Biwako Line

Biwako Line
Legend
Hokuriku Main Line for Fukui, Naoetsu Tōkaidō Main Line to Sekigahara 7.7 Nagahama 4.7 Tamura 2.4 Sakata 0.0 Tokyo JR Central/JR West boundary 445.9 0.0 Maibara 451.9 6.0 Hikone Ohmi Railway Main Line for Yōkaichi, Kibukawa 455.2 9.3 Minami-Hikone 458.3 12.4 Kawase 462.0 16.1 Inae 465.7 19.8 Notogawa 470.8 24.9 Azuchi Ohmi Railway Yōkaichi Line for Yōkaichi 474.3 28.4 Ōmi-Hachiman 478.3 32.4 Shinohara 483.9 38.0 Yasu Yasu River 487.0 41.1 Moriyama 489.1 43.2 Rittō Kusatsu Line to Kibukawa, Tsuge 491.4 45.5 Kusatsu Kusatsu River 493.9 48.0 Minami-Kusatsu 496.6 50.7 Seta Seta River Keihan Ishiyama Sakamoto Line 499.1 53.2 Ishiyama 501.9 56.0 Zeze Hama-Ōtsu 503.6 57.7 Ōtsu Ōtsu Port Keishin Line Ishiyama Sakamoto Line to Sakamoto Ōsakayama Tunnel Ōtani Kosei Line to Ōmi Shiotsu Shiga/Kyoto border 508.1 62.2 Yamashina (old) Yamashina Higashiyama Tunnel Nara Line to Kizu Inari Keihan Main Line left to Sanjō Tōfukuji Kamo River 513.6 67.7 Kyoto Sanin Main Line to Hatabu JR Kyoto Line To Osaka

The Biwako Line (琵琶湖線, Biwako-sen) is the nickname used by the operator of the West Japan Railway Company (JR West) to refer to the portion of the Tōkaidō Main Line (between Maibara Station and Kyoto Station) and the Hokuriku Main Line (between Maibara Station and Nagahama Station). The section, along with JR Kyoto Line and JR Kobe Line, forms a contiguous service that is the main trunk of JR West's "Urban Network" commuter rail network in the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto Metropolitan Area.

Overview

The line is named after Lake Biwa (琵琶湖, Biwa-ko), which the route runs along. Line nicknames were introduced when the newly privatized JR West intended to use "familiar" names over official line names, such as Tōkaidō Main Line and Fukuchiyama Line. Biwako Line did not appear on the first list, and instead The JR Kyoto Line was to be called up to Maibara. A move in Shiga Prefecture opposed the name, claiming that the name of Kyoto Line in Shiga sounds like an auxiliary, requiring its own name in the prefecture. Biwako Line was thus made to refer to the section between Maibara and Kyoto.

The section of the name was extended to Nagahama, on the alteration of electric supply from 20 kV AC to 1,500 V DC, which enabled through operation to Kyoto and Osaka.

Although the "Biwako Line" nickname is used by the operator JR West for passenger announcements, the official status of Tōkaidō Main Line has not been changed or discussed. The counterpart for the line, Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central) uses its official name "Tōkaidō Main Line" for the section of JR West, at the connections of Kyoto and Maibara. The "Biwako Line" nickname appears in some local newspapers and real estate advertisements. Frequent passengers understand that the Biwako, JR Kyoto, JR Kobe lines are in fact one line, however, public recognition of the name is still in question, especially among non-users along the line.

Trains

Special Rapid Service (新快速)

• Trains terminate at Nagahama, Maibara and Yasu (some trains continue on Hokuriku Line to Omi-Shiotsu and Tsuruga). Stops at Nagahama, Tamura, Sakata, Maibara, Hikone, Notogawa, Omi-Hachiman, Yasu, Moriyama, Kusatsu, Minami-Kusatsu, Ishiyama, Otsu, Yamashina, and Kyoto. Continues on JR Kyoto Line to Osaka and beyond.

Local trains (普通)

• Operated as rapid service trains when running in the west of Takatsuki (Kyoto in the morning) (3 doors par car)
  • These local trains are mainly operated on the Biwako Line and make every stop on the line. They terminate at Maibara and Yasu.
• JR Kyoto Line local trains (4 doors par car)
  • JR Kyoto Line local service extends to Yasu during rush hour on weekdays.

Stations

Stations are listed from east to west. The distance of Tokyo - Maibara is 445.9 km, and that of Tokyo - Kyoto is 513.6 km. Historically, the Tōkaidō Main Line continued from Tokyo to Kyoto and beyond, through Maibara. In the Japanese timetable books, the distances from Tokyo are still shown in the table, although the Biwako Line's officially begins at Maibara.

• S: Trains stop.
• s: limited stop
• |: Trains pass.
• Local (4-door trains): JR Kyoto Line local trains
• Local (3-door trains): operated as rapid service trains when running in the west of Takatsuki (Kyoto in the morning)

Rolling stock

Local

• 113 series (Kusatsu – Kusatsu – Kyoto, through service with Kusatsu Line and Kosei Line)
• 117 series (Kusatsu – Kusatsu – Kyoto, through service with Kusatsu Line and Kosei Line)
• 207 series (Yasu – Kusatsu – Kyoto, through service with Kosei Line)
• 221 series (through service with Kosei Line)
• 223-6000 series (through service with Kosei Line)
• 321 series (Yasu – Kusatsu – Kyoto, through service with Kosei Line)
• 521 series (Nagahama – Maibara, through service with Hokuriku Line)

Special Rapid and Local

• 223-1000 series (through service with Kusatsu Line, Kosei Line, Hokuriku Line)
• 223-2000 series (through service with Kusatsu Line, Kosei Line, Hokuriku Line)
• 225-0 series (through service with Kusatsu Line, Kosei Line, Hokuriku Line)
• 225-100 series (through service with Kusatsu Line, Kosei Line, Hokuriku Line)

Limited Express

• 281 series (Haruka service)
• 285 series (Sunrise Izumo/Sunrise Seto service, from 1998)
• 681 series (Biwako Express service)
• 683 series (Biwako Express service)
• KiHa 189 series (Biwako Express service, from March 2014)
• KiHa 85 series (JR Central) (Hida service)

Former

• 485 series (Biwako Liner rapid service until June 2003)
• 583 series (Express Kitaguni until January 2013)
• 383 series (JR Central) (Limited Express Shinano until 26 March 2016)

Mass Transport in Keihanshin (Greater Osaka-Kyoto-Kobe)
JR West lines ("Kinki Area")	A   Hokuriku/Tokaido/Sanyo Biwako JR Kyoto JR Kobe   A   Ako   B   Kosei   C   Kusatsu  D  Nara   E   Sagano Sanin   F   Osaka Higashi   G   JR Takarazuka (Fukuchiyama)   H   Gakkentoshi (Katamachi)   H   JR Tozai   I   Kakogawa   J   Bantan   K   Kishin   L   Maizuru   O   Osaka Loop   P  JR Yumesaki (Sakurajima)   Q   Yamatoji Kansai   R   Hanwa   S   Kansai Airport   T   Wakayama   U   Man-yo Mahoroba (Sakurai)   V   Kansai   W   Kisei Hagoromo Wadamisaki
Municipal Railway	Osaka Municipal Subway (list of stations) Midosuji Tanimachi Yotsubashi Chuo Sennichimae Sakaisuji Nagahori Tsurumi-ryokuchi Imazatosuji APM: New Tram Kobe Municipal Subway Seishin-Yamate Kaigan Kyoto Municipal Subway Karasuma Tozai Kobe New Transit (semipublic) Port Island Line Rokko Island Line
5 Major Private rail operators	Hankyu ■ Hankyu Kobe Main ■ Itami ■ Imazu ■ Koyo ■ Hankyu Takarazuka Main ■ Minoo ■ Hankyu Kyoto Main ■ Senri ■ Arashiyama Hanshin Hanshin Main Namba Mukogawa Keihan Keihan Main Oto Nakanoshima Katano Otsu Lines Keishin Ishiyama Sakamoto Nankai Nankai Main Takashinohama Airport Tanagawa Kada Wakayamako Koya Shiomibashi Kintetsu  A  Namba/Nara  G  Ikoma  B  Kyoto/Kashihara  H  Tenri  I  Tawaramoto  C  Keihanna  D  Osaka  J  Shigi  F  Minami Osaka/Yoshino  N  Domyoji  O  Nagano  P  Gose
4 Semi-Major Private rail operators	Semboku Rapid Semboku Rapid Railway Kitakyu Namboku Line Kobe Rapid Tōzai Line Namboku Line Hokushin Line Sanyo Sanyo Main Line Aboshi Line
Other railways	Shintetsu Arima Line Sanda Line Koen-Toshi Line Ao Line Shintetsu Namboku Line Wakayama Railway Kishigawa Line Hankai Tram Osaka Monorail Hokushin Kyuko Noseden Myoken Line Nissei Line Randen (Keifuku) Arashiyama Tram Kitano Tram Eizan Electric Railway Eizan Main Line Kurama Line
Cable car and aerial tramways	Keihan Cable Car Ikoma Cable Car Nishi-Shigi Cable Car Katsuragisan Ropeway Kōyasan Cable Car Eizan Cable Car Eizan Ropeway
Terminals	Rail Osaka/Umeda/Nishi-Umeda/Higashi-Umeda/Kitashinchi Tennoji/Osaka Abenobashi Namba/Osaka Namba/JR Namba Kyobashi Shin-Osaka Osaka Uehommachi Kyoto Kawaramachi/Gion-Shijo Sanjo Sannomiya JR West others Sakaihigashi Kintetsu Nara Airports Itami Kansai/Wing Shuttle Kobe Tokushima Airport Ports Port of Kobe Port of Osaka Sakai Himeji
Miscellaneous	Shinkansen Ferry Operators Kanko Kisen Hankyu Ferry Nankai Ferry Akashi-Awaji Ferry Cards ICOCA PiTaPa Rail transport in Japan
Japan transit: Tokyo Osaka Nagoya Fukuoka Hakone Fuji Izu Hokkaido Sendai Niigata Toyama Nagano Okayama Hiroshima Shikoku Metro systems Shinkansen trams (list) aerial lifts (list)