Hankyu Railway will introduce a new seat reservation service on the Hankyu Kyoto Line from the summer of 2024. This will be Hankyu’s first seat reservation service and will be available on limited express, commuter express and semi-express trains that run between Osaka and Kyoto.
A design image of the new Hankyu Railway PRiVACE car
The new service is called “PRiVACE,” which is a combination of the words “private” and “place.” According to Hankyu Railway’s press release, this name is based on the idea of “turning everyday travel time into ‘me-time’ spent in a private space” and it is meant to meet the needs of passengers who wish to travel in a more relaxed manner.
An exterior view of the new Hankyu PRiVACE car
Passengers will be able to book seats on a dedicated website and the reserved seats will be available in the fourth car (from the Osaka direction) of express services on #2300 series and #9300 series eight-car trains. A seat reservation fee will be required in addition to the fare.
A design image of the PRiVACE car interior
The service will start with two to three trains per hour and will gradually increase to four to six trains per hour by 2025. More details will be released by Hankyu Railway at a later date.
Article by Michael Lambe. Images courtesy of Hankyu Railway. All rights reserved.
