Kinki Nippon Railway
The Kinki Nippon Railway (近畿日本鉄道 Kinki Nippon Tetsudo), better known as Kintetsu (近鉄), is Japan's largest private railway company. It operates a complex network of lines in the Kinki region, connecting Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, Nagoya, Tsu, Ise, and Gifu.
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2 Lines 3 Other major businesses 4 External links |
Kintetsu began life in 1914 as the Osaka Electric Tramway Company, operating a line between Osaka and Nara (now the Kintetsu Nara Line). The modern Kashihara, Osaka, and Shigi lines were completed in the 1920's, followed by the Kyoto Line (a cooperative venture with the Keihan Electric Railway).
In 1938, Kintetsu teamed up with the Kansai Kyuko Railway to operate the first private railway service from Osaka to Nagoya. Kintetsu bought Kansai Kyuko in 1940 and continued the service on its own.
Most of the network's smaller lines were merged into Kintetsu during World War II, and maintained after the end of the war.
The company was renamed to Kinki Nippon after it merged with the Nankai Railway in 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.
History
Lines
Kintetsu trains also use the Osaka Municipal Subway Chuo Line and the Kyoto Municipal Subway Karasuma Line.Other major businesses
External links
