Nankai Electric Railway announces major restructuring, new railway spin-off by 2026

Nankai Electric Railway Co., Ltd. announced a substantial organizational restructuring and executive changes, effective April 1, 2026. The company will separate its railway business, changing its name to NANKAI Co., Ltd. Concurrently, a new entity, Shin-Nankai Electric Railway Co., Ltd., will inherit the railway operations via an absorption-type split.

Under the new structure, NANKAI Co., Ltd. will establish a "Management Strategy Headquarters" to oversee group-wide strategy and M&A, and an "Along-the-Line Revitalization Strategy Headquarters" to focus on regional development and tourism. The real estate and new business development functions will also be enhanced. Key leadership changes include the appointment of Ryuji Fujiwara and Satoko Sakamoto as new directors, while Naoto Ashibe, Kenji Kajitani, and Takahiro Otsuka will retire from their director roles.

Shin-Nankai Electric Railway Co., Ltd. will form a "Railway Headquarters" responsible for operations, safety, and business development. It will also establish a "Naniwasuji Line Business Division" as a direct report to the president. The board of directors for Shin-Nankai Electric Railway will include Mitsuhiko Tomioka as representative director and chairman, and Satoshi Kajitani as representative director and president.