Hanshin Electric Railway Co., Ltd. (阪神電気鉄道株式会社, Hanshin Denki-tetsudō Kabushiki-gaisha) is a Japanese private railway company of Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group that links Osaka and Kobe. It also owns the Hanshin Tigers baseball team.
The second character for Osaka (大阪) and the first character for Kobe (神戸) combine to form the company name, 阪神, which can be read Han-shin.
IC cards (PiTaPa and ICOCA) are accepted when taking trains.
Main Line (本線) (Umeda – Motomachi, 32.1 km)Hanshin Namba Line (阪神なんば線) (Amagasaki – Ōsaka Namba, 10.1 km)The section between Nishikujō and Ōsaka-Namba is the newest line of Hanshin that opened on March 20, 2009. Prior to this extension the line was called the Nishi-Ōsaka Line.
Mukogawa Line (武庫川線) (Mukogawa – Mukogawa-danchimae, 1.7 km)Kobe Kosoku Line (神戸高速線) (Category-2, Motomachi – Nishidai, 5.0 km)The tracks of the line are owned by Kobe Rapid Transit Railway Co., Ltd. as the Tozai Line.
Abandoned lines
Kita-Osaka Line (北大阪線) (Noda – Tenjimbashisuji Rokuchome)Kokudo Line(国道線) (Noda – Higashi-Kobe)Koshien Line (甲子園線) (Kamikoshien - Koshien - Hamakoshien - Nakatsuhama)Amagasaki Kaigan Line (尼崎海岸線) (Deyashiki - Higashihama)Mukogawa Line (武庫川線) (Mukogawa - Muko-ohashi - Nishinomiya (Japanese National Railways)): the line between Muko-ohashi and Nishinomiya (JNR) was used only for freight trains operated by JNR.Imazu Deyashiki Line (今津出屋敷線): Takasu - Suzaki - Hamakoshien - ImazuAmagasaki Takarazuka Line (尼崎宝塚線): Amagasaki - Takarazuka: planned by Takarazuka Amagasaki Railway CompanyDaini Hanshin Line: Umeda - Chidoribashi - Amagasaki - Sannomiya - MinatogawaJune 12, 1899: Settsu Electric Railway Co., Ltd. (摂津電気鉄道株式会社, Settsu Denki-tetsudō Kabushiki-gaisha) was established.July 7, 1899: The company was renamed "Hanshin Electric Railway Co., Ltd."April 7, 1968: Kobe Rapid Railway was opened and joint operation with Sanyo Electric Railway was started.February 15, 1998: Joint operation with Sanyo Electric Railway for limited express service between Umeda and Himeji was started.June 20, 2006: Hankyu Holdings, Inc. completed its purchase of a controlling interest in Hanshin in a transaction valued at about $2.2 billion.March 20, 2009: Joint operation with Kintetsu Railway for Rapid Express service between Sannomiya and Kintetsu Nara was started.1000 series - through services onto the Kintetsu Nara Line8000 series9000 series - through services onto the Kintetsu Nara Line9300 series50015131/53315500 series5550 series (since January 2010)5700 series (since August 2015) (2016 Blue Ribbon Award winner)78617890/7990Hanshin Electric Railway owns the Hanshin Tigers baseball team, whose home ground is Hanshin Koshien Stadium in front of Kōshien Station of the railway's Main Line.
One of the company's subsidiaries is the Osaka-based company Hanshin Contents Link, that operates the Billboard Japan brand under licence from Billboard's publisher.
