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The Hankyu Railway is a private railroad corporation having a railroad network with lines from Osaka-Umeda Station to Kobe, Takarazuka, and Kyoto, which is one of the 4 major private railroad corporations in the Kansai area.
The railroad corporation started from the Mino-Arima Electric Tramline (which is currently the Mino Line in the Takarazuka Line) established in 1907 by Ichizo Kobayashi. After that, the line extended to Takarazuka, and the railroad corporation itself performed development along the railway line, for example, construction of housing lands and leisure facilities. People say that the business model in which a railroad line is first laid and then the housing lands and leisure facilities are developed along the railway line was created by Ichizo Kobayashi. In 1936, the Kobe Line from Osaka-Umeda to Kobe-Sannomiya was opened, and the Kyoto Line from Osaka-Umeda to Kyoto-Kawaramachi was added. This form has been continued.
The color of the car body of the Hankyu train has been consistently reddish-brown or chocolate-brown, which is called “Hankyu Maroon,” since the establishment. Speaking of the color of the Hankyu train, we cannot image other colors then the Hankyu Maroon.
Once 12-car sets were operated, but now 7, 8, or 10-car sets are operated.
In spring, Hankyu trains running through cherry blossoms in full bloom are so cool.
The Hankyu Railway has the 3 lines of Takarazuka, Kobe, and Kyoto, and the 3 lines parallelly run from Osaka-Umeda Station to Juso Station (the second station from Umeda Station). At Juso Station, the 3 lines fork heading for respective destination. Between Juso Station and Nakatsu Station (the first station from Umeda Station), Yodogawa River runs, and 3 iron bridges span the river. The 3 trains of the 3 lines start at the same time from Umeda Station, and so you can watch the 3 trains running on the iron bridges one after the other from the riverside of Yodogawa River. In addition, you can see Juso Station from the riverside, and sometimes can see 4 trains at the same time.
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Kobe, Takarazuka, and Kyoto Lines from left
Trains in the up and down lines of Kobe Line cross at Juso Station.
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Trains crossing Yodogawa River. Skyscrapers in Umeda are seen behind.
Train seen forward goes to Umeda
Wrapping trains, which have special films on their car bodies, run on the railways of the Hankyu. From August of last year to March of this year, the wrapping trains having films on which characters appearing in the cartoon Tom and Jerry were printed ran. In each line of the Takarazuka, Kobe and Kyoto lines, Tom and Jerry, and other characters were printed on the first car and the end car bodies adopting as backgrounds famous places in each area of the Takarazuka, Kobe and Kyoto. You could also see the characters on the middles car bodies and the inside of the car. The wrapping trains were extremely popular to not only children but also adults who were fond of watching the cartoon when they were children.
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Train bound for Umeda in Kobe Line
Various Sights along Kobe Line
Chasing among Cherry Blossoms
At Clock Tower
Train bound for Umeda in Takarazuka Line
Mino Water Fall
Amusement Park,
Train bound for Umeda in Kyoto Line
Daimonji
Torii Gate
Characters on Middle Train Cars
Inside
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Train bound for Kobe
Cherry Blossoms Sights
Nankinmachi
Meriken Park
Train bound for Takarazuka
Various Sights along Takarazuka Line
Big Stage in Takarazuka Theater
Takoyaki
Train bound for Kawaramachi
Various Sights along Kyoto Line
Pagoda
Characters on Middle Train Cars
Inside
The round plate attached on the front face of the train, on which the characters are depicted, is a destination guide plate. Before, the Hankyu Railway used a marker plate (or destination guide plate) showing the destination of a train, which was attached to the head of the first car. The plate was a printed seal on which the destination was written was affixed to an aluminum plate. Now, the destination is displayed using LED, and so the trains have no destination guide plates.
Finally, I’d like to introduce Kyo-Train Garaku to you. This is a tourist train that runs only on Saturday, Sunday and holidays. The car bodies and the interiors of the cars have a different motif showing each of four seasons in Kyoto. You don’t have to reserve it nor is there an extra charge. It is a 6-car set in which you can freely come and go inside the cars, because there is no seat reservation. The train turns back at Umeda Station, but it waits for about 1 hour at Kawaramachi Station.
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The first car expresses autumn.
The pattern on a seat is a maple on flowing water.
The second car expresses winter.
The third car expresses spring
Cherry Blossoms Scattering
The fourth car expresses summer.
The fifth car expresses early autumn.
The sixth car expresses early spring.
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Japanese Maple on Japanese Folding Fan
Different Color from Left
Leaves of Bamboo
Miniature Garden Inside Car
Cherry Blossoms on Japanese Folding Fan
Hollyhock
The pattern on a seat is irises.
Japanese Pampas Grass
Plum Blossoms on Japanese Folding Fan
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