Kintetsu Railway has become the latest Japanese railway firm to throw its hat in the ring to develop an extension to its existing network to transport passengers to Osaka’s proposed IR site on Yumeshima.
According to Kyodo News Agency, Kintetsu Railway – which has a network of train lines in Kyoto, Nara and Nagoya – plans to run a rapid express train directly between Nara and Yumeshima. Specifically, Nara Station would be the terminus a quo and the line would connect with the Kintetsu Keihanna line, which runs through the Osaka metro central line, terminating at Yumeshima.
However, because the electrical wiring differs between the Nara line and the Chuo line, a new car that is compatible with both would need to be considered.
Nara, home to eight world heritage sites including Todaiji Yakushiji Temple, is a popular tourist destination. If Kintetsu’s railway plan comes to fruition, another Japanese tourism capital, the Iseshima area, will also connect directly to Yumeshima without any transfers.
Keihan Electric Railway has already extended its Nakanoshima line in anticipation of Yumeshima and has revealed a further initiative to connect to Kujo, location of Ibara Sumiyoshi Shrine.
Osaka Prefecture and Osaka city are considering extension of the Osaka Metro Chuo line as a means of transportation to Yumeshima and estimate the project will cost around JPY54 billion (US$492 million). One of the conditions of IR operator selection is that the candidate will have to cover JPY20 billion (US$182 million) of the metro extension to Yumeshima. Multiple major IR operators have already revealed that they would be happy to comply with this condition.
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