Yamatoji Line

The line's rapid services took their present shape over the following decades. Rapid Service trains had already been running through from the Kansai Main Line onto the Osaka Loop Line since 7 October 1973 (initially on holidays only, extended to weekday daytime service on 20 July 1974), but the "Yamatoji Rapid Service" (大和路快速) name was applied only from 11 March 1989, chosen through a public naming call; the same day, new "Regional Rapid" (区間快速) trains began running through to the Osaka Loop Line at night. With the partial opening of the Osaka Higashi Line on 15 March 2008, JR West introduced "Direct Rapid Service" (直通快速) trains linking the Yamatoji Line to the new line; these initially ran between Nara and Amagasaki via the Katamachi Line and the JR Tōzai Line. A timetable revision on 12 March 2011 raised Yamatoji Rapid frequency to four trains an hour on the core segment, cut its Kamo-bound extension from three to two trains an hour, and discontinued the Yamatoji Liner.

The line received station numbering in March 2018, with numbers JR-Q17 through JR-Q39 assigned and JR-Q35 held in reserve for a future station between Kōriyama and Nara. When the Osaka Higashi Line was extended to Shin-Osaka Station on 16 March 2019, Direct Rapid Service was rerouted to run between Nara and Shin-Osaka, replacing its earlier Nara–Amagasaki path. On 18 March 2023, Direct Rapid trains began using the underground Umekita-area platforms at Osaka Station, and their rolling stock switched from the 207 and 321 series to 221 series eight-car electric multiple units. The limited express "Mahoroba," a seasonal train since 2019 running mainly on Saturdays and holidays, became a regular scheduled service on 15 March 2025, the day the line's last 201 series trains were withdrawn. Since 14 October 2025 the weekday commuter limited express "Rakuraku Yamato," between Nara and Shin-Osaka via Tennōji, has been worked by 683 series trains, replacing the 287 series sets used until 10 October 2025.

Today the Yamatoji Line brand covers local, rapid, and limited-express services along the 54.0 km Kansai Main Line corridor between Kamo and JR Namba, serving as a commuter and school-commute line into Osaka and a tourist route toward Nara, while connecting, through its through-running services, to the Osaka Loop, Osaka Higashi, Wakayama, and Sakurai lines.

22 stations in route order, from the timetable data on the live map. Select any to read its page.

• Kamo (Kyoto)加茂
• Kizu (Kyoto)木津
• Narayama平城山
• Nara奈良
• Koriyama (Nara)郡山
• Yamato-Koizumi大和小泉
• Horyuji法隆寺
• Oji (Nara)王寺
• Sango (Nara)三郷
• Kawachi-Katakami河内堅上
• Takaida (JR West)高井田
• Kashiwara柏原
• Shiki (Osaka)志紀
• Yao八尾
• Kyuhoji久宝寺
• Kami加美
• Hirano (Osaka · JR West)平野
• Tobushijo-Mae東部市場前
• Tennoji天王寺
• Shin-Imaimiya新今宮
• Imamiya今宮
• JR NambaJR難波

• 188914 May: the oldest section of the present line, between Kashiwara and JR Namba, opens.
• 190721 August: the present route is completed when a new line between Kamo and Kizu opens, replacing the original alignment via Daibutsu.
• 197320 September: the section between Nara and Minatomachi (now JR Namba) is electrified.
• 19737 October: Kansai Main Line Rapid Service trains begin running through onto the Osaka Loop Line, initially only on holidays.
• 198813 March: JR West introduces the "Yamatoji Line" name (大和路線) — a name that roughly translates as "the road to Yamato Province" — for this section of the Kansai Main Line, and launches the "Yamatoji Liner," a capacity-limited commuter "home liner" train requiring a ride ticket, the same day.
• 198911 March: the rapid service is named "Yamatoji Rapid Service" (大和路快速) through a public naming call, and new "Regional Rapid" (区間快速) trains begin running through to the Osaka Loop Line at night.
• 200815 March: with the partial opening of the Osaka Higashi Line, JR West introduces "Direct Rapid Service" (直通快速) trains linking the Yamatoji Line to the new line, initially running between Nara and Amagasaki via the Katamachi Line and the JR Tōzai Line.
• 201112 March: a timetable revision raises Yamatoji Rapid Service to four trains an hour on the core segment, cuts its Kamo-bound extension from three to two trains an hour, and discontinues the Yamatoji Liner.
• 2018March: station numbering is introduced across the line, assigning numbers JR-Q17 through JR-Q39, with JR-Q35 left unassigned for a planned station between Nara and Kōriyama.
• 201916 March: the Osaka Higashi Line is extended to Shin-Osaka Station, and Direct Rapid Service is rerouted to run between Nara and Shin-Osaka, replacing its earlier Nara–Amagasaki routing.
• 202318 March: Direct Rapid Service begins using the underground Umekita-area platforms at Osaka Station, and its rolling stock switches from the 207 and 321 series to 221 series eight-car electric multiple units.
• 202515 March: the limited express "Mahoroba," a seasonal train since 2019 running mainly on Saturdays and holidays, becomes a regular scheduled service, and the line's last 201 series trains are withdrawn the same day.
• 202514 October: the weekday commuter limited express "Rakuraku Yamato" (Nara – Shin-Osaka via Tennōji) switches to 683 series electric multiple units; 287 series sets had worked it until 10 October.