Hankyu Never Changes

[bill937ca]

Years ago, perhaps in a previous century,  my first exposure to Japanese traction and trains was an ancient VHS tape called Rising Sun Traction.  The tape opened with a sequence in and around Umeda Station in Osaka and there was a sequence across the river at Juso Station. Lots of maroon trains coming and going.  All highly organized and very consistent.

 

To this day the maroon trains are all highly polished, immaculate railway specimens. No aluminum trains here.  That old video said the Hankyu was modeled on the Pacific Electric and I would believe it.  Hankyu was also the originator of railway department store.

 

So for those not familiar here is a video of the triple main line at Juso Station.

 

 

[Densha]

The only Hankyu line I have ridden is the Kyoto Main Line from Umeda to the Kawaramachi. I have also spent some time at Umeda station looking at trains arriving and departing simultaneously. But even if I only spent very little time on the network, I was very impressed with every aspect of the railway operation. The trains look very elegant both from the inside and outside, and even just the longitude seats are very comfortable. Operation-wise the station are very functional, and the trains extremely punctual in an easy to understand constantly repeating timetable. I think it's fair to call Hankyu the Keikyu of the Kansai region.

[Sacto1985]

Remember that old Japanese comic picture someone posted here a few years ago, showing how Hankyu is such a "high class" operation between Osaka Umeda and Hankyu Sannomiya stations? Hankyu really does live up to that reputation, with very clean, well-maintained trains that run through all the high-class neighborhoods of northern Osaka (many built with Hankyu money!).

[chadbag]

Hankyu trains were my first exposure to Japanese trains.  My MIL lives in Amagasaki in the Mukonosou area, and the first several times we went to Japan we did not have JR Passes and the bus to the Hankyu Mukonosou station is only about 10mins so we rode Hankyu into Osaka/Umeda and elsewhere, including Kobe.   We eventually started getting JR Passes so now mostly take the bus to Tachibana (longer bus ride) and ride the local JR trains (JR Series 321) into Osaka (shorter train ride than the Hankyu), but we occasionally still ride a Hankyu train.   Like on Sundays when we take the Hankyu train one stop to visit some church services.

 

Hankyu is part of the same holding group that also owns the Hanshin Railway in the Osaka area (as of 2006) and operates at least one of the subway lines and you often see Hankyu trains in the Subway on that line (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sakaisuji_Line).  Surprised me when we went to Den Den town and rode this line to see the Hankyu trains rolling through.

 

Hankyu uses standard gauge tracks, and not narrow gauge like JR.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hankyu

 

[ToniBabelony]

9 hours ago, Densha said:

I think it's fair to call Hankyu the Keikyu of the Kansai region.

 

I'd rather go with the comparison that Hankyū is more akin to Tōkyū. Both networks are fairly similar and both operate on a similar businesses model.

 

Keikyu would be closer to Hanshin as its Kansai counterpart I'd say, as both are more focused on a lower class demographic, rather than the upper class both Tōkyū and Hankyū serve.

 

If we go even beyond that, similarities between Kintetsu and Tōbu arise, as well as Nankai and Odakyū, but that's for another topic perhaps xD

 

Also I feel like talking about these comparisons are a déjà vu...

[Suica]

Quote

Hankyu Never Changes

And that's a good thing. I first rode Hankyu this January and I instantly fell in love with this company. Actually, my first experience was with Hankyu's subsidiary Noseden but I spent the whole day on Hankyu trains, thanks to the Hankyu-Hanshin New Year Ticket.

If I had to describe Hankyu with one word it'd be "COMFY".

[bikkuri bahn]

 

Quote

If I had to describe Hankyu with one word it'd be "COMFY”

No doubt greatly due to those seats made of mohair from Angora goats.  

[miyakoji]

5 hours ago, Kabutoni said:

If we go even beyond that, similarities between Kintetsu and Tōbu arise, as well as Nankai and Odakyū, but that's for another topic perhaps xD

 

Also I feel like talking about these comparisons are a déjà vu...

 

Is there another thread about this?  Prototypes has seemed relatively quiet for a long time now, maybe I missed it.  Anyway, I too have thought of Kintetsu and Tobu as the Kansai/Kanto versions of each other, but I never really thought about the others.

[bill937ca]

One thing I remember but I do not believe is general knowledge here is that the rolling stock on the Kyoto line is 2800mm wide and rolling stock on the Kobe Line and Takarazuka Line is 2750 mm wide.  Cars from the Kyoto line cannot run on the Kobe Line or Takarazuka line.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hankyu

 

Hankyu Corporation Japanese Wikipedia page: https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/阪急電鉄

 

Hankyu's Shosha repair shops are located on the Kyoto line allowing all trains to access the shops.

[Sacto1985]

9 hours ago, Kabutoni said:

 

I'd rather go with the comparison that Hankyū is more akin to Tōkyū. Both networks are fairly similar and both operate on a similar businesses model.

 

Keikyu would be closer to Hanshin as its Kansai counterpart I'd say, as both are more focused on a lower class demographic, rather than the upper class both Tōkyū and Hankyū serve.

 

If we go even beyond that, similarities between Kintetsu and Tōbu arise, as well as Nankai and Odakyū, but that's for another topic perhaps xD

 

 

 

Tokyu Corporation is actually modeled a LOT from Hankyu--after all, Tokyu founder Keito Gotō modeled Tokyu Corporation after what Ichizō Koyabashi did with Hankyu--especially real estate development. It's not a coincidence that most Tokyu real estate projects are built near Tokyu lines like all that housing between Osaka and Takarazuka were built by Hankyu.

 

As for Keikyu comparisons to Hanshin, I think the Japanese hold Keikyu in higher esteem, though. Many Japanese consider Keikyu the best-run private railway in Japan. And I'm not sure if I want to compare Kintetsu with Tōbu, since Kintetsu dominates commuter rail in central and eastern Osaka, has a line running between Osaka and Nagoya, and dominates the tourist service to the Ise Peninsula from Osaka and Nagoya.