 The
company that runs the tramway was established in 1909, and the initial
tramways themselves were opened two years later, running between Ebisu-cho
and Hamadera. The establishment of the Nankai Railway in the same area
created huge competition between the two, and eventually they merged in
1915, creating the Nankai Hankai Line. However, Hankai pulled out of the
alliance in December 1980, created a new company to run its operations,
and continues to serve the area with its unique trams to this very day.
The fact that the Hankai Line is the only tramway in Osaka City, coupled
with its distinctively decorated trams, make the tramway named the Chinchin-densha
(literally "ding-a-ling trains"; so named because of the sound
of the conductor's bells) a sentimental favorite and add to the blue-collar
feel of the local vicinity. So, take a journey on Osaka's most distinctive
mode of transport. In particular, the views of the Tenjin-no Mori Park
between Shotenzaka and Tenjin-no Mori Stations are one of the city's better
scenic spots. |
Hankai Electric Tramway
Osaka
City