Biwako Line
Biwako Line
Overview
Native name	琵琶湖線
Owner	JR West
Locale	Kyoto Prefecture and Shiga Prefecture
Termini	Maibara Kyoto (Tōkaidō Line) Nagahama (Hokuriku Line)
Stations	23
Service
Type	Heavy rail
System	Urban Network
Operator(s)	JR West JR Freight
History
Opened	May 1, 1882 (as part of Tōkaidō Main Line) March 13, 1988 (renamed as Biwako Line)
Technical
Line length	75.4 km (46.9 mi)
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification	1,500 V DC overhead line
Operating speed	130 km/h (81 mph)
Route map Legend Hokuriku Main Line for Fukui, Naoetsu Tōkaidō Main Line to Sekigahara 7.7 Nagahama 4.7 Tamura 2.4 Sakata 0.0 Tokyo JR Central/JR West boundary 445.9 0.0 Maibara 451.9 6.0 Hikone Ohmi Railway Main Line for Yōkaichi, Kibukawa 455.2 9.3 Minami-Hikone 458.3 12.4 Kawase 462.0 16.1 Inae 465.7 19.8 Notogawa 470.8 24.9 Azuchi Ohmi Railway Yōkaichi Line for Yōkaichi 474.3 28.4 Ōmi-Hachiman 478.3 32.4 Shinohara 483.9 38.0 Yasu Yasu River 487.0 41.1 Moriyama 489.1 43.2 Rittō Kusatsu Line to Kibukawa, Tsuge 491.4 45.5 Kusatsu Kusatsu River 493.9 48.0 Minami-Kusatsu 496.6 50.7 Seta Seta River Keihan Ishiyama Sakamoto Line 499.1 53.2 Ishiyama 501.9 56.0 Zeze Hama-Ōtsu 503.6 57.7 Ōtsu Ōtsu Port Keishin Line Ishiyama Sakamoto Line to Sakamoto Ōsakayama Tunnel Ōtani Kosei Line to Ōmi Shiotsu Shiga/Kyoto border 508.1 62.2 Yamashina (old) Yamashina Higashiyama Tunnel Nara Line to Kizu Inari Keihan Main Line left to Sanjō Tōfukuji Kamo River 513.6 67.7 Kyoto Sanin Main Line to Hatabu JR Kyoto Line To Osaka

The Biwako Line (琵琶湖線, Biwako-sen) is the nickname used by the operator of the West Japan Railway Company (JR West) to refer to the portion of the Tōkaidō Main Line (between Maibara Station and Kyoto Station) and the Hokuriku Main Line (between Maibara Station and Nagahama Station). The section, along with JR Kyoto Line and JR Kobe Line, forms a contiguous service that is the main trunk of JR West's "Urban Network" commuter rail network in the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto Metropolitan Area.^[1]

The line is named after Lake Biwa (琵琶湖, Biwa-ko), which the route runs along. Line nicknames were introduced when the newly privatized JR West intended to use "familiar" names over official line names, such as Tōkaidō Main Line and Fukuchiyama Line. Biwako Line did not appear on the first list, and instead The JR Kyoto Line was to be called up to Maibara. A move in Shiga Prefecture opposed the name, claiming that the name of Kyoto Line in Shiga sounds like an auxiliary, requiring its own name in the prefecture. Biwako Line was thus made to refer to the section between Maibara and Kyoto.

The section of the name was extended to Nagahama, on the alteration of electric supply from 20 kV AC to 1,500 V DC, which enabled through operation to Kyoto and Osaka.

Although the "Biwako Line" nickname is used by the operator JR West for passenger announcements, the official status of Tōkaidō Main Line has not been changed or discussed. The counterpart for the line, Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central) uses its official name "Tōkaidō Main Line" for the section of JR West, at the connections of Kyoto and Maibara. The "Biwako Line" nickname appears in some local newspapers and real estate advertisements. Frequent passengers understand that the Biwako, JR Kyoto, JR Kobe lines are in fact one line, however, public recognition of the name is still in question, especially among non-users along the line.

• Special Rapid Service (新快速):
  • Trains terminate at Nagahama, Maibara and Yasu (some trains continue on Hokuriku Line to Omi-Shiotsu and Tsuruga). Stops at Nagahama, Tamura, Sakata, Maibara, Hikone, Notogawa, Omi-Hachiman, Yasu, Moriyama, Kusatsu, Minami-Kusatsu, Ishiyama, Otsu, Yamashina, and Kyoto. Continues on JR Kyoto Line to Osaka and beyond.
• Local trains (普通)
  • Operated as rapid service trains when running in the west of Takatsuki (Kyoto in the morning) (3 doors par car)
    • These local trains are mainly operated on the Biwako Line and make every stop on the line. They terminate at Maibara and Yasu.
  • JR Kyoto Line local trains (4 doors par car)
    • JR Kyoto Line local service extends to Yasu during rush hour on weekdays.

Stations are listed from east to west. The distance of Tokyo – Maibara is 445.9 km (277.1 mi), and that of Tokyo – Kyoto is 513.6 km (319.1 mi). Historically, the Tōkaidō Main Line continued from Tokyo to Kyoto and beyond, through Maibara. In the Japanese timetable books, the distances from Tokyo are still shown in the table, although the Biwako Line's officially begins at Maibara.

• ●: Trains stop.
• ○: Limited stop, early morning and late night only
• |: Trains pass.
• Local (4-door Commuter trains): JR Kyoto Line local trains
• Local (3-door Suburban trains): Operated as Rapid service trains west of Takatsuki (west of Kyoto in the morning)

Official line name	No.	Station	Japanese	Stop			Transfers	Location
				Local (Commuter)	Local (Suburban)	Special Rapid		Ward, City	Prefecture
Through service from/to Hokuriku Main Line
Hokuriku Main Line	JR-A09	Nagahama	長浜		●	●	Hokuriku Main Line for Ōmi-Shiotsu and Tsuruga	Nagahama	Shiga
	JR-A10	Tamura	田村		●	●
	JR-A11	Sakata	坂田		●	●		Maibara
	JR-A12	Maibara	米原		●	●	JR Central: Tōkaidō Shinkansen Tokaido Line for Gifu and Nagoya (CA83) ■ Ohmi Railway Main Line
Tōkaidō Main Line
	JR-A13	Hikone	彦根		●	●	■ Ohmi Railway Main Line	Hikone
	JR-A14	Minami-Hikone	南彦根		●	|
	JR-A15	Kawase	河瀬		●	|
	JR-A16	Inae	稲枝		●	|
	JR-A17	Notogawa	能登川		●	●		Higashiōmi
	JR-A18	Azuchi	安土		●	|		Ōmihachiman
	JR-A19	Ōmi-Hachiman	近江八幡		●	●	■ Ohmi Railway Yōkaichi Line
	JR-A20	Shinohara	篠原		●	|
	JR-A21	Yasu	野洲	○	●	●		Yasu
	JR-A22	Moriyama	守山	○	●	●		Moriyama
	JR-A23	Rittō	栗東	○	●	|		Rittō
	JR-A24	Kusatsu	草津	●	●	●	Kusatsu Line	Kusatsu
	JR-A25	Minami-Kusatsu	南草津	●	●	●
	JR-A26	Seta	瀬田	●	●	|		Ōtsu
	JR-A27	Ishiyama	石山	●	●	●	Keihan Ishiyama Sakamoto Line (OT03: Keihan Ishiyama Station)
	JR-A28	Zeze	膳所	●	●	|	Keihan Ishiyama Sakamoto Line (OT09: Keihan Zeze Station)
	JR-A29	Ōtsu	大津	●	●	●
	JR-A30	Yamashina	山科	●	●	●	Kosei Line (JR-B30) Kyoto Municipal Subway Tōzai Line (T07) Keihan Keishin Line (OT31: Keihan Yamashina Station)	Yamashina-ku, Kyoto	Kyoto
	JR-A31	Kyoto	京都	●	●	●	Tōkaidō Shinkansen JR Kyoto Line Nara Line (JR-D01) Sagano Line (Sanin Main Line) (JR-E01)  B  Kintetsu Kyoto Line (B01) Kyoto Municipal Subway Karasuma Line (K11)	Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto
Through service from/to JR Kyoto Line
Within JR Kyoto Line:				Local (Northbound only)	Rapid	Special Rapid

• 113 series (Kusatsu – Kusatsu – Kyoto, through service with Kusatsu Line and Kosei Line)
• 117 series (Kusatsu – Kusatsu – Kyoto, through service with Kusatsu Line and Kosei Line)
• 125 series (Nagahama – Maibara, through service with Hokuriku Line)
• 207 series (Yasu – Kusatsu – Kyoto, through service with Kosei Line)
• 221 series (through service with Kosei Line)
• 223-6000 series (through service with Kosei Line)
• 321 series (Yasu – Kusatsu – Kyoto, through service with Kosei Line)
• 521-0 series (Nagahama – Maibara, through service with Hokuriku Line)

• 223–1000 series (through service with Kusatsu Line, Kosei Line, Hokuriku Line)
• 223-2000 series (through service with Kusatsu Line, Kosei Line, Hokuriku Line)
• 225-0 series (through service with Kusatsu Line, Kosei Line, Hokuriku Line)
• 225-100 series (through service with Kusatsu Line, Kosei Line, Hokuriku Line)

• 271 series (Haruka service, from Spring 2020)
• 281 series (Haruka service)
• 285 series (Sunrise Izumo/Sunrise Seto service, from 1998)
• 681 series (Biwako Express service)
• 683 series (Biwako Express service)
• KiHa 189 series (Biwako Express service, from March 2014)
• KiHa 85 series (JR Central) (Hida service)

• 485 series (Biwako Liner rapid service until June 2003)
• 583 series (Express Kitaguni until January 2013)
• 383 series (JR Central) (Limited Express Shinano until 26 March 2016)