It looks like self-driving EV buses will be running in the Koshien area. Starting 10/8 (Wed), rides are free and available by advance reservation〜
(Info provided by Sasako @ Nishitsu SP)
Here it is↓
・Weekday service from 10/8 (Wed) to mid-February 2026 (6 trips per day)
・You can ride for free, with advance reservations available from 1 week before (same-day boarding OK if seats are available)
・The route runs from Hama-Koshien toward LaLaport Koshien. Some stops connect with Hanshin Bus stops
Service Overview
(Materials provided by) Nishinomiya City / Hanshin Electric Railway Koshien Smart Eco Line SMART ECO LINE
- Service dates: Weekdays from October 8, 2025 (Wed) to mid-February 2026
※10/1 (Wed) to 10/7 (Tue) will be test runs with no public boarding / Service will operate on 11/8 (Sat), and will be suspended from 12/31 (Wed) to 1/4 (Sun) - Hours: 9:00–12:00 / 13:00–16:00 (6 trips per day)
- Fare: Free (please cooperate with the post-ride survey)
- Capacity: 15 passengers (seated only)
- Reservations: Advance reservation required(from 1 week before the ride date)※Same-day boarding available on-site if seats are open
- Autonomous driving level: Lv2(safety driver on board)
- Vehicle: Self-driving EV bus “Minibus 2.0”
Uses cameras and LiDAR to detect its location and obstacles, and supports autonomous driving at up to 35 km/h
Route (Stops)
The route looks like this↓
Quoted from Self-Driving EV Bus Demonstration Experiment “Koshien Smart Eco Line”｜Hanshin Electric Railway Co., Ltd.
Hama-Koshien 3-chome Nishi → Hama-Koshien 3-chome Higashi → Hama-Koshien 2-chome Minami → Hama-Koshien Parking Lot Mae → ★Mukogawa Women’s University School of Pharmacy Mae → HAMACO:LIVING Mae → Hama-Koshien Nagisa-machi → Mukogawa Women’s University Junior & Senior High School Higashi → ★LaLaport Koshien Minami → ★Koshien 8-bancho → ★Minami-Koshien 1-chome → ★Minami-Koshien 2-chome → (turnaround)
★ = Shared with existing Hanshin Bus stops
Timetable (6 Trips・Excerpt)
For those thinking, “I just want to know the arrival and departure times for the popular stops!”, we picked out the main ones〜
| Stop | Trip 1 (Route 1) | Trip 2 (Route 1) | Trip 3 (Route 2) | Trip 4 (Route 1) | Trip 5 (Route 2) | Trip 6 (Route 2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hama-Koshien 3-chome Nishi | 9:25 | 10:25 | 11:26 | 13:25 | 14:26 | 15:26 |
| Hama-Koshien 3-chome Higashi | 9:26 | 10:26 | 11:30 | 13:26 | 14:30 | 15:30 |
| Hama-Koshien 2-chome Minami | 9:28 | 10:28 | 11:31 | 13:28 | 14:31 | 15:31 |
| Hama-Koshien Parking Lot Mae | 9:31 | 10:31 | 11:34 | 13:31 | 14:34 | 15:34 |
| ★Mukogawa Women’s University School of Pharmacy Mae | 9:35 | 10:35 | 11:38 | 13:35 | 14:38 | 15:38 |
| HAMACO:LIVING Mae | 9:38 | 10:38 | 11:41 | 13:38 | 14:41 | 15:41 |
| Hama-Koshien Nagisa-machi | 9:46 | 10:46 | 11:47 | 13:46 | 14:47 | 15:47 |
| Mukogawa Women’s University Junior & Senior High School Higashi | 9:48 | 10:48 | 11:49 | 13:48 | 14:49 | 15:49 |
| ★LaLaport Koshien Minami | 9:52 | 10:52 | 11:20／11:55 | 13:52 | 14:20／14:55 | 15:20／15:55 |
| ★Koshien 8-bancho | 9:53 | 10:53 | 11:20 | 13:53 | 14:20 | 15:20 |
| ★Minami-Koshien 1-chome | 9:56 | 10:56 | 11:23 | 13:56 | 14:23 | 15:23 |
| ★Minami-Koshien 2-chome | 9:57 | 10:57 | 11:24 | 13:57 | 14:24 | 15:24 |
※Times may be delayed, service may be suspended, or details may change due to road congestion, weather, system maintenance, etc.
Reservations & How to Ride
- Reservations open: From 1 week before the ride date (advance reservation required)
- Same day: Boarding is OK on-site only if seats are available
- Request: For safe operation, please refrain from street parking in no-parking zones
※The reservation site URL has not been released yet
Notes Look Like This
- Please remain seated at all times while the bus is moving. The bus may switch to manual driving if necessary.
- Please follow crew instructions when boarding and getting off. Boarding may be refused if it is determined that it would interfere with operation.
- Preschool children: Up to one child per guardian may ride on the guardian’s lap.
- You can’t ride with a stroller as-is……
- Assistance cannot be provided for those who need support. Also, due to the risk of sudden braking, passengers using wheelchairs or strollers cannot board (because this is a demonstration experiment).
- During the demonstration period, organizers may take photos and videos for recordkeeping and publicity purposes, and they may be published in various media.
Finally
Getting to ride a cutting-edge autonomous bus for free is pretty rare. Actually, they ran this last year too, and back then it went 20 km/h. This time, it’s 35 km/h. If autonomous driving really gets started, it might help ease driver shortages and keep fare increases in check.
(Info provided by Sasako @ Nishitsu SP)
