# Nankai Main Line

vteNankai Main Line :
Legend :
Details of Namba area :
The Nankai Main Line (南海本線, Nankai Honsen) is one of the two main railway lines of Japanese private railway company Nankai Electric Railway, together with Kōya Line. The route is from Namba Station in south downtown of Osaka to Wakayamashi Station in Wakayama via Sakai, Izumiōtsu, Kishiwada, Kaizuka, Izumisano, Sennan, Hannan and Misaki municipalities. The proper name is with the company's name, "the Nankai Main Line", not simply "the Main Line" often seen in other Japanese private railways. Lines of the Nankai Main Lane and the connecting lines excluded the Kōya Line and the Airport Line are named generically "the Nankai Line (南海線, Nankai Sen)". The line is shown with a pictogram of waves, or distinguished with blue from conifer or green Kōya Line.

## Route data

* Line length: 64.2 km (39.9 mi)
* Track: quadruple from Namba to Suminoe (to Kishinosato-Tamade, eastern two tracks are for Kōya Line exclusively), double from Suminoe to Wakayamashi

## Service types

Nankai and Kintetsu are the only two private railway operators in Kansai that offer charged Limited Express trains.

### Limited Express Southern (特急サザン, Tokkyū "Sazan")

    Limited express trains named "Southern" are operated between Namba and Wakayamashi or Wakayamakō. They are operated with 8-car formations and 4 cars of 8 are charged for seat reservation. Trains to and from Wakayamakō connect to Nankai Ferry services to and from the Shikoku region.

### Airport Limited Express Rapi:t (空港特急ラピート, Kūkō Tokkyū "Rapīto")

    Airport limited express trains named "Rapi:t" are operated between Namba and Kansai Airport and exclusively with 50000 series 6-car formations. All cars are charged for seat reservation. Rapi:t α trains stop at only stations marked with S, and Rapi:t β trains at stations marked with S and S*. They have been operated since Kansai International Airport opened in 1994.

### Express (急行, Kyūkō)

    Express trains are operated between Namba and Wakayamashi or Wakayamakō before 10 a.m. and after 4 p.m. on weekdays and in morning on Saturdays, Sundays, Holidays, and pass Haruki Station. They are operated with 6 or 8-car formations. The fourth car of 8-car trains for Namba is only for women in the morning until arriving at Tengachaya by 8:30 a.m. on weekdays.
    Before November 26, 2005, operated all day, two per hour from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

### Airport Express (空港急行, Kūkō Kyūkō)

    Airport express trains are operated between Namba and Kansai Airport all day and stop at Haruki. 4 trains are operated per direction per hour from 10 a.m. until 4 pm. They are operated with 6 or 8-car formations. The fourth car of 8-car trains for Namba is only for women in the morning until arriving at Tengachaya by 8:30 a.m. on weekdays.

### Sub Express (区間急行, Kukan Kyūkō)

    Sub express trains are operated between Namba and Hagurazaki, Misakikoen or Wakayamashi in the morning, evening, and night. They stop at airport express stations between Namba and Izumisano, and every station between Izumisano and Wakayamashi. Namba-bound trains are operated every morning and weekday rush hours in the evening.

### Semi-Express (準急行, Jun Kyūkō)

    Semi-express trains are operated from Hagurazaki or Haruki to Namba only on weekday mornings.

### Local (普通, Futsū)

    Local trains are operated between Namba and Wakayamashi all day. They also return to Namba at Hagurazaki, Tarui, Misakikōen or Kansai Airport in the rush hours and midnight. Only 1 northbound train is operated from Wakayamashi to Hagurazaki in the midnight. Trains pass Imamiyaebisu and Haginochaya stations due to absence of platforms on the tracks of the Nankai Line. Those stations are served by local trains of the Kōya Line.
    In Japanese railway operation, "Futsū" (literally "ordinary, normal") and "Kakueki Teisha" (literally "train that stops at every station", "Kakutei" for short) are used interchangeably for trains that stop at every station. On the Nankai Railway alone, however, the two words are used for different classes of train. The former is for Locals of Nankai Main Line that do not stop at the above two stations, while the latter is for Kōya Line trains that do stop there, true to the meaning of the Japanese name of the service class.

## Stations
### Main Line

* ● : Trains stop.
* ▲: Rapi:t α trains pass, β trains stop.
* ▼: At Haruki, Express trains marked with a white line makes a stop
* ◆: Trains stop in the off-peak hours from January 1 until 3 every year.
* ｜ ↑: All trains pass (Arrows indicate directions)
* Wakayamadaigakumae became one of the Southern stations on October 18, 2014.
| Number | Station | Japanese | Distance (km) | Local | Semi-Express | Sub-Express | Airport Express | Express | Ltd. Exp. Southern | Ltd. Exp. Rapi:t | Transfers | Location | Location |
| NK01 | Namba | 難波 | 0.0 | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | Osaka Metro: Midosuji Line (M20) Yotsubashi Line (Y15) Sennichimae Line (S16)  A Kintetsu Namba Line (A01: Osaka Namba) Hanshin Namba Line (HS41: Osaka Namba) JR West Kansai Main Line (Yamatoji Line) (JR-Q17:JR Namba) | Chūō-ku, Osaka | Osaka Prefecture |
| NK02 | Imamiyaebisu | 今宮戎 | 0.9 | ｜ | ↑ | ｜ | ｜ | ｜ | ｜ | ｜ | | Naniwa-ku, Osaka | Osaka Prefecture |
| NK03 | Shin-Imamiya | 新今宮 | 1.5 | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | JR West: Osaka Loop Line (JR-O19) Kansai Main Line (Yamatoji Line) (JR-Q19) Osaka Metro (Dōbutsuen-mae Station): Midosuji Line (M22) Sakaisuji Line (K19) Hankai Tramway Hankai Line (HN52: Shin-Imamiya-Ekimae Station) | Nishinari-ku, Osaka | Osaka Prefecture |
| NK04 | Haginochaya | 萩ノ茶屋 | 2.0 | ｜ | ↑ | ｜ | ｜ | ｜ | ｜ | ｜ | | Nishinari-ku, Osaka | Osaka Prefecture |
| NK05 | Tengachaya | 天下茶屋 | 3.0 | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | Osaka Metro Sakaisuji Line (K20) | Nishinari-ku, Osaka | Osaka Prefecture |
| NK06 | Kishinosato-Tamade | 岸里玉出 | 3.9 | ● | ↑ | ｜ | ｜ | ｜ | ｜ | ｜ | Koya Line Shiomibashi Line | Nishinari-ku, Osaka | Osaka Prefecture |
| NK07 | Kohama | 粉浜 | 5.1 | ● | ↑ | ｜ | ｜ | ｜ | ｜ | ｜ | | Sumiyoshi-ku, Osaka | Osaka Prefecture |
| NK08 | Sumiyoshitaisha | 住吉大社 | 5.7 | ● | ↑ | ◆ | ◆ | ｜ | ｜ | ｜ | Hankai Tramway: Uemachi Line (HN10: Sumiyoshi Station) Hankai Line (HN12: Sumiyoshitriimae Station) | Sumiyoshi-ku, Osaka | Osaka Prefecture |
| NK09 | Suminoe | 住ノ江 | 6.7 | ● | ↑ | ｜ | ｜ | ｜ | ｜ | ｜ | | Suminoe-ku, Osaka | Osaka Prefecture |
| NK10 | Shichidō | 七道 | 8.2 | ● | ↑ | ｜ | ｜ | ｜ | ｜ | ｜ | | Sakai-ku, Sakai | Osaka Prefecture |
| NK11 | Sakai | 堺 | 9.8 | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ▲ | | Sakai-ku, Sakai | Osaka Prefecture |
| NK12 | Minato | 湊 | 11.2 | ● | ● | ｜ | ｜ | ｜ | ｜ | ｜ | | Sakai-ku, Sakai | Osaka Prefecture |
| NK13 | Ishizugawa | 石津川 | 12.7 | ● | ● | ｜ | ｜ | ｜ | ｜ | ｜ | | Nishi-ku, Sakai | Osaka Prefecture |
| NK14 | Suwanomori | 諏訪ノ森 | 13.8 | ● | ● | ｜ | ｜ | ｜ | ｜ | ｜ | | Nishi-ku, Sakai | Osaka Prefecture |
| NK15 | Hamaderakōen | 浜寺公園 | 14.8 | ● | ● | ｜ | ｜ | ｜ | ｜ | ｜ | Hankai Tramway Hankai Line (HN31: Hamadera-Ekimae Station) | Nishi-ku, Sakai | Osaka Prefecture |
| NK16 | Hagoromo | 羽衣 | 15.5 | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ｜ | ｜ | Takashinohama Line JR West Higashi-Hagoromo Branch Line (Higashi-Hagoromo Station) | Takaishi | Osaka Prefecture |
| NK17 | Takaishi | 高石 | 17.4 | ● | ● | ｜ | ｜ | ｜ | ｜ | ｜ | | Takaishi | Osaka Prefecture |
| NK18 | Kita-Sukematsu | 北助松 | 18.5 | ● | ● | ｜ | ｜ | ｜ | ｜ | ｜ | | Izumiōtsu | Osaka Prefecture |
| NK19 | Matsunohama | 松ノ浜 | 19.5 | ● | ● | ｜ | ｜ | ｜ | ｜ | ｜ | | Izumiōtsu | Osaka Prefecture |
| NK20 | Izumiōtsu | 泉大津 | 20.4 | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ｜ | ｜ | | Izumiōtsu | Osaka Prefecture |
| NK21 | Tadaoka | 忠岡 | 22.3 | ● | ● | ｜ | ｜ | ｜ | ｜ | ｜ | | Tadaoka | Osaka Prefecture |
| NK22 | Haruki | 春木 | 23.7 | ● | ● | ● | ● | ▼ | ｜ | ｜ | | Kishiwada | Osaka Prefecture |
| NK23 | Izumi-Ōmiya | 和泉大宮 | 25.0 | ● | ● | ｜ | ｜ | ｜ | ｜ | ｜ | | Kishiwada | Osaka Prefecture |
| NK24 | Kishiwada | 岸和田 | 26.0 | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ▲ | | Kishiwada | Osaka Prefecture |
| NK25 | Takojizō | 蛸地蔵 | 26.9 | ● | ● | ｜ | ｜ | ｜ | ｜ | ｜ | | Kishiwada | Osaka Prefecture |
| NK26 | Kaizuka | 貝塚 | 28.6 | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ｜ | ｜ | Mizuma Railway Mizuma Line | Kaizuka | Osaka Prefecture |
| NK27 | Nishikinohama | 二色浜 | 30.4 | ● | ● | ｜ | ｜ | ｜ | ｜ | ｜ | | Kaizuka | Osaka Prefecture |
| NK28 | Tsuruhara | 鶴原 | 31.3 | ● | ● | ｜ | ｜ | ｜ | ｜ | ｜ | | Izumisano | Osaka Prefecture |
| NK29 | Iharanosato | 井原里 | 32.4 | ● | ● | ｜ | ｜ | ｜ | ｜ | ｜ | | | Osaka Prefecture |
| NK30 | Izumisano | 泉佐野 | 34.0 | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | Nankai Airport Line (Through trains for Kansai Airport are available.) | | Osaka Prefecture |
| Through service: | Through service: | Through service: | Through service: | From Izumisano: Local / Airport Express / Limited Express Rapi:t to Nankai Airport Line for Kansai Airport | From Izumisano: Local / Airport Express / Limited Express Rapi:t to Nankai Airport Line for Kansai Airport | From Izumisano: Local / Airport Express / Limited Express Rapi:t to Nankai Airport Line for Kansai Airport | From Izumisano: Local / Airport Express / Limited Express Rapi:t to Nankai Airport Line for Kansai Airport | From Izumisano: Local / Airport Express / Limited Express Rapi:t to Nankai Airport Line for Kansai Airport | From Izumisano: Local / Airport Express / Limited Express Rapi:t to Nankai Airport Line for Kansai Airport | From Izumisano: Local / Airport Express / Limited Express Rapi:t to Nankai Airport Line for Kansai Airport | From Izumisano: Local / Airport Express / Limited Express Rapi:t to Nankai Airport Line for Kansai Airport | From Izumisano: Local / Airport Express / Limited Express Rapi:t to Nankai Airport Line for Kansai Airport | From Izumisano: Local / Airport Express / Limited Express Rapi:t to Nankai Airport Line for Kansai Airport |
| NK33 | Hagurazaki | 羽倉崎 | 36.1 | ● | ● | ● | | ｜ | ｜ | | | Izumisano | Osaka Prefecture |
| NK34 | Yoshiminosato | 吉見ノ里 | 37.4 | ● | | ● | | ｜ | ｜ | | | Tajiri | Osaka Prefecture |
| NK35 | Okadaura | 岡田浦 | 38.8 | ● | | ● | | ｜ | ｜ | | | Sennan | Osaka Prefecture |
| NK36 | Tarui | 樽井 | 40.6 | ● | | ● | | ｜ | ｜ | | | Sennan | Osaka Prefecture |
| NK37 | Ozaki | 尾崎 | 43.1 | ● | | ● | | ● | ● | | | Hannan | Osaka Prefecture |
| NK38 | Tottorinoshō | 鳥取ノ荘 | 44.6 | ● | | ● | | ｜ | ｜ | | | Hannan | Osaka Prefecture |
| NK39 | Hakotsukuri | 箱作 | 46.6 | ● | | ● | | ｜ | ｜ | | | Hannan | Osaka Prefecture |
| NK40 | Tannowa | 淡輪 | 50.2 | ● | | ● | | ｜ | ｜ | | | Misaki | Osaka Prefecture |
| NK41 | Misaki-kōen | みさき公園 | 51.9 | ● | | ● | | ● | ● | | Tanagawa Line | Misaki | Osaka Prefecture |
| NK42 | Kyōshi | 孝子 | 56.3 | ● | | ● | | ｜ | ｜ | | | Misaki | Osaka Prefecture |
| NK43 | Wakayamadaigakumae (Fujitodai) | 和歌山大学前 （ふじと台） | 58.0 | ● | | ● | | ● | ● | | | Wakayama | Wakayama Prefecture |
| NK44 | Kinokawa | 紀ノ川 | 61.6 | ● | | ● | | ｜ | ｜ | | Kada Line (Kada Sakana Line) | Wakayama | Wakayama Prefecture |
| NK45 | Wakayamashi | 和歌山市 | 64.2 | ● | | ● | | ● | ● | | Wakayamako Line JR West Kisei Main Line | Wakayama | Wakayama Prefecture |
| Through service: | Through service: | Through service: | Through service: | From Wakayamashi: Express (weekdays only) / Limited Express Southern to Wakayamako Line for Wakayamako | From Wakayamashi: Express (weekdays only) / Limited Express Southern to Wakayamako Line for Wakayamako | From Wakayamashi: Express (weekdays only) / Limited Express Southern to Wakayamako Line for Wakayamako | From Wakayamashi: Express (weekdays only) / Limited Express Southern to Wakayamako Line for Wakayamako | From Wakayamashi: Express (weekdays only) / Limited Express Southern to Wakayamako Line for Wakayamako | From Wakayamashi: Express (weekdays only) / Limited Express Southern to Wakayamako Line for Wakayamako | From Wakayamashi: Express (weekdays only) / Limited Express Southern to Wakayamako Line for Wakayamako | From Wakayamashi: Express (weekdays only) / Limited Express Southern to Wakayamako Line for Wakayamako | From Wakayamashi: Express (weekdays only) / Limited Express Southern to Wakayamako Line for Wakayamako | From Wakayamashi: Express (weekdays only) / Limited Express Southern to Wakayamako Line for Wakayamako |

### Tennoji Branch Line

Listed counterclockwise: All stations are in the city of Osaka, Osaka Prefecture.
| Station | Japanese | Closed | Location |
| Tengachaya | 天下茶屋 | 18 November 1984 | Nishinari-ku, Osaka |
| Hikifune | 曳舟 | 1949 | Nishinari-ku, Osaka |
| Imaikecho | 今池町 | 1 April 1993 | Nishinari-ku, Osaka |
| Omondori | 大門通 | 1949 | Nishinari-ku, Osaka |
| Tobitahondori | 飛田本通 | 1 April 1993 | Nishinari-ku, Osaka |
| Tennoji | 天王寺 | 1 April 1993 | Tennōji-ku, Osaka |

## Rolling stock

* 9000 series exclusively for Southern (non-reserved car)
* 8300 series (from Autumn 2015) exclusively for Southern (non-reserved car, from December 2020)
* 8000 series exclusively for Southern (non-reserved car)
* 7100 series exclusively for Southern (non-reserved car)
* 7000 series (until October 2015)
* 2000 series
* 1000 series
* 10000 series exclusively for Southern (reserved car)
* 12000 series exclusively for Southern (reserved car)
* 50000 series exclusively for rapi:t
* 3000 series
* Semboku 5000 series
* Semboku 7000 series
* Semboku 7020 series

## History

One of the oldest private railway lines still existing, the 2 ft 9 in (838 mm) gauge Namba - Yamatogawa (since closed) section was opened in 1885 by Hankai Railway (阪堺鉄道, Hankai Tetsudō) (separate from the present-day Hankai Tramway). The line was extended to Sakai in 1888, and the Namba - Sumiyoshitaisha section was duplicated in 1892.
In 1897 the then separate Nankai Railway opened the Sakai - Sano (present-day Izumisano) section as 1067mm gauge, with the Namba - Sano section regauged to match, and the Sumiyoshitaisha - Sano section duplicated the same year. The following year the Hankai Co. merged with Nankai Railway, and the line was extended to Wakayama. The present line to Wakayamashi was completed in 1903, and in 1906 the first dining car on a private railway in Japan was introduced on the Wakayama express.
The duplication of the line extended to Hamaderakoen in 1907, Kaizuka in 1911, Takako in 1915 and to Wakayama in 1922.
Electrification at 600 VDC began in 1907 on the section from Namba to Hamaderakōen, and was completed in 1911. The voltage was increased to 1500 VDC in 1973.

### Former connecting lines

* Tengachaya station - A 2 km line to Tennoji opened in 1900. In 1933 the line was electrified at 1500 VDC, the line closing in 1984.
* Sakai station - A 2 km 1435mm gauge line from Shukuin to Ohama, electrified at 600 VDC, opened by the BanSakai Electric Railway Co. in 1912 (and acquired by Nankai in 1914) connected at this station until closed in 1949.
* Wakayama station - A 3 km line to Higashi-Matsue on the Nankai Kada Line opened in 1912. The line was electrified at 600 VDC in 1930, and closed in 1955.