Semi-Express Limited Express Hozu Transfers Location
Through service: From Tenjimbashisuji Rokuchōme: Local / Sakaisuji Semi-Express trains to   Osaka Metro Sakaisuji Line for Tengachaya

From Awaji: Local trains to   Hankyu Kyoto Main Line for Umeda

 K11  Tenjimbashisuji Rokuchōme 天神橋筋六丁目 0.0
Kita-ku, Osaka
HK-87 Kunijima 柴島 2.2 | |   Higashiyodogawa-ku, Osaka
HK-63 Awaji 淡路 3.5
HK-88 Shimo-Shinjō 下新庄 4.4    
HK-89 Suita 吹田 6.0   Suita, Osaka
HK-90 Toyotsu 豊津 6.9  
HK-91 Kandai-mae 関大前 7.8  
HK-92 Senriyama 千里山 8.6  
HK-93 Minami-Senri 南千里 10.2  
HK-94 Yamada 山田 11.6 Osaka Monorail Main Line
HK-95 Kita-Senri 北千里 13.6  
Through service: From Awaji:

Abandoned stations

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  • Nagara (Tenjimbashisuji Rokuchome - Kunijima) - abandoned on February 1, 1944
  • Suita (first) (Shimo-Shinjo - Shiyakusho-mae) - consolidated to Shiyakisho-mae Station on April 10, 1964 and Shiyakusho-mae Station was renamed Suita Station.
  • Kadancho (Toyotsu - Daigaku-mae) - consolidated to Kandai-mae Station on April 10, 1964
  • Daigaku-mae (Kadancho - Senriyama) - consolidated to Kandai-mae Station on April 10, 1964
  • Expo West Gate (Minami-Senri - Kita-Senri) - used from November 10, 1969 until September 14, 1970

References

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

  1. ^ 寺田, 裕一 (2013). 改訂新版 データブック日本の私鉄 (in Japanese). Japan: ネコ・パブリッシング. ISBN 978-4777013364.
  2. ^ a b 宮武, 和多哉 (20 June 2021). "「墓地電車」から始まった阪急千里線100年の激変 一時「京阪電車」だったことも 続く進化" [The 100-year drastic change of the Hankyu-Senri Line that started from the "graveyard train" The evolution that was once the "Keihan train" continues]. trafficnews.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 29 November 2021.
  3. ^ "阪急電鉄京都線・千里線(淡路駅付近)連続立体交差事業" [Hankyu Railway Kyoto Line / Senri Line (near Awaji Station) continuous grade crossing project]. Osaka City Online (in Japanese). 28 June 2019. Archived from the original on 30 March 2022. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
  4. ^ "阪急立体交差事業で690億円増 大阪市試算" [69 billion yen increase in Hankyu grade crossing project]. Sankei Shimbun (in Japanese). 10 March 2022. Archived from the original on 8 April 2022. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
  5. ^ "すべてのお客様に、よりわかりやすく「西山天王山」駅開業にあわせて、「三宮」「服部」「中山」「松尾」4駅の駅名を変更し、全駅で駅ナンバリングを導入します" [Easier to understand for all customers - In line with the opening of "Nishiyama Tennoyama" station, we will change the station names of the four stations "Sannomiya", "Hattori", "Nakayama" and "Matsuo" and introduce station numbering at all stations.] (PDF). hankyu-hanshin.co.jp. April 30, 2013. Retrieved November 29, 2021.
  6. ^ "阪急千里線が2021年に開業100周年を迎えます開業100周年を記念し、「ヘッドマークの掲出」や「グッズの販売」などを実施します" [The Hankyu Senri Line will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2021. To commemorate the 100th anniversary of its opening, we will carry out posting headmarks and sell goods] (PDF). hankyu-hanshin.co.jp (in Japanese). 29 March 2021. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
  7. ^ Hankyu Corporation (September 20, 2013). "西山天王山駅の開業にあわせて京都線のダイヤ改正を実施します" [We will revise the schedule of the Kyoto Line in line with the opening of Nishiyama Tennoyama Station] (PDF) (Press release) (in Japanese).