Kansai Airport Limited Express Haruka route and timetable. Direct access to Shin Osaka, Tennoji and Kyoto from Kansai airport

Kansai (KIX)
Limited Express Haruka from KIX is covered by this pass.
2011.03.06
Limited Express Haruka connects Kansai airport and Kyoto via Tennoji and Shin-Osaka.
Limited Express Haruka connects Kansai airport and Kyoto via Tennoji and Shin-Osaka.

Kansai Airport Limited Express Haruka may be your first train if you arrive in Kansai airport. It is operated between Kansai (Osaka) airport, Tennoji, Shin-Osaka, Kyoto, Kusatsu and Maibara. But please be careful that Haruka does not stop at Osaka station. It stop at Tennoji and Shin-Osaka. If you want to go to Osaka station, you have to transfer to the local train at Shin-Osaka. This express train has 30 round trips a day and are operated mostly every 30 minutes.

After you arrive Kansai airport, you can exchange your JR Pass and take this train to Osaka. JR Pass cover fully this train. Haruka takes you to Shin-Osaka station for about 1 hour. It is fast and convenient. But this train does not take you to Osaka station and does not drop you off at the door of Hotel either. We have an Airport limousine bus to many place in Greater Osaka and Hi-speed ferry service to Kobe. So if you go to Greater Osaka area, I recommend you to take other transportation.

And also if you stay several days in downtown Osaka, please think about saving your rail pass days. Please refer this tips.

Route and stations

Haruka runs between Kansai airport and Kyoto, Kusatsu, Maibara. But most of trips run between Kansai airport and Kyoto. Train to/from Kusatsu and Maibara run in early morning and late evening only as a commute express train.

Please see the operation route in the map below:

Limited Express Haruka operation map (Click to view large)

If you are looking for the timetable of Haruka, you can find it in my PDF timetable in the link below:

Due to COVID-19, it may be operated on a schedule different from the normal timetable. Check the train schedule on Hyperdia.
Hyperdia perfect guide, train timetable and route search engine

Special tickets and passes to cover Haruka

There are some deals available to cover this train.

JR West Kansai Area Pass

This pass is designed for unlimited JR train ride in Kansai area. But you can use one day pass to get on Haruka. This pass covers non reserved seat on Haruka. The online price of one day pass is 2,200 yen. You can purchase this online or Kansai airport station on the spot. The online price is slightly cheaper than a regular ticket (basic fare + non reserved seat fee = 2,330 yen) from Kansai airport to Shin-Osaka. If you go to Shin-Osaka or Kyoto and make some trips on JR lines, this pass gives you a great deal. Please see the link below to find the details:

how to use JR Kansai Area Pass. Compare this pass and regular fare

ICOCA and Haruka, Kansai One Pass and Haruka, Haruka discount ticket

If you take some local trains after arrival by Haruka, this special combination deal offers you a good deal and convenience. This is a discount price ticket to take non reserved seat on Haruka and IC card which covers most transportation. Please see the post below to find more information:

ICOCA and Haruka, Kansai One Pass and Haruka, aruka discount ticket. Very flexible and good deal for a tourist who stay in Kansai

Other rail passes to cover Haruka

The following deals cover this train, Haruka:

Accommodation

Find your hotels in 218 cities throughout Japan!!!

Hotels in Kansai International Airport
Hotels in Kyoto
Hotels in Nara
Hotels in Kobe
Hotels in Osaka

JR West 281 series and 271 series are used for Haruka. 281 series was introduced at the same time of Kansai airport opened in 1994. 271 series was introduced in July, 2019 because of increasing demand. But both series look almost same.

*Sonic Rail Garden has copyright for all images of accommodations below.

Green seat

The seat configuration is 2+1. It is a big seat, but the headrest is quite small.

Ordinary seat

The seat configuration is 2+2. The table is so small and the size is not enough for eat and using a laptop.

Washroom and other facilities

Baggage storage area

This storage does not have any lock and security.

Haruka train formation

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Some trains are operated by 9 cars formation.

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*G=Green seat R=Reserved seat NR=Non reserved seat

Comments

  1. MIC says:
    April 17, 2012 at 7:40 pm

    hi, i will arrive at kansai at around 9.45pm. i wish to get to shin-osaka station. what is the best train to take, and how much will it cost? am i still able to catch the train after the immigration check in? what time is the last train ?

    And i have find the website http://www.hyperdia.com/en/ there are so many routes. like route 1 to route 4 is mostly the same. So how do i choose ?
    Looking forward to hear from you. Thank you.

    • JPRail says:
      April 17, 2012 at 9:41 pm

      Hi MIC,
      Haruka is the best train to go to Shin Osaka. But the last departure is 22:16 from KIX. I don’t think you can go through custom and immigration in 30 minutes.
      So your choice is rapid train to Osaka and transfer to local train to Shin Osaka. Shin Osaka is only one station away from Osaka. Regarding rapid service to Osaka from KIX, please see the post below:
      https://jprail.com/travel-informations/how-to-get-kansai-airport-and-wakayama-kansai-airport-rapid-service-and-kishuji-rapid-service.html
      The last departure is 23:09 from KIX. But this train goes to Tennoji only. You need to transfer other train at Tennoji to Osaka. And then transfer to local train to Shin Osaka.
      Takeshi / JP Rail

      • MIC says:
        April 19, 2012 at 1:52 am

        Hi,

        I have further question as per below:

        1) If I miss the last train service for Airport Express Haruka to Shin-Osaka and have to take the 10.28pm Rapid Service (Bound for Osaka, Kyobashi), will this train stop at the Osaka Station? Or we have to change train at the Kyobashi Station?

        2) If we can change train at Osaka station, what is the last JR train between Osaka station and Shin Osaka Station?

        3) If we are to purchase the Rapid Service tickets, will a return ticket be cheaper than a one-way ticket?

        • JPRail says:
          April 19, 2012 at 7:19 am

          Hi MIC,
          1. Yes. Osaka is the biggest station in Kansai area. All train stop there. Haruka do not stop at Osaka because Haruka do not go through Osaka station.
          2. Don’t worry. It is operated until around 00:30.
          2. No. It is just commute train ticket. There is no special ticket. All you have to is purchasing ticket at the station.
          Cheers,
          Takeshi / JP Rail

  2. Arie says:
    March 24, 2012 at 7:12 am

    is it recommended to reserve seats (3 people – 2 adults and 1 child) on taking haruka express from kyoto to kansai airport on sunday noon train? can we buy meals in the train?

    • JPRail says:
      March 24, 2012 at 9:15 pm

      Hi Arie,
      If you use Japan Rail Pass, you can reserve a seat without any extra. If you don’t use the pass, you don’t need to. But the seat is not guaranteed. Non reserved seat is always busier than reserved seat. So I recommend you to reserve it.
      There is no on board sales. You cannot buy any food in the train. You should buy something before boarding.
      Takeshi / JP Rail

  3. Fiepko Klug says:
    March 18, 2012 at 4:29 am

    Dear JP rail,

    where can I find the train schedules in April 2012 for travel from Kansai International Airport to Kyoto and from Kyoto back to Kansai International Airport?

    Thank you

    Fiepko T. Klug

  4. Arnold says:
    February 2, 2012 at 6:55 pm

    Dear JP Rail,

    Is there any way I can go from Kansai International Airport to Nanba station (near Swissotel) using my Japan Rail Pass?

    Thanks,
    Arnold

  5. ty says:
    January 16, 2012 at 3:18 am

    hi, i will arrive at kansai at around 6:20pm. i wish to get to shin-osaka station. what is the best train to take, and how much will it cost?

  6. Tahir says:
    October 23, 2011 at 11:27 am

    dear
    I lost my luggage last week at kusatsu railway stn. at 8 am. at platfarm 3. can u pls give me email from where i can check about my lost luggage.
    tshafiqabbasi@coca-cola.com

    • JPRail says:
      October 23, 2011 at 2:41 pm

      Hi Tahir,
      Call 078-382-8686. This is the number of customer service of JR West. I don’t know they can handle it in English. But this is only way to contact them.
      Good luck!
      Takeshi / JP Rail

  7. Tahir Shafiq says:
    October 23, 2011 at 11:19 am

    Dear
    I lost my luggage at Kusatsu Railway Station at Platefarm # 3, last week at 8.00 am while I was leaving for Kansai Airport through Haruka Train. Could any one help me from where I can check it? Any e-mail address of relevant authority at Kusatsu Railway Station? There were some toys and home appliances in the luggage.

  8. Mark says:
    September 5, 2011 at 10:27 pm

    Hi,

    If I’m trying to get from the Kansai international airport to Kusatsu, do you know where I can find information on the schedule and cost of such a trip?

    Thanks!
    Mark

  9. V. Quach says:
    March 7, 2011 at 3:55 pm

    i have taken this train many times before, the cheapest way to take this train is to get a 1 day kansai JR pass for 2,000 yen at the airport train station or major stations and it gives u a whole day off JR Kansai train use. i would only catch the Haruka if i was going to Kyoto but if i was going to Osaka then ur better off getting on a Nankai Rapid express for about 1,500 yen or local express service for 9,00 yen. the Nankai service will take to you too Namba station in the Dotondori area, if u need to get to Umeda, Namba is connected by metro too Umeda/Osaka and Shin-Osaka stations.

  10. D. Weaver says:
    February 14, 2011 at 8:12 am

    Plan to purchase 4-day Kansai Area pass. What is the cost for reserved seating, first-class reserved seating from the Kansai International Airport to the Shin-Osaka Stations?

    Thank You,
    David

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