Trains Connecting Kansai Airport (KIX) and Osaka City Center

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Kansai Airport Station (関西空港駅, Kansaikūkō-eki) is a ground level railway station shared by Nankai Electric Railway (Nankai) and West Japan Railway Company (JR West) located at Kansai International Airport (KIX).

The Nankai trains go direct to Namba Station, from where you can also connect with the company's Koya Line. The JR West trains go direct to Tennoji, where you can change to a local line, and direct to Kyoto. To get to Namba on a JR West trains, you have to disembark from JR Namba Station (formerly Minatomachi Station).

The JR Namba Station is adjacent to Namba Station (Nankai Railway, Osaka Subway) and Ōsaka Namba Station (Kintetsu, Hanshin Railway). Your JR Pass is an excellent way to get around Osaka and surrounding cities.

Station Layout

The Kansai Airport Station has two island platforms, serving two tracks for each railway company (Nankai & JR West). Each railway line concourse also has three elevators for the convenience of passengers travelling with bulky baggage.

Platform
 

Platform	Rail System / Lines	Destinations / Stations
1 & 2	Nankai Railway Airport Line	For Izumisano and Namba Change trains at Izumisano for Wakayamashi
3	JR West Kansai Airport Line	Kansai Airport Rapid Services and Direct Rapid Services for Tennōji and Osaka Shuttle trains for Hineno Change trains at Hineno for Wakayama
4	JR West Kansai Airport Line	Limited Express Haruka for Tennōji, Shin-Ōsaka and Kyōto Kansai Airport Rapid Services for Tennōji and Osaka

Nankai Railway Airport Line

The Airport Line (空港線, Kūkō sen) is a railway line operated by the Nankai Electric Railway, which connects Izumisano and Kansai International Airport (KIX) between Rinkū Town Station and Kansai Airport Station. It is one of the access routes to the KIX which is located on an artificial island in Ōsaka Bay. The line is made up by two different type of trains, Airport Express and Rapi:t. The Airport Line is in purple colour.

Airport Express

The Airport Express is a commuter train that runs on the Nankai Airport Line and the Nankai Main Line with 12 stops between Kansai Airport Station and Namba Station. The one-way fare between these destinations is 970 yen for adult and 490 yen for child. No reservations are required for this train and the journey is to take about 44 minutes.

At Namba Station and Kansai Airport Station it is easy to get seats on this train, as these are the first stops. However, it does crowded on the way during peak hours, and there is no designated space for baggage.

The Airport Line stops at the following stations:

The Rapi:t

The Rapi:t is a limited express service that runs on the Nankai Airport Line between Kansai Airport Station and Namba Station. The name is pronounced “rapido” in Japanese and means simply “rapid”. This train is faster as it doesn't stops at some station like Airport Express does.

Seats for Rapi:t trains are reserved and doesn't get crowded. Because an extra limited express fee is required to ride on this train, the fare between Kansai Airport and Namba is higher than the fare for the Airport Express. There are two classes of seat on the Rapi:t, Regular Seats and Super Seats. Super Seat carriages are more spacious with a row of double seats on one side and a row of single seats on the other (2+1). Regular seat carriages have two rows of double seats (2+2).

For Super Seats the fare between the airport and Namba is 1340 yen for adult and 770 yen for children. For regular seats the fare between the Airport Station and Namba Station is 1130 yen for adult and 570 yen for children.

Those transferring to a subway line at Namba Station should consider the "Kanku Chikatoku Ticket" which combines the Nankai train ride from Kansai Airport to Namba Station and a subway journey from Namba Station to any subway station within Osaka for only 1020 yen one way. The ticket is also available for travel in the opposite direction.

Rapi:t Train Types

There are two Rapi:t services: the Rapi:t α and the Rapi:t β, but most trains are of the Rapi:t β type.

Rapi:t α trains take 34 minutes and stop at the following stations:

Kansai Airport – Rinku Town – Izumisano – Tengachaya – Shin-Imamiya – Namba

Rapi:t β trains take 37 minutes and stop at the following stations:

Kansai Airport – Rinku Town – Izumisano – Kishiwada – Sakai – Tengachaya – Shin-Imamiya – Namba
 

JR Limited Express Haruka

The Kansai Airport Limited Express Haruka is a fast, comfortable and convenient limited express service which links Kansai International Airport (KIX) directly with Tennoji Station and Shin-Osaka Station in Osaka, before continuing on to Kyoto Station. The Express Haruka runs 30 round trip services daily between Kansai Airport and Kyoto.

Both the Kansai Airport Rapid Service and the Airport Limited Express Haruka are covered by the Japan Rail Pass (JR Pass), so if you have this pass, the Limited Express Haruka is the best option between any JR Stations and Kansai Airport.

Estimated time and fares from Kansai Airport to following station:
 

Destination / Station	Estimated time (Minutes)	Fares per person (¥)
Tennoji	35	1,710
Shin-Osaka	50	2,380
Kyoto	75	2,850

Kansai Airport Rapid Service

The Kansai Airport Rapid Service operated by the West Japan Railway Company (JR West) is a cheaper alternative to the Limited Express Haruka. Tickets cost 1000 yen to Tennoji Station and 1200 yen to Osaka Station (JR Pass holders can access the line using their passes). It takes 15 minutes longer than the Express Haruka as it makes more stops.

Estimated time and fares from Kansai Airport to following station:
 

Destination / Station	Estimated time (Minutes)	Fares per person (¥)
Hineno	15	450
Tennoji	50	1,000
Osaka	65	1,200
Kyobashi (transfer at Tennoji)	75	1,200
Wakayama (transfer at Hineno)	50	890

All seats on the Kansai Airport Rapid train are non-reserved and the trains can getting crowded during peak hours. The Kansai Airport Rapid Service is cheaper but slower than the Limited Express Haruka.

For Kobe, take the Kansai Airport Rapid Service to Osaka Station. At Osaka Station transfer to a Rapid Service on the JR Kobe Line and disembark at Sannomiya Station. The entire journey is to take around 1 hour and 47 minutes for a fare of 1710 yen.

For Kyoto, take the Kansai Airport Rapid Service to Osaka Station. At Osaka Station transfer to a Rapid Service on the JR Kyoto Line and disembark at Kyoto Station. The entire journey is to take around 2 hours for 1880 yen.

Free Wi-Fi Service are available at all JR West trains and surrounding area wherever this mark wifi is found.

Remarks: Prices mentioned may be adjusted periodically in accordance with operational or market conditions.

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