One of the highly decorated funicular cars at
Ikoma-Sanjo station on the upper section of the Ikoma Funicular.
National Network
JR West passenger services on 1067mm gauge lines
in the region, also the Sanyo Shinkansen
(Click on “Global Site” on home page for English version)
JR Freight freight services on the 1067mm gauge
network.
Private Railways
Eizan Dentestsu standard gauge passenger railway
in the Kyoto area. 2 lines, 14km, 17 stations.
Hankyu Major standard gauge passenger railway
in the Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe area. 5 lines, 153km, 103 stations
(including 2 lines of the wholly owned subsidiary Nose Railway)
Hanshin Major standard gauge passenger railway
in the Osaka and Kobe area. 3 lines, 44km, 45 stations, plus some
through running onto the lines of other companies.
Hojo Railway third sector 1067mm gauge passenger
railway in the Hojo area. 14km, 8 stations (Site in
Japanese)
Keihan Major standard gauge passenger railway with
some street running in Osaka, Kyoto and the Shiga prefecture. 7 lines,
91km, 98 stations.
Kitakinki Tango Railway third sector 1067mm gauge
passenger railway in the Tango and Tajima areas. 2 lines, 114km, 32
stations.
Kintetsu Major passenger railway, having an extensive
network of standard gauge lines in the Osaka, Nagoya, Kyoto and Nara areas,
as well as about 85km of 1067mm gauge lines in the Osaka and Minama area,
and 8km of 762mm gauge line in the city of Yokkaichi.
Kishu Railway 1067mm gauge passenger railway in
the Gobo area. 3km, 5 stations (Site in Japanese)
Kobe Rapid Transit Railway Semi-major railway company
in the Kobe area. Operates no trains, but owns several short stretches of
line operated by other companies: 5km, standard gauge, operated by Hanshin;
2.2km, standard gauge, operated by Hankyu; and 0.4km, 1067mm gauge,
operated by Shintetsu (Site in Japanese)
Nankai Major 1067mm gauge passenger railway linking
Osaka with Kansai International Airport, Koyasan and Wakayama. 2 lines,
154km, 106 stations.
Ohmi Railway 1067mm gauge passenger railway in the
Shiga area. 3 lines, 60km, 32 stations (Site in Japanese)
Sanyo Electric Railway Semi-major standard gauge
passenger railway connecting Kobe with Himeji and Aboshi. 2 lines,
63 km, 49 stations
Semboku Rapid Railway Semi-major 1067mm gauge
passenger railway on the outskirts of Osaka, with through running to
the city centre via Nankai. 14 km, 6 stations (Site in
Japanese)
Shigaraki Kohgen Railway third sector 1067mm gauge
passenger railway in the between Shigaraki and Kibukawa. 15km, 6 stations
(Site in Japanese)
Shintetsu Semi-major 1067mm gauge passenger railway
in the Kobe area. Owns and operates 4 lines, and operates trains on a
short section of line owned by Kobe Rapid Transit Railway. 69 km,
47 stations (Site in Japanese)
Suitetsu 1067mm gauge passenger railway in the Kaizuka
area. 5km, 10 stations (Site in Japanese)
Tourist Services
Sagano
Romantic Railway (also known as Sagano Scenic Railway or
Sagano Sight-Seeing Tram) tourist railway between Saga (near JR
West Saga-Arashiyama station) to Kameoka, via the gorge of the Hozu River.
1067mm gauge, 7.3km, diesel hauled. Operates most days during spring,
summer and autumn
Wakayama Electric Railway tourist and local service
railway between Wakayama and Kishi. 1067mm gauge, 14km, 14 stations,
themed electric railcars
Sakuradani Light Railway 15 inch (381 mm) gauge
miniature railway over 500m in length, in Toyono, Osaka. Steam,
overhead electric or battery electric hauled. Private railway open
to the public one Sunday each month (Site in Japanese)
Metros, Trams and Funiculars
Ikoma
Funicular actually two successive funiculars with an interchange
station midway, serving Ikoma-Sanjo in the city of Ikoma (1067mm gauge;
Hozanji Line, Toriimae to Hozanji: 2 parallel funiculars, 146m rise in
900m; Sanjo Line, Hozanji to Ikoma-Sanjo: 322m rise in 1100m
(Site in Japanese)
Kobe
Kobe Municipal Subway heavy rail metro (one line
1067mm gauge, 22km, 17 stations and two lines standard gauge, 15km,
11 stations)
Hokushin Kyuko 1067mm gauge electric passenger
railway in the Tanigami suburb of Kobe, feeding into the Kobe Municipal
Subway. 7km, 2 stations (Site in Japanese)
Kobe New
Transit third sector rubber tyred guided transit system connecting
the artificial islands in the port of Kobe with the mainland. 2 lines,
15km, 18 stations
Maya Funicular serving Mount Maya. 1067mm gauge,
312m rise in 900m (Site in Japanese)
Rokkosan Funicular serving Mount Rokko. 1067mm gauge,
493m rise in 1.7km (Site in Japanese)
Koyasan
Funicular serving Mount Koya in Wakayama. 1067mm gauge,
330m rise in 800m
Kyoto
Kyoto
Municipal Subway heavy rail metro, 1067mm gauge, 29km, 31 stations.
Some services run through to Kintetsu lines
Keifuku Electric
Railway trams from the city centre to the western suburb of Arashiyama
(standard gauge, 2 lines, 11km, 22 stations) and the Eizan funicular
serving Mount Hiei (1067mm gauge with a rise of 561m in 1.3km)
(Site in Japanese)
Mount Kurama Funicular serving the Kurama-Dera
Temple. 800mm gauge, 96m rise in 200m (Siter in Japanese)
Otokoyama Funicular in Yawata, serving the
Iwashimizu Shrine. 1067mm gauge, 82m rise in 400m (Site in
Japanese)
Nishi-Shigi Funicular in Yao serving the
Chogo Sonshi-ji temple on Mount Shigi. 1067mm gauge, 355m rise in 1.3km
(Site in Japanese)
Myoken Funicular in Kawanishi serving Mount Myoken.
Standard gauge, 229m rise in 600m (Site in Japanese)
Osaka
Osaka
Municipal Transportation heavy rail metro (standard gauge, 8 lines,
130km, 125 stations) and the “New Tram”, a rubber tyred guided transit
in the South Port area (8km, 9 stations)
Kita-Kyu
Semi-major standard gauge 3rd rail electrified railway forming the
Namboku line of the Metro, with through running to the Midosuji line
of the Municipal Metro. 4 stations (Site in Japanese)
Kansai
Airport People Mover rubber tyred guided transit system with 2
lines running from the central terminal building along the north and
south wings. Each line 585m with 3 stations. Generally only available
for use by passengers on flights arriving or departing from the
airport (Website contains little information relating to
railway)
Sakamoto Funicular in Otsu, Shiga serving Mount Hiei.
1067mm gauge, 4 stations, 484m rise in 2km (Site in Japanese)
Tankai Funicular serving the Nariai-Ji Temple,
overlooking the Amanohashidate natural causeway in Miyazu Bay. 1067mm
gauge, 130m rise in 400m (Site in Japanese)
