Haruka (train)

There are a total of 30 daily return workings per direction (30 to the airport, 30 from the airport), with services operating every half an hour through most of the day. A typical travel time between Kyoto Station and the airport takes 1 hour 20 minutes per way. Before the discontinuation of services between Maibara and Yasu, two morning rush hour Haruka trains ran from Maibara to the airport, and one morning rush hour trip from Kusatsu. Two evening rush hour Haruka trains also ran from the airport to Maibara. ==Station stops==

The Haruka primarily operates between Kyoto Station and Kansai Airport Station, with most services stopping only at Shin-Ōsaka Station, Ōsaka Station, and Tennōji Station in Osaka City. Some trains make additional stops during the early morning or evening rush hours (stations in italics in list below). The train service once traveled on the which was used to bypass Ōsaka Station when it runs from the Tōkaidō Main Line to Osaka Loop Line and vice versa, until the underground tracks and platforms for trains either stopping at and passing the former were opened on 18 March 2023. ==Rolling stock==

• 281 series (since September 1994) • 271 series (since March 2020) Formations 6-car formations 6-car formations are arranged as shown below, with car 1 at the Maibara/Kyoto end. All cars are non-smoking. 9-car formations (281 series) 9-car formations are arranged as shown below, with car 1 at the Kyoto end. All cars are non-smoking. 9-car formations (281 series & 271 series) 9-car formations are arranged as shown below, with car 1 at the Kyoto end. All cars are non-smoking. ==Ticketing==

As a limited express service, the Haruka requires both a and a – see train tickets in Japan. The ICOCA card can be used as a fare ticket (for passing the ticket gate) for non-reserved travel, with the limited express ticket purchased from the conductor on board the train. There are no extra charges required for the Haruka service for foreign passengers traveling with a Japan Rail Pass. A free public Wi-Fi service is provided in the train. ==History==

The Haruka service was inaugurated on 4 September 1994 using 3-car 281 series EMUs. Haruka services were reduced since September 2020 due to low passenger demand caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan, only operating during morning and evening commuter hours. Daytime Haruka services were partially restored from 1 July 2022, with the remaining services reinstated on 1 November 2022 to coincide with the reopening of Japan's borders. From the start of the revised timetable on 18 March 2023, all Haruka services began to make a stop at Ōsaka Station using the new Umekita underground platforms set aside for these services, facilitating better connectivity between the airport and the city center. In preparation for the opening of the Umekita underground platforms, train services were rerouted from the Umeda Freight Line from 13 February 2023. The new platforms opened for service a month later on 18 March 2023. Future plans On 22 November 2024, JR West and Kyoto City announced that Haruka services currently terminating at Kyoto Station would be extended to Yamashina Station from fiscal 2029 to relieve congestion at Kyoto Station, particularly the Sagano Line platform shared with the Haruka trains. The renovation project of Yamashina Station is scheduled to commence in 2025 and aimed at developing the Yamashina area as the eastern gateway to the city by enabling transfer to the Kyoto Municipal Subway Tōzai Line and other modes of public transport, thereby improving accessibility and promoting sustainable tourism. File:JRWest281 HelloKittyHaruka"Butterfly".jpg|281 series Hello-Kitty train Butterfly set in September 2019 File:JRWest281 HelloKittyHaruka"Ori-Tsuru".jpg|281 series Hello-Kitty train Ori-Tsuru set in August 2019 File:JRWest281 HelloKittyHaruka"Kanzashi".jpg|281 series Hello-Kitty train Kanzashi set in August 2019 File:JRW series271-4 Hanwa Haruka.jpg|271 series Hello-Kitty train in March 2020 File:JRW series271 interior.jpg|271 series Hello-Kitty train interior File:JRW 281 Hello Kitty Haruka + 30th anniversary Kyoto Station 2025-03-07 (cropped).jpg|281 series with wrapping marking Haruka's 30th anniversary ==References==