The Nagano Line was constructed and opened between 1898 and 1902 as the sole line of Kayō Railway (河陽鉄道, Kayō Tetsudō) who aimed to connect inland town Kawachinagano to Kashiwara on the Kansai Main Line (then of Kansei Railway (関西鉄道, Kansei Tetsudō, also read as Kwansei, Kansai)). The company renamed itself the Osaka Railway Co. in 1919 (being the second company of that name) and decided and built its own line directly to Osaka, branching from Dōmyōji. The company then opened a line diverting from Furuichi to Nara Prefecture, to complete present Minami Osaka Line. Thus the line to Kawachi-Nagano became a branch line, present Nagano Line.
The line was electrified at 1500 VDC in 1923, and the company merged with Kintetsu in 1944. The Furuichi - Kishi section was duplicated in 1957, and extended to Tondabayashi in 1974.
Operation
Nearly all trains go through up to/down from Ōsaka Abenobashi on Minami-Osaka Line. A few trains return at Tondabayashi.
Service
All trains stop at all stations on the Nagano Line. Most trains are operated as a Semi express.
Local (普通, Futsū)(L)
Limited number of operation, in the morning down to Tondabayashi or Kawachi-Nagano, in midnight up to Furuichi or Osaka Abenobashi.
Semi-Express (準急, Junkyū)(SE)
Four trains per hour per direction, all day, all to/from Osaka Abenobashi.
Kintetsu Railway
