OSAKA -- A newly developed underground area near JR Osaka Station is expected to further enhance the functionality of Western Japan's largest rail terminal.
The new underground platform in the redevelopment zone north of the station is served by two limited express trains: Haruka, which connects to Kansai Airport; and Kuroshio, which heads toward Wakayama. Previously, neither of these services connected directly to Osaka Station, meaning passengers had to change at Shin-Osaka Station or Tennoji Station. With the opening of the new platform, travel times to the major travel hub have been cut by between 20 to 33 minutes on both lines.
The city of Osaka has two major downtown areas, Kita and Minami, and people have long bemoaned the lack of access to the Kita area from Kansai Airport since the latter's opening in 1994.
