Puneet Varma (Editor)

Chūō Line (Osaka)

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Type
  
Rapid transit

Opened
  
December 11, 1961

Line length
  
17.9 km (11.1 mi)

Stations
  
14

System
  
Osaka Municipal Subway

Depot(s)
  
Morinomiya

Line number
  
4

Locale
  
Osaka, Higashi-osaka

Chūō Line (Osaka) httpsuploadwikimediaorgwikipediacommonsthu

Owner
  
Osaka Municipal Transportation Bureau (Osakako — Nagata) Osaka Port Transport System Co., Ltd. (Cosmosquare — Osakako)

Operator
  
Osaka Municipal Transportation Bureau

Terminis
  
Cosmosquare Station, Nagata Station

The Chūō Line (大阪市営地下鉄中央線, Ōsaka-shiei-chikatetsu Chūō-sen) is a rapid transit system in Osaka, Japan, operated by the Osaka Municipal Subway. The line runs east-westerly under Chūō Avenue (中央大通, Chūō Ōdōri). Its official name is Rapid Electric Tramway Line No. 4 (高速電気軌道第4号線), while the Osaka Municipal Transportation Bureau refers to it as Osaka City Rapid Railway Line No. 4 (大阪市高速鉄道第4号線), and in MLIT publications, it is written as Line No. 4 (Chūō Line) (4号線（中央線）). Station numbers are indicated by the letter C.

Contents

Together with the through operation to the Keihanna Line, the two lines have a unified nickname "Yumehanna" (ゆめはんな).

On July 1, 2005, Osaka City bought the Technoport Line (テクノポート線) from Cosmosquare to Osakakō of its subsidiary Osaka Port Transport System Co., Ltd. (大阪港トランスポートシステム), reducing fare to increase traffic. The section became a part of the Chūō Line, however is still owned by OTS.

The Chūō Line is the only line to connect to all other railway lines operated by the Osaka Municipal Transportation Bureau, including the Nankō Port Town Line.

Line data

  • Above-ground section: after Awaza Station to Ōsakakō Station
  • Block signalling: Automatic
  • Train protection system: WS-ATC
  • Cars per train: 6 (1984 – present)
  • Maximum possible cars per train (platform length): 8

    • Osaka Municipal Subway

  • 20 series (from 1984)
  • 24 series (from 1991) (in green Osaka Municipal Transportation Bureau and blue Osaka Port Transport System (OTS) liveries)

    • Kintetsu

  • 7000 series (from 1986)
  • 7020 series (from 2004)

    • The Osaka Municipal Subway trains are based at Morinomiya Depot, while the Kintetsu trains are based at Higashi-Hanazono and Tomigaoka Depots located on the Keihanna Line.

    Former

  • 800 series (1961-1978)
  • 900 series (1964-1978)
  • 30 series (1967-1969, 1983-1995)
  • 50 series (1969-1991)

    • History

    The line opened on December 11, 1961, initially running between Ōsakakō and Bentenchō (this was the first elevated portion of the Osaka subway system); trains were initially composed of one car. Between 1964 and 1985, the line was expanded towards Nagata in four stages:

  • October 31, 1964: Section between Bentenchō and Hommachi opens, with intermediate stations at Kujo and Awaza.
  • September 30, 1967: The section between Tanimachi 4-chome and Morinomiya opens as a shuttle service with 2-car trains.
  • July 29, 1968: The section of the shuttle service between Morinomiya and Fukaebashi opens.
  • December 6, 1969: The section between Hommachi and Tanimachi 4-chome (including Sakaisuji-Hommachi) opens after construction delays; the shuttle service between Tanimachi 4-chome and Fukaebashi was absorbed into the line, which was now named the Chūō Line. 4-car trains begin operation.
  • April 5, 1985: The section between Fukaebashi and Nagata opens. 6-car trains begin operation.
  • October 1, 1986: Through service to Ikoma commences upon the opening of the Kintetsu Keihanna Line (then named the Higashiosaka Line).

    • On December 18, 1997, the OTS Technoport Line opened between Ōsakakō and Cosmosquare. This line was absorbed into the Chūō Line on July 1, 2005. The Keihanna Line was extended further into Nara when the extension to Gakken Nara-Tomigaoka opened on March 27, 2006.

    References

    Chūō Line (Osaka) Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA


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