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Hankyu


Hankyu express train at Hankyu Takarazuka station

Hankyu is a major private railway company in Kansai region. It is the only non-JR group railway company which runs to all three cities which populations are more than 1 million inhabitants in Kansai area, Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe. Hankyu belongs to Hankyu Hanshin Holdings which includes another railway company connecting Osaka and Kobe, Hanshin Electric Railway.


Main lines of Hankyu are Hankyu Kyoto line, Hankyu Kobe line and Hankyu Takarazuka lines. Also there are several feeder lines of these main lines. the terminal in Osaka is Osaka Umeda station which was officially called Hankyu Umeda station till 30 September 2019. Hankyu renamed the station due to it was confusing for foreign and domestic tourists where the station is located.


Hankyu also changed the names of Kawaramachi and Sannomiya stations to Kyoto Kawaramachi and Kobe Sannomiya in 2019 and 2013. Therefore it is a trend now in Kansai area to add the name of the cities to the existing station names.


On the other hand, non-JR group railway companies in Tokyo metropolitan area do not change their station names. Shinjuku and Ikebukuro stations are not becoming Tokyo Shinjuku or Tokyo Ikebukuro stations. May be the reason is that there are not so many tourists using their lines as like in Kansai area.


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