is private railway company which operates two tram lines in Osaka Prefecture, Japan, in the cities of Osaka and Sakai. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nankai Electric Railway.
Lines Hankai Tramway operates two officially designated lines: LineRouteStopsLengthHankai LineEbisucho — Sumiyoshi — Abikomichi — Hamadera-eki-mae31Uemachi LineTennoji-eki-mae — Sumiyoshi10Total: The lines use standard gauge tracks and are electrified at 600 Volts via catenary.
Services As is often the case with Japanese tramway operators, the operated services differ from the official line definitions.
Two routes are in operation (no route number is displayed): RouteMajor stationsStopsLengthHankai LineEbisucho — Sumiyoshi — Abikomichi16Uemachi Line/Hankai LineTennoji-eki-mae — Sumiyoshi — Abikomichi — Hamadera-eki-mae29
Sumiyoshi and Abikomichi act as designated transfer stations; alighting and re-boarding a second tram at these locations (without doubling back) will result in the second fare being free.
Services operate at the following approximate frequencies: Uemachi Line/Hankai LineHankai LineTime PeriodTennoji-eki-mae ↔ AbikomichiTennoji-eki-mae ↔ Hamadera-eki-maeEbisucho ↔ AbikomichiMorning peak hours3–4 minutes12–15 minutes15-30 minutesEvening peak hours5 minutes10 minutes25-30 minutesDaytime & all-day weekends/holidays6–8 minutes12–14 minutes25-30 minutesEarly morning & night12–15 minutes20–30 minutes30-60 minutes
Rolling stock Current 161 series 351 series 501 series 601 series 701 series 1001 series 1101 series
Former lines when owned by Nankai Railway LineRouteLengthHirano LineImaike — HiranoOhama Branch LineShukuin — Ohama-kaigan
History Hankai Tramway Co., Ltd. was founded in 1910. In 1915, the company merged with the Nankai Railway which runs both north and south in Osaka. The city's overall tram network was once extensive. As motorization developed as an alternative form of transportation along with the construction of subway lines underneath major routes, the trams lost their passengers, causing Osaka's once-extensive tram network to shrink, with only the Hankai and Uemachi tram lines remaining. By 1980, the company split from Nankai and became an independent company, with Nankai holding 100% of the Hankai stock. Therefore, Hankai still uses the Nankai symbol as its logo.
On January 31, 2016, the stop at Sumiyoshikoen was removed and the Uemachi line terminus was moved to Sumiyoshi, reducing the Uemachi line's length by to .
On February 1, 2020, the stop at Ebisucho was relocated 100m south to provide 100% barrier-free access, reducing the Hankai line's length from to .
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