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Kintetsu Corporation (近畿日本鉄道株式会社 Kinki Nippon Tetsudō Kabushiki-gaisha?, TYO: 9041), named Kinki Nippon Railway Co., Ltd. in English (a full translation of its Japanese name) until June 27, 2003, is a Japanese rail transit corporation commonly known as Kintetsu (近鉄?). It is the largest private railway in Japan. Its complex network of lines connects Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, Nagoya, Tsu and Ise. Kintetsu also operates tourism, real estate, and shipping companies, and has a major rail car-building operation (Kinki Sharyo) that produces trains used in Japan, the United States, Egypt and Hong Kong.
HistoryOn September 16, 1910, Nara Kido Co., Ltd. (奈良軌道 Nara Kidō?) was founded, and was renamed Osaka Electric Railway Co., Ltd. (大阪電気軌道 Ōsaka Denki Kidō?, Daiki (大軌)) a month after. Daiki completed Ikoma Tunnel and started operating a line between Osaka and Nara (now the Kintetsu Nara Line) on April 30, 1914. The modern Kashihara, Osaka, and Shigi lines were completed in the 1920s, followed by the Kyoto Line (a cooperative venture with Keihan Electric Railway). Daiki founded Sangu Kyuko Electric Railway Co., Ltd. (参宮急行電鉄 Sangū Kyūkō Dentetsu?, Sankyu (参急)) in 1927, which consolidated Ise Electric Railway Co., Ltd. (伊勢電気鉄道 Ise Denki Tetsudō?) on September 15, 1936. In 1938, Daiki teamed up with Kansai Kyuko Railway Co., Ltd. (関西急行電鉄 Kansai Kyūkō Dentetsu?, Kankyu (関急)) to operate the first private railway service from Osaka to Nagoya. Sankyu bought Kankyu on January 1, 1940 and continued the service on its own. Then Sankyu consolidated Yoro Electric Railway Co., Ltd. (養老鉄道 Yōrō Tetsudō?, not the present company, Yoro Railway Co., Ltd.) on August 1. Daiki consolidated Sankyu on March 15, 1941 and was renamed Kansai Kyuko Railway Co., Ltd. Kankyu (second) consolidated Osaka Railway Company (大阪鉄道 Ōsaka Tetsudō?, Daitetsu (大鉄)) on February 1, 1943 and moved the headquarters from Uehommachi to Osaka Abenobashi. Most of the network's smaller lines were merged into Kankyu during World War II, and maintained after the end of the war. Kankyu was renamed Kinki Nippon Railway Co., Ltd. (近畿日本鉄道株式会社 Kinki Nippon Tetsudō Kabushiki-gaisha?, Kin-Nichi (近日)) after it consolidated Nankai Railway in June 1944: it maintained the name when Nankai regained its independence in 1947. After the war, Kintetsu branched out and became one of the world's largest travel agencies, opening offices in the United States of America and other countries. Kintetsu segmented many businesses into subsidiary companies; a taxi business to Kintetsu Taxi Co., Ltd. (近鉄タクシー株式会社?) in 1950, a travel business to Kinki Nippon Air Travel and Sightseeing Company (近畿日本航空観光? Now: Kinki Nippon Tourist Co., Ltd.) in 1954, a Department Store business to Kintetsu Department Store Co., Ltd. (株式会社近鉄百貨店?) in 1972, a bus business to Kintetsu Bus Co., Ltd. (近鉄バス株式会社? Now one of the subsidiaries of Keihanna Bus Holdings Co., Ltd.) and Kintetsu Sightseeing Bus Co., Ltd. (近鉄観光バス株式会社?) in 1999 (Kintetsu Sightseeing Bus Co. was consolidated by Kintetsu Bus Co. on September 1, 2006), and station service to Kintetsu Station Service Company on June 28, 2003, however, Kintetsu consolidated Kintetsu Station Service Company on March 31, 2006. Kintetsu returned the headquarters from Osaka Abenobashi to Uehommachi on December 5, 1969. Kinki Nippon Railway Co., Ltd. was renamed "Kintetsu Corpotation" on June 28, 2003 and the company logo of "Kintetsu" and "近鉄" were renewed and the logo for the official corporate name, "Kintetsu Corporation" and "近畿日本鉄道株式会社" appeared when. AbbreviationsLinesCurrent lines (Category-1, ropeway and tramway)Following lines belong to Kintetsu's Category-1 railway business (第一種鉄道事業 Dai-isshu tetsudō jigyō?) and ropeway (索道 sakudō?) business under the Railway Business Act and tramway (軌道 kidō?) business under the Tram Act. This means that Kintetsu is the owner and operator of the lines.
Current lines (Category-2)Following line belongs to Kintetsu's Category-2 railway business (第二種鉄道事業 Dai-nishu tetsudō jigyō?) under the Railway Business Act. This means that Kintetsu operates trains on the line, but the owner of the railway facility is a separate company.
Current lines (Category-3)Following lines belong to Kintetsu's Category-3 railway business (第三種鉄道事業 Dai-sanshu tetsudō jigyō?) under the Railway Business Act. This means that Kintetsu is the owner of the railway facility, but the trains are operated by separate companies.
Until September 30, 2007, those lines were part of the Category-1 railway business. Through-train servicesKintetsu trains also run on the Osaka Municipal Subway Chūō Line and the Kyoto Municipal Subway Karasuma Line, but such lines are not Kintetsu lines. Abandoned lines and transferred lines
Rail lines transferred to Nankai Electric Railway Co.
Unbuilt lines
Fare cardsKintetsu accepts five types of pre-paid and post-pay fare cards: Pearl Card, Surutto Kansai, J-Thru Card, PiTaPa and ICOCA. Pearl Card is used for purchase of tickets and others are used in lieu of tickets. Validity of the cards varies by lines as shown in the table below.
Legend
Note
Other major businesses
External linksWikimedia Commons has media related to:
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