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Roadrunner Records

Roadrunner Records is an American record label focused on heavy metal and hard rock bands. Founded in the Netherlands in 1980, it is now a division of Warner Music Group and is based in New York City.

History
The label was launched in 1980 in the Netherlands. Roadrunner's initial business was importing North American metal-band recordings into Europe. In 1986, Roadrunner opened its US headquarters in New York City and later opened offices in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Japan, Australia, Denmark, Russia and Canada. Early successes included albums from King Diamond (the first Roadrunner artist to enter the Billboard Top 200 albums chart) and Annihilator. The label also handled early Metallica releases in the Scandinavian region. The end of the 1980s saw the release of two albums that are now considered classics of their respective genres: Obituary's Slowly We Rot and Sepultura's Beneath the Remains.

The 1990s saw the arrival of acts such as Cynic, Deicide, Life of Agony, Machine Head, Suffocation, Type O Negative, and underground grunge rockers Willard. As the 1990s wore on, several of Roadrunner's bands managed to make an impact on the mainstream, most notably Sepultura and Type O Negative. Sepultura's 1993 album, Chaos A.D., became the first Roadrunner band to crack the Top 40 on the Billboard album chart. Type O Negative became the first Roadrunner band to receive a certification from the RIAA; this was a Gold award (and later Platinum award) for the 1993 album Bloody Kisses, which was certified in 1995. The band also became the first Roadrunner band to receive radio play. In 2000, Slipknot became the first Roadrunner band to go Platinum. Nickelback were also very successful on the label, although they were signed to another label in their native Canada. Derek Shulman ran the label in the late '90s. In 2005, the label launched a new project called Roadrunner United to commemorate the label's 25th anniversary.

Roadrunner Records ran into financial trouble in 2001 after its distribution deal with RED Distribution through Edel Music was aborted after Edel ended up in US$400 million in debt. As Roadrunner had just taken out a US$15 million loan from Edel, Cees Wessels was forced to put 49% of the label's stock up for $30 million, attracting the interest of major labels such as RCA Records, Atlantic Records and Columbia Records. In July 2001, The Island Def Jam Music Group purchased a 50% stake in Roadrunner worth US$33 million, larger than the asking price. While there were fears of legal action from Edel, who owned 17% of Roadrunner's stock, negotiations allowed the label to switch "immediately" to Island Def Jam and its distributor, Universal Music & Video Distribution.

On December 18, 2006, Warner Music Group signed an agreement to purchase a majority in shares (73.5%) of Roadrunner Records' parent company, Roadrunner Music Group B.V. This deal became finalized on January 29, 2007, after receiving regulatory approval in Germany.

On June 11, 2008, Roadrunner Records was voted as the "Best Metal Label" by Metal Hammer at their Golden Gods Awards, an award that it has won the past four years in a row. The award was accepted by Sharon den Adel and Ruud Jolie of Within Temptation, one of Roadrunner's biggest acts.

Roadrunner Records was significantly affected by Warner Music Group's legal dispute against YouTube, including having their account's YouTube partnership canceled. Most of the videos on their channel, however, are still viewable.

On November 11, 2010, Warner Music Group announced they had acquired the remaining of Roadrunner's stock, acquiring the company fully. However, WMG maintained that Roadrunner would still continue to operate as a distinct brand. Cees Wessels, the label's founder, remained as CEO. Employees at Roadrunner nicknamed WMG's acquisition of the company "The Red Wedding", in reference to the Game of Thrones episode "The Rains of Castamere".

On April 26, 2012, it was announced that Warner Music Group would make substantial cutbacks throughout Roadrunner Records worldwide operations. According to staff working at the company, The UK offices and the Canadian offices of Roadrunner Records are to be closed completely, with severe levels of cutbacks occurring across the rest of the label worldwide. It has also been announced that the Roadrunner office in The Netherlands is to close, and that the label's founder Cees Wessels is stepping down from his role of CEO. The following years saw several major Roadrunner acts leave the label, including DevilDriver and Alter Bridge (who both moved to Napalm Records, with Devildriver's catalogue being sold to The Echo Label), Opeth, Machine Head, Slipknot (After releasing The End, So Far in 2022) and Soulfly (all of whom followed former A&R of SVP Monte Conner to Nuclear Blast) and Dream Theater (who signed with InsideOut Music in 2017) In July 2017, British rock band Milk Teeth signed with Roadrunner Records.

In June 2018, Roadrunner became a sub-label of Warner's Elektra Music Group division. In June 2022, Elektra Music Group, and subsequently Roadrunner, was merged into the new umbrella label group 300 Elektra Entertainment.

Roadrunner Records UK
Roadrunner Records UK operates out of the Warner Music London office. Their roster includes the addition of Alter Bridge, Down, Satyricon and Slash.

Currently signed

 * Coheed and Cambria
 * Deafheaven
 * Dinosaur Pile-Up (Parlophone/Roadrunner)
 * Gojira
 * Highly Suspect
 * Motionless in White
 * Static Dress
 * Stone Sour
 * Theory of a Deadman
 * Trivium
 * Turnstile

Past Roadrunner Records artists

 * 3 Inches of Blood
 * 8 Foot Sativa (NZ)
 * 36 Crazyfists (excluding US)
 * A Skylit Drive (excluding Fearless)
 * The Agony Scene
 * Airbourne
 * Alesana (including Fearless)
 * Alexisonfire
 * Alter Bridge
 * Amanda Palmer
 * Amen
 * The Amity Affliction
 * Angel Du$t
 * Annihilator
 * Anthem (Europe)
 * Anyone
 * Artillery
 * Atreyu (excluding US)
 * Atrocity
 * Avenged Sevenfold (Europe)
 * Atrophy
 * Baby Fox
 * Bad Seed Rising
 * Baptized in Blood
 * Believer
 * Berri Txarrak (Spain)
 * Biffy Clyro (US and Japan)
 * Big Rude Jake
 * Biohazard
 * Black Flag
 * Black Label Society
 * Black Stone Cherry
 * Behind Crimson Eyes
 * Betzefer (excluding US)
 * Baptized in Blood
 * Billy Talent (US)
 * Bleeker Ridge
 * Boiler Room
 * Brigade (Japan)
 * Brujeria
 * Buzzoven
 * Caliban
 * Carnivore
 * Cavalera Conspiracy
 * Cerebral Fix
 * Channel Zero
 * Chimaira
 * CKY
 * Coal Chamber
 * Code Orange
 * Collective Soul (via Loud & Proud)
 * Corrosion of Conformity
 * Cradle of Filth
 * Crease (band)
 * Creeper
 * Crimson Glory
 * The Cult
 * Cynic
 * Corey Taylor
 * Dååth
 * De La Tierra
 * De Novo Dahl
 * Death
 * Defiance
 * Deicide
 * Delain
 * Delight (Poland)
 * Depeche Mode (Brazil)
 * Detente (band)
 * DevilDriver
 * The Devil Wears Prada
 * Disincarnate
 * Divine Heresy (excluding US)
 * Dog Eat Dog
 * DoubleDrive
 * Doug Stanhope
 * Dommin
 * Downthesun
 * Down
 * DragonForce
 * Dream Theater
 * Dresden Dolls
 * Drugstore
 * Dry Kill Logic
 * Earthshaker (Europe and Malaysia)
 * Electric Eel Shock (Japan)
 * Exhorder
 * Faktion
 * Fear Factory
 * Fever 333
 * Fiction Plane
 * Fish (Dick Bros./Roadrunner)
 * Five Pointe O
 * Front Line Assembly
 * Funeral for a Friend (excluding US and UK)
 * Garrett Lewis
 * Glassjaw
 * Gorguts
 * Grand Magus
 * The Great Kat
 * Gruntruck
 * Guardian
 * Hail the Villain (US)
 * Hamlet (Spain)
 * Harlot
 * Hatebreed (2006)
 * Heartist
 * Heathen
 * Heaven and Hell (outside the US, Canada and Japan)
 * Higher Power
 * Hopesfall (excluding North America)
 * Horse the Band (Australia and Japan)
 * Ill Niño
 * Immolation
 * In This Moment
 * Inglorious (US and UK)
 * Jerry Cantrell
 * Junkie XL
 * Jupiter Coyote
 * Karma to Burn
 * The Karelia
 * Kenny Wayne Shepherd (via Loud & Proud)
 * Khoma
 * Kids In Glass Houses
 * Killswitch Engage
 * King 810
 * King Diamond
 * Kiss (via Loud & Proud, UK & Europe)
 * Korn
 * Krypteria
 * Kvelertak
 * Lamb of God (excluding US and Canada)
 * Lenny Kravitz (via Loud & Proud)
 * Life of Agony
 * Loudness (Europe)
 * Lynyrd Skynyrd (via Loud & Proud)
 * Machine Head
 * Mad Max
 * Madball
 * Madina Lake
 * Make Them Suffer
 * Malevolent Creation
 * Marmozets
 * Mastodon (excluding US)
 * Megadeth
 * Mercyful Fate
 * Milk Teeth
 * The Misfits
 * Murderdolls
 * Mutiny Within
 * Non-Intentional Lifeform
 * Nailbomb
 * New York Dolls
 * Nickelback (excluding Canada)
 * Negative (Europe)
 * Nights Like These
 * Nightwish (US and Australia)
 * Obituary
 * Opeth
 * Optimum Wound Profile
 * Outlaws
 * Pain (Nordic Territories and Europe)
 * Paradox
 * The Parlor Mob
 * Patmos
 * Pestilence
 * Pe'z
 * Periphery
 * Porcupine Tree
 * Possessed (Europe)
 * Powersurge
 * Queensrÿche (Loud & Proud)
 * Ratt (Loud & Proud)
 * Ratos de Porao
 * The Red Shore (Australia)
 * Rob Zombie
 * Royal Republic
 * Royseven
 * Rush (outside Canada)
 * Sacrifice (Europe)
 * Salem
 * Sammy Hagar (via Loud & Proud)
 * Sanctity
 * Satan
 * Satyricon
 * Scar the Martyr
 * Sepultura
 * Seven Shades
 * Skin Chamber
 * The Sheila Divine
 * Sinch
 * Shelter
 * Shihad
 * Shinedown
 * Slash
 * Slipknot
 * Soulfly
 * Soziedad Alkoholika (Spain)
 * Sparks
 * Spineshank
 * Spoil Engine
 * Staind
 * Steve Miller Band (via Loud & Proud)
 * Still Remains
 * The Stranglers (Germany)
 * Storm Corrosion
 * Suffocation
 * Taking Dawn
 * Thor
 * Thornley
 * Throwdown (excluding US)
 * Times of Grace
 * Toxik
 * Treponem Pal
 * Type O Negative
 * VIMIC
 * Vision of Disorder
 * Vicious Rumors
 * Wednesday 13
 * We Are Harlot
 * Whiplash (band)
 * Willard
 * Wild Throne
 * The Winery Dogs (via Loud & Proud; US)
 * Within Temptation
 * The Wombats (US)
 * Xentrix
 * Young the Giant

Criticism
Since the 1990s, Roadrunner Records has been criticised by several of its past alumni over its record contracts, business practices and management and promotion of its releases. Artists who have criticised Roadrunner include Megadeth, Slipknot, Obituary, Opeth, Chimaira, Vision of Disorder and Sepultura.

Glassjaw members Daryl Palumbo and Justin Beck continue to speak unfavourably of Roadrunner, years after the problems the band experienced with them. They openly advise people not to buy their first full-length so as not to give the label money, and have repeatedly told fans at shows to illegally download the record. Palumbo has said: "Roadrunner is a joke. Roadrunner's not even a real label. It has the power to be one of the superpowers in the heavy music industry. While labels like Victory Records, which is such a small hardcore label, is totally surpassing Roadrunner... It's like the scourge of the music industry. Beck has said: "Seriously, don't ever support anything from Roadrunner – they suck!" Palumbo has said that Roadrunner didn't put the band on enough tours: "We never toured half as much as we wanted to, I just wish we got to tour more in support of [Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Silence]"; and, "They are a miserable fuckin' corporation that does not bend for their bands, does not give their bands anything and they're just terrible businessmen....They had 2 cash cows, Slipknot and Nickelback, and every other project they had rode backseat to those bands, and then the second that the new Slipknot record came out and didn't go quadruple Platinum in the first few hours it was released they fuckin' turned their backs on Slipknot. That label just wants instant gratification where it sells its units and that's a joke. You can't run a major corporation with that as your business strategy".

Soundtracks

 * Faust: Love Of The Damned (2000–2001)
 * Ginger Snaps (2000–2001)
 * Resident Evil (2002)
 * Spider-Man (2002)
 * Freddy vs. Jason (2003)
 * Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004)

title: Roadrunner Records


text:
John Sandys (classicist)

Sir John Edwin Sandys ( "Sands"; 19 May 1844 – 6 July 1922) was an English classical scholar.

Life
Born in Leicester, England on 19 May 1844, Sandys was the 4th son of Rev. Timothy Sandys (1803–1871) and Rebecca Swain (1800–1853). Living at first in India, Sandys returned to England at the age of eleven and was educated at the Church Missionary Society College, Islington, then at Repton School. In 1863, he won a scholarship to St John's College, Cambridge.

On 17 August 1880, John married Mary Grainger Hall (1855–1937), daughter of Rev. Henry Hall (1820–1897), vicar of St Paul's Church in Cambridge. Mary was born in St. Albans, Hertfordshire, England, and she died in Vevey, Switzerland, where she was a resident of the Hotel du Lac at the time of her death. She made a bequest to the Museum of Classical Archaeology, Cambridge (founded in 1884), which was the basis of a fund known as the Museum of Classical Archaeology Endowment Fund. John and Mary had no children.

Sandys died on 6 July 1922 in Cambridge. He is buried in the Parish of the Ascension Burial Ground in Cambridge.

Works
Besides editing several Greek texts, Sandys published: An Easter Vacation in Greece (1886); a translation and enlargement (with H. Nettleship) of Oskar Seyffert's A Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, Mythology, Religion, Literature and Art (1891); and The Harvard Lectures on the Revival of Learning (1905). He is best known, however, for his A History of Classical Scholarship (Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press) (3 vols.) (vol. 1, 1903; vols. 2 and 3, 1908). In 1910, Macmillan & Co. published the Latin speeches and letters that he gave as a public orator at the University of Cambridge from 1876 to 1909. He was also supervising editor of A Companion to Latin Studies (1910; 2nd ed., 1913).

Recognition
Sandys obtained a Bell Scholarship and won several prizes for Greek and Latin prose. In 1867, he was elected Fellow at his college and was appointed to a lectureship, then later a tutorship. He was elected public orator in 1876 and was given the title orator emeritus when he retired in 1919. He was awarded honorary doctorates from the universities of Dublin (1892), Edinburgh (1909), Athens (1912) and Oxford (1920). He was made a Fellow of the British Academy (1909) and a Commander in the Greek Order of the Saviour. He was knighted in 1911.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: John Sandys (classicist)


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Kintetsu Railway

Kintetsu Railway Co., Ltd. (近畿日本鉄道株式会社), referred to as Kintetsu (近鉄), is a Japanese passenger railway company, managing infrastructure and operating passenger train service. Its railway system is the largest in Japan, excluding Japan Railways Group. The railway network connects Osaka, Nara, Kyoto, Nagoya, Tsu, Ise, and Yoshino. Kintetsu Railway Co., Ltd. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kintetsu Group Holdings Co., Ltd.

History
On September 16, 1910, Nara Tramway Co., Ltd. (奈良軌道株式会社) was founded and renamed Osaka Electric Tramway Co., Ltd. (大阪電気軌道株式会社) a month after. Osaka Electric Tramway completed Ikoma Tunnel and started operating a line between Osaka and Nara (present-day Nara Line) on April 30, 1914. The modern Kashihara, Osaka, and Shigi lines were completed in the 1920s, followed by the Kyoto Line (a cooperative venture with Keihan Electric Railway). Daiki founded Sangu Electric Railway Co., Ltd. (参宮急行電鉄株式会社) in 1927, which consolidated Ise Electric Railway Co., Ltd. (伊勢電気鉄道株式会社) on September 15, 1936.

In 1938, Daiki teamed up with its subsidiary Kansai Express Electric Railway Co., Ltd. (関西急行電鉄株式会社) to operate the first private railway service from Osaka to Nagoya. Another subsidiary Sankyū bought Kansai Express Electric Railway on January 1, 1940 and continued the service on its own. Then, Sankyū consolidated Yoro Railway Co., Ltd. (養老鉄道株式会社) on August 1. Daiki consolidated its largest subsidiary Sankyū on March 15, 1941 and was renamed Kansai Express Railway Co., Ltd. (関西急行鉄道). Kankyū consolidated Osaka Railway Co., Ltd. (大阪鉄道株式会社) on February 1, 1943 and moved its headquarters from Uehommachi to Osaka Abenobashi.

Kankyū was renamed Kinki Nippon Railway Co., Ltd. (近畿日本鉄道株式会社) after it consolidated Nankai Railway in June 1944: it maintained the name when Nankai regained its independence in 1947.

After World War II, Kintetsu branched out and became one of the world's largest travel agencies, Kinki Nippon Tourist Co., Ltd., opening offices in the United States of America (Kintetsu International Express, Inc.) and other countries.

The first charged limited express train service started between Uehommachi and Nagoya in 1947, and this is the start of the present Kintetsu limited express trains. The rail network was mostly completed by consolidating Nara Electric Railway Co., Ltd. (奈良電気鉄道株式会社), Shigi-Ikoma Electric Railway Co., Ltd. (信貴生駒電鉄株式会社), Mie Electric Railway Co., Ltd. (三重電気鉄道株式会社) and other companies.

Kintetsu moved its headquarters again from Osaka Abenobashi to Osaka Uehommachi on December 5, 1969.

On June 28, 2003, Kinki Nippon Railway Co., Ltd. was renamed Kintetsu Corporation. The corporation was split on April 1, 2015. Its railway business division was succeeded by Kintetsu Split Preparatory Company, Ltd. (founded on April 30, 2014), while its real estate business division by Kintetsu Real Estate Co., Ltd., its hotel business division by Kintetsu Hotel Systems, Inc., and its retail business by Kintetsu Retail Service Corporation, respectively.

On the same day Kintetsu Corporation was split, it was renamed as Kintetsu Group Holdings Co., Ltd. as a holding company, while Kintetsu Split Preparatory Company, Ltd. was renamed as Kintetsu Railway Co., Ltd.

Abbreviations

 * From its founding to present
 * September 16, 1910—April 14, 1941: Daiki (大軌)
 * April 15, 1941—May 31, 1944: Kankyū (関急)
 * June 1, 1944—1948: Kinki Nippon (近畿日本) or Kin-nichi (近日)
 * Present: Kintetsu (近鉄) — used for the official corporate name in English since 2003.

 * Acquired or merged companies
 * Sangu Express Electric Railway Co., Ltd.: Sankyū (参急)
 * Ise Electric Railway Co., Ltd.: Iseden (伊勢電)
 * Osaka Railway Co., Ltd.: Daitetsu (大鉄)
 * Nara Electric Railway Co., Ltd.: Naraden (奈良電)
 * Mie Electric Railway Co., Ltd.: Mieden (三重電)

Owned and operated lines (Type I Railway Business), funiculars, and aerial tramway
Following lines belong to Kintetsu's Type I Railway Business (第一種鉄道事業) and Cableway (索道) Business under the Railway Business Act. This means that Kintetsu is the owner and operator of the lines.

lines
All lines operate with 1,500 V DC overhead catenary except for the Keihanna Line, which operates on 750 V DC third rail.
 * Osaka Line and its branch
 * Osaka Line (Osaka Uehommachi - Ise-Nakagawa)
 * Shigi Line (Kawachi-Yamamoto - ShigiSangūchi)
 * Nagoya Line and its branches
 * Nagoya Line (Kintetsu Nagoya - Ise-Nakagawa)
 * Yunoyama Line (Kintetsu Yokkaichi - Yunoyama-Onsen)
 * Suzuka Line (Ise-Wakamatsu - Hiratacho)
 * Yamada/Toba/Shima Line
 * Yamada Line (Ise-Nakagawa - Ujiyamada)
 * Toba Line (Ujiyamada - Toba)
 * Shima Line (Toba - Kashikojima)
 * Namba/Nara Line and its branch
 * Namba Line (Ōsaka Namba - Ōsaka Uehommachi)
 * Nara Line (Fuse - Kintetsu-Nara)
 * Ikoma Line (Ikoma - Oji)
 * Keihanna Line (Nagata - Gakken Nara-Tomigaoka)**
 * Kyoto/Kashihara Line and its branches
 * Kyoto Line (Kyoto - Yamato-Saidaiji)
 * Kashihara Line (Yamato-Saidaiji - Kashiharajingu-mae)
 * Tenri Line (Hirahata - Tenri)
 * Tawaramoto Line (Shin-Oji - Nishi-Tawaramoto)

narrow gauge lines

 * Minami Osaka/Yoshino Line and its branches
 * Minami Osaka Line (Osaka Abenobashi - Kashiharajingu-mae)
 * Domyoji Line (Domyoji - Kashiwara)
 * Nagano Line (Furuichi - Kawachi-Nagano)
 * Gose Line (Shakudo - Kintetsu Gose)
 * Yoshino Line (Kashiharajingu-mae - Yoshino)

Cable car (Funicular) lines

 * Ikoma Line (Toriimae - Ikoma-Sanjo)
 * Nishi-Shigi Line (ShigiSangūchi - Takayasuyama)

Ropeway (aerial tramway)

 * Katsuragisan Ropeway (Katsuragi-tozanguchi - Katsuragi-sanjo)

Operated lines owned by other entities (Type II Railway Business)
Following line belongs to Kintetsu's Type II Railway Business (第二種鉄道事業) under the Railway Business Act. This means that Kintetsu operates trains on the line, but the owner of the railway trackage is a separate company.
 * line
 * Keihanna Line (Ikoma - Gakken-Nara-Tomigaoka, trackage owned by Nara Ikoma Rapid Transit Railway Co., Ltd.)

Owned lines operated by other entities (Type III Railway Business)
Following lines belong to Kintetsu's Type III Railway Business (第三種鉄道事業) under the Railway Business Act. This means that Kintetsu is the owner of the railway facility, but the trains are operated by separate companies.
 * narrow gauge lines
 * Iga Line (Iga-Ueno - Iga-Kambe, trains operated by Iga Railway Co., Ltd.)
 * Yōrō Line (Kuwana - Ogaki - Ibi, trains operated by Yōrō Railway Co., Ltd.)

Until September 30, 2007, those lines were part of the Category 1 railway business.

Through-train services
Kintetsu trains also run on the Osaka Metro Chūō Line (all Keihanna Line trains), the Kyoto Municipal Subway Karasuma Line, and the Hanshin Railway Hanshin Namba Line, but such lines are not Kintetsu lines.

Abandoned lines and transferred lines

 * Hase Line (長谷線) (Sakurai - Hase, abandoned February 1, 1938)
 * Sanjo Line (山上線) (Takayasuyama - Shigizammon, discontinued on January 7, 1944 and abandoned on March 21, 1957)
 * Horyuji Line (法隆寺線) (Shin-Horyuji - Hirahata, discontinued on February 11, 1945 and abandoned on April 1, 1952)
 * Obusa Line (小房線) (Unebi - Kashiharajingu-eki, discontinued on June 1, 1950 and abandoned on September 1, 1952)
 * Ise Line (伊勢線) (Edobashi - Shin-Matsusaka - Daijingu-mae)
 * Shin-Matsusaka - Daijingu-mae: abandoned on August 11, 1942
 * Edobashi - Shin-Matsusaka: abandoned on January 22, 1961
 * Iga Line (伊賀線) (Nishi-Nabari - Iga-Kambe, abandoned on October 1, 1964)
 * Shima Line (志摩線) (Kashikojima - Shinjuko, abandoned on July 1, 1969)
 * Hachioji Line (八王子線) (Nishihino - Ise-Hachioji, discontinued on July 25, 1974 and abandoned on April 1, 1976)
 * Higashi-Shigi Cable Line (東信貴鋼索線) (Shigisanshita - Shigisan, abandoned on September 1, 1983)
 * Hokusei Line (Nishi-Kuwana - Ageki, transferred to Sangi Railway Co. on April 1, 2003)
 * Utsube Line (Kintetsu Yokkaichi - Utsube, transferred to Yokkaichi Asunaro Railway Company on April 1, 2015)
 * Hachioji Line (Hinaga - Nishi-Hino, transferred to Yokkaichi Asunaro Railway Company on April 1, 2015)

Lines transferred to Nankai Electric Railway
To separate both former Kankyū lines and Nankai Railway lines, on June 1, 1947, the following lines were transferred to Nankai Electric Railway Co. Ltd. that was renamed from Kōyasan Electric Railway Co., Ltd.
 * Nankai Main Line (Namba - Wakayamashi)
 * Tennoji Branch Line (天王寺支線) (Tengachaya - Tennoji)
 * Tengachaya - Imaikecho: abandoned on November 18, 1984
 * Imaikecho - Tennoji: abandoned on July 1, 1993
 * Takashinohama Line (Hagoromo - Takashinohama)
 * Tanagawa Line (Misakikoen - Tanagawa)
 * Kada Line (Kinokawa - Kada)
 * Kitajima Branch Line (北島支線) (Wakayamashi - Higashi-Matsue, abandoned on December 1, 1966)
 * Koya Line (Shiomibashi - Koyashita)
 * Hankai Line (Ebisucho - Hamadera-eki-mae) (transferred to Hankai Tramway Co., Ltd. on December 1, 1980)
 * Ohama Branch Line (大浜支線) (Shukuin - Ohama-kitaguchi - Ohamakaigan)
 * Ohama-kitaguchi - Ohamakaigan: abandoned on February 11, 1945
 * Shukuin - Ohama-kitaguchi: closed on July 10, 1945, abandoned on November 28, 1980
 * Uemachi Line (Tennoji-eki-mae - Sumiyoshikoen) (transferred to Hankai Tramway Co., Ltd. on December 1, 1980)
 * Hirano Line (平野線) (Imaike - Hirano) (abandoned on November 28, 1980)

Unbuilt lines

 * Gifu Line (岐阜線) (Ogaki - Gifu or Hashima), planned by Yoro Electric Railway Co.
 * Shijonawate Line (四条畷線) (Sakuranomiya - Nukata), planned by Osaka Electric Railway Co.

Rolling stock
, Kintetsu operates a fleet of 1,905 electric multiple unit (EMU) vehicles, the second largest fleet for a private railway operator in Japan after Tokyo Metro (2,766 vehicles). The newest Hinotori 80000 series EMU trainsets entered revenue service on limited express services between Osaka Namba and Kintetsu Nagoya in spring 2020. Eight six-car sets and three eight-car sets, 72 vehicles in total, will enter service by 2021. The end cars in each set will be designated "High Grade cars" with 1+2 abreast seating and a seat pitch of 1300 mm. The intermediate "Regular" cars will have 2+2 abreast seating and a seat pitch of 1160 mm. Seating in both types of accommodation will consist of fixed-back shell seats.

Future
In May 2022 Kintetsu announced that new commuter trainsets would be in service for October 2024.

Fare cards
Kintetsu accepts ICOCA, PiTaPa, and other compatible nation-wide IC cards throughout their network except on the Ikoma cable car and Katsuragi ropeway. Various discount tickets are also available from their website or ticket machines, with varying valid areas and usage periods. Surutto Kansai passes can be used in the Keihanshin area, west of Aoyamachō and north of Tsubosakayama stations.

Offices of Kintetsu

 * Headquarters and Osaka Transportation Department, Railway Headquarters, Railway Headquarters: 1-55, Uehommachi Rokuchome, Tennoji-ku, Osaka
 * Nagoya Transportation Department, Railway Headquarters: 16-11, Unomori Itchome, Yokkaichi, Mie

title: Kintetsu Railway


text:
Kildare

Kildare is a town in County Kildare, Ireland. , its population was 10,302, making it the 7th largest town in County Kildare. It is home to Kildare Cathedral, historically the site of an important abbey said to have been founded by Saint Brigid of Kildare in the 5th century. The Curragh lies east of the town.

The town lies on the R445, some 50 km west of Dublin – near enough for it to have become, despite being a regional centre in its own right, a commuter town for the capital. Although Kildare gives its name to the county, Naas is the county town.

Founding by Saint Brigid
Rich in heritage and history, Kildare Town dates from the 5th century, when it was the site of the original 'Church of the Oak' and monastery founded by Saint Brigid. This became one of the three most important Christian foundations in Celtic Ireland.

It was said that Brigid's mother was a Christian and that Brigid was reared in her father's family, that is with the children of his lawful wife. From her mother, Brigid learned dairying and the care of the cattle, and these were her occupations after she made a vow to live a life of holy chastity. Both Saint Mel of Ardagh and Bishop Mac Caille have been credited with the consecration of Brigid and some companions, after which the woman established a community beneath an oak tree, on a hill on the edge of the Curragh. Hence the name Cill Dara, the church of the oak.

Not too far away, on Dún Ailinne, lived the King of Leinster who had donated the site to the holy woman. A story told was that the King had offered Brigid as much land as her cloak would cover. When she spread her garment it miraculously stretched out to embrace the entire Curragh. True to his promise, the King gave her the fertile plain, and there the new community grazed their sheep and cows.

Carmelite Friary (White Abbey) Church, Kildare
The Carmelite Friars accepted the invitation of Lord William de Vesci and came to Kildare in 1290. This same de Vesci also established the Franciscans in the Grey Abbey and built the original castle of Kildare. With the suppression of the monasteries under Henry VIII, White Abbey was surrendered on 3 April 1539. The Friars, however, continued to minister clandestinely to the people of the area during the next two centuries. When the Penal Laws were relaxed in the 1750s, the Carmelites returned to Kildare and erected a church and a school close to or on the original 1290 foundation. This eighteenth century church served the Carmelites and the people in the district for more than one hundred years. The foundation stone of the present church was laid on 8 December 1884. The architect was William Hague who designed churches in the Pugin style. The church is therefore gothic in design and the builder was John Harris of Monasterevan, who used Wicklow granite and local stone from Boston, Rathangan. The church is cruciform in plan with the nave being set off with alternating window and arched roof-truss. The transepts are defined by polished granite pillars with moulded bases and carved caps which support arches in line with the walls of the nave. The side chapels are seen from the transepts and chancel through arches springing from moulded piers which also support the large chancel arch with its polished granite corbel shafts, moulded bases and carved caps. The principal entrance doorway faces east with pillared jambs, carved tympanum and moulded arches set in a projecting porch. The tower, with its lantern belfry, extends above the level of the nave roof. It has deeply recessed windows on each face and is finished with a moulded cornice. From this point, the tapering spire rises to a height of 40 metres and is surmounted by a cross. On the north transept wall of the church are inserted – for safekeeping – some interesting fifteenth/sixteenth century stone sculptures which came from the ruins of the Franciscan Grey Abbey. They are similar to the carvings from Great Connell and Dunfierth, also in County Kildare, and probably came from the same workshop. The stained glass in the church includes scenes from the lives of Our Lord and the Blessed Virgin Mary, from the Scapular Vision, as well as Saints Patrick and Brigid, and the four Evangelists. The rose window over the main entrance is of special interest with its centrepiece being the Prophet Elijah, the spiritual founder of the Order. The surrounding panels show St Telesphorus, St Dionysius, St Albert (Patriarch of Jerusalem), St Andrew Corsini, St Cyril of Alexandria, St Louis IX, St Angelus, and St Albert of Sicily.

In February 2016, the Carmelite Church and Friary were entrusted to the Indian Carmelites.

Milestone in early motorsport

In July 1903, the Gordon Bennett Cup ran through Kildare. It was the first international motor race to be held in Britain or Ireland. The Automobile Club of Great Britain and Ireland wanted the race to be hosted in Britain or Ireland, and Ireland was suggested as racing was illegal on British public roads. The editor of the Dublin Motor News suggested an area in County Kildare, and letters were sent to politicians, newspapers, railway companies, hoteliers, and clergy to win support and amend local laws. Kildare was chosen, among other candidate venues, partly because the straightness of the roads was deemed a safety benefit. As a compliment to Ireland, the British team chose to race in Shamrock green which became known as British racing green. The 528 km race ran on a loop through parts of counties Kildare and Carlow, including Kildare town. It was won by Belgian racer Camille Jenatzy in a Mercedes.

Annalistic references
See Annals of Inisfallen

 * AI697.1 Kl. Repose of Forannán of Cell Dara. [AU 698].
 * AI733.1 Kl. Repose of the daughter of Corc, coarb of Brigit.
 * AI758.1 Kl. Murthán, abbots of Cell Dara, fell asleep.
 * AI964.1 Kl. The plundering of Cell Dara by the foreigners of Áth Cliath; and the female erenagh died in the same year.
 * AI1031.9 Cell Dara and Port Láirge were burned.

Places of interest
Kildare Town Tourist Office & Heritage Centre is situated in the Market House in Kildare Town. St. Brigid's Cathedral and Norman tower House is also located in the town centre.

On the outskirts of the town are St Brigid's Well and Father Moore's Well (the latter on the Milltown Road).

Tourist destinations outside the town include the Irish National Stud and Japanese Gardens, Curragh Racecourse, and Kildare Village outlet centre. The latter is a shopping outlet located on the outskirts of Kildare and has become a shopping and tourist destination.

Electoral geography
Kildare Town is in the Dáil constituency of Kildare South for national elections and in the local electoral area of Kildare for elections to Kildare County Council.

Sports clubs
Round Towers a local GAA club, was founded in 1888 and plays in the Kildare GAA league. Kildare Town A.F.C., a local association football (soccer) club, was founded in 1966 and plays in the Kildare & District Underage League.

Cill Dara RFC plays in the Leinster League and has its grounds at Beech Park. South Kildare Soldiers (an American Football team which plays in the Irish American Football League) is based at Rathbride Road.

Transport
Kildare is served by the R445 and M7 roads. Aircoach operates an expressway service between Dublin and Cork which calls at Kildare, whilst Dublin Coach operates services to the Red Cow (with a connection to Dublin city centre), Dublin Airport and Portlaoise. The Dublin Coach service also has a stop at the "Kildare Village" retail outlet development. Go Ahead Ireland have two services through Kildare. 126 is Dublin-Kildare, 126e is Dublin-Rathangan.

Kildare railway station is located on the Dublin-Cork mainline railway line, with a connection to Waterford also, and options to change down the line for Limerick, Galway and Westport and Ballina. It is served by the south western commuter service as well. From the station, a community transport company serves Milltown, Nurney and Kildangan, there is a shuttle bus service to "Kildare Village" and on race days, also a shuttle bus to the Curragh Racecourse.

Notable people

 * Seamus Aldridge (born 1935), Gaelic games administrator and former Gaelic football referee
 * Aisling Bea (born 1984), actress, comedian and writer
 * Brigid of Kildare (451-525), founder of a double monastery in Kildare
 * Michèle Burke (born 1959), makeup artist and winner of two Oscars, born in Kildare town
 * George Cooper (1792–1867), the first Colonial Treasurer of New Zealand, born in Kildare
 * Michael Corcoran (died 1819), parish priest of Kildare and afterwards Roman Catholic Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin
 * Ray D'Arcy (born 1964), presenter for the RTE's show Ray D'Arcy Show
 * David Egan (born 1999), jockey

title: Kildare