History
The line was originally built and operated by the Naniwa Railway (浪速鉄道, Naniwa Tetsudō?) between Katamachi and Shijōnawate in 1895. Two years later, the Kansai Railway bought the line in order to have its own trunk line to Osaka from Nagoya, together with constructing by itself between Shijōnawate and Kizu. Katamachi was inextendably narrow, thus Amijima terminus was made. But Kansai Railway bought the Osaka Railway (I, ja) line from Nara via Ōji to Minatomachi (present JR Namba) in downtown Osaka, shifted the main line from ex-Naniwa Railway line. Afterwards, the subject line has been a branch of the railway network of Osaka.
Though in 1932 the section between Katamachi and Shijōnawate became the first electrified then Japan Governmental Railways line in Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto area and later in 1950 extended to Nagao, the improvement of facility and service was long forgotten. Only after privatization of the then Japanese National Railways (JNR), here the network was taken over by West Japan Railway Company (JR West), electrification in 1989 and gradual operational advancement have been made.
In 1997, JR Tōzai Line was opened and connected to Katamachi Line at Kyōbashi, and Katamachi Station was abandoned (with Ōsakajō-kitazume Station being a replacement for ridership). Most trains began operated through to Fukuchiyama Line (JR Takarazuka Line).
Conversion from a freight branch of the line to a passenger route, Osaka Higashi Line began service in 2008. Trains from Nara via Kansai Main (Yamatoji) Line are operated to Amagasaki Station.
Read more about this topic: Gakkentoshi Line
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