Biwako Line

Biwako Line
A
223-2000 series EMU on a Biwako Line Special Rapid service
Overview
Native name	琵琶湖線
Type	Heavy rail
System	Urban Network
Locale	Kyoto Prefecture and Shiga Prefecture
Termini	Maibara Kyoto (Tōkaidō Line) Nagahama (Hokuriku Line)
Stations	23
Operation
Opened	May 1, 1882 (as part of Tōkaidō Main Line) March 13, 1988 (renamed as Biwako Line)
Owner	JR West
Operator(s)	JR West JR Freight
Technical
Line length
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification	1,500 V DC overhead line
Operating speed

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)

Station	Japanese	Stop			Transfers	Location
		Local (4 doors)	Local (3 doors)	Special Rapid		Ward, city	Prefecture
Hokuriku Main Line
Through service from Hokuriku Main Line
Nagahama	長浜		S	S	Hokuriku Main Line for Ōmi-Shiotsu and Tsuruga	Nagahama	Shiga
Tamura	田村		S	S
Sakata	坂田		S	S		Maibara
Tōkaidō Main Line
Maibara	米原		S	S	Tōkaidō Shinkansen, Tokaido Line for Gifu and Nagoya Ohmi Railway Main Line	Maibara	Shiga
Hikone	彦根		S	S	Ohmi Railway Main Line	Hikone
Minami-Hikone	南彦根		S	|
Kawase	河瀬		S	|
Inae	稲枝		S	|
Notogawa	能登川		S	S		Higashiomi
Azuchi	安土		S	|		Omihachiman
Ōmi-Hachiman	近江八幡		S	S	Ohmi Railway Yōkaichi Line
Shinohara	篠原		S	|
Yasu	野洲	s	S	S		Yasu
Moriyama	守山	s	S	S		Moriyama
Rittō	栗東	s	S	|		Ritto
Kusatsu	草津	s	S	S	Kusatsu Line	Kusatsu
Minami-Kusatsu	南草津	s	S	S
Seta	瀬田	s	S	|		Otsu
Ishiyama	石山	s	S	S	Keihan Ishiyama Sakamoto Line
Zeze	膳所	s	S	|	Keihan Ishiyama Sakamoto Line
Ōtsu	大津	s	S	S
Yamashina	山科	s	S	S	Kosei Line Kyoto Municipal Subway Tōzai Line Keihan Keishin Line (Keihan Yamashina Station)	Yamashina-ku, Kyoto	Kyoto
Kyoto	京都	S	S	S	Sagano Line (Sanin Main Line), Nara Line Tōkaidō Shinkansen Kintetsu Kyoto Line Kyoto Municipal Subway Karasuma Line	Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto
Through service on JR Kyoto Line

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)

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)