Osaka Metro

The Osaka Metro (大阪メトロ, Ōsaka Metoro) is a major rapid transit system in the Osaka Metropolitan Area of  Ja p an . It serves the city of Osaka and the adjacent municipalities of Higashiosaka, Kadoma, Moriguchi, Sakai, Suita, and Yao. Osaka Metro forms an integral part of the extensive mass transit system of Greater Osaka (part of the Kansai region), having 123 out of the 1,108 rail stations (2007) in the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto region. In 2010, the greater Osaka region had 13 million rail passengers daily (see Transport in Keihanshin) of which the Osaka Municipal Subway (as it was then known) accounted for 2.29 million Osaka Metro is the only subway system in Japan to be legally classified as a tramway, whereas all other subway systems in  Ja p an  are legally classified as railways. Despite this, it has characteristics typical of a full-fledged metro system The network's first service, the Midōsuji Line from Umeda to Shinsaibashi, opened in 1933. As a north–south trunk route, it is the oldest and busiest line in the whole network. Both it and the main east–west route, the Chūō Line, were later extended to the north and east, respectively. These extensions are owned by other railway companies, but both Osaka Metro and these private operators run their own set of trains through between the two sections

All but one of the remaining lines of the network, including the Yotsubashi Line, Tanimachi Line, and Sennichimae Line, are completely independent lines with no through services. The lone exception is the Sakaisuji Line, which operates through trains to existing Hankyu Railway lines and is the only line to operate through services to existing railway lines that are not isolated from the national rail network (which is the case with the Midōsuji and Chūō Lines)

Nearly all stations have a letter number combination, the letter identifying the line served by the station and the number indicating the relative location of the station on the line. For example, Higobashi Station on the Yotsubashi Line is also known as Y12. This combination is heard in bilingual Japanese-English automated next-station announcements on board all trains, which also provide information on local businesses near the station. Only Hankyu stations served by the Sakaisuji Line don't follow this convention

Lines
Currently, there are eight lines, operating on 129.9 kilometers (80.7 mi) and serving 123 stations. There is also a 7.9-kilometer (4.9 mi)-long, 10-station automated people mover line known as the "New Tram"