Osaka Higashi Line

The Osaka Higashi Line (おおさか東線) (Literally: Osaka East Line) is a railway line in Osaka, Japan, operated by the West Japan Railway Company (JR-West). The line connects Ōsaka Station in northern Osaka with Kyūhōji Station in Yao, forming an arc around the northern and eastern suburbs of the city. Before being named on August 23, 2007, the line was constructed with the tentative name "Osaka Outer Loop Line (大阪外環状線)".

The line is constructed and owned by the Osaka Soto-Kanjo Railway Co., Ltd. (大阪外環状鉄道株式会社) as a Category-3 railway business under the Railway Business Act of Japan. JR-West and JR Freight operate trains as Category-2 railway business. The Kita-Umeda extension opened on March 18, 2023, replacing the above-ground Umeda Freight Line.

History
Conceived in the 1950s during Japan's explosive postwar economic growth, it was planned as a grand "outer loop" of the city, using existing freight lines to link Amagasaki with Shin-Osaka, Suita, Awaji, Hanaten, Kami, Uriwari and Sugimotochō, with a newly constructed segment into Osaka's (then primarily industrial) Nankō Port Town. However, with JNR's financial situation deteriorating catastrophically (culminating in its privatization) and continuing issues surrounding land acquisition and squatting by local residents on railway property, the plan was cut back to Shin-Osaka and Kami, terminating at Kyūhōji in the south. (The Hanwa Freight Line, which would have carried the southern segment from Kami to Sugimotochō, was officially abandoned by JR Freight in 2009.) The line connects Shin-Osaka Station in northern Osaka with Kyūhōji Station in Yao, forming an arc around the northern and eastern suburbs of the city.

The southern part opened on 15 March 2008. But because of problems with the illegal occupation of a site, construction of the northern part was delayed. Construction of the northern segment started in 2011 and the section between Shin-Osaka and Hanaten has opened on 16 March 2019.

Incorporated into the second phase of the Osaka Higashi Line project is the construction of underground platforms at Osaka Station (known as Umekita). The project provides the basis for the future Naniwasuji Line while also providing a small shortcut on current services on the Haruka and Kuroshio limited express trains.

In February 2023, track switching work took place between the 11th and 13th of that month. The underground platforms began operation later in the year on 18 March.

Stations
Local trains stop at all stations. For limited express Mahoroba, please see their respective article.
 * ● : Direct Rapid service stops here
 * : Direct Rapid service does not stop here


 * Notes:

Passenger

 * 221 series (used for Local services from 12 March 2022 and Direct Rapid services from 18 March 2023)

Former

 * 103 series (until 2018)
 * 201 series (until 11 March 2022)
 * 207 series (used for Direct Rapid Services from 12 March 2011 until 17 March 2023)
 * 223-6000 series (used for Direct Rapid Services from 15 March 2008 until 11 March 2011)
 * 321 series (Used for Direct Rapid Services until 17 March 2023)

The 103 and 201 series trains are based at Nara Depot, the 207 series trains are based at Aboshi Depot, while the 223-6000 series trains were based at Miyahara Depot.

Freight
Locomotives seen hauling freight trains include the DD51, DE10, EF66, EF81 and EF210.