Kami-Shirataki Station (上白滝駅, Kami-Shirataki-eki, lit. "Upper Shirataki") was a railway station on the Sekihoku Main Line in Engaru, Hokkaido, Japan, operated by Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido). Opened in October 1932, the station closed in March 2016.
Kami-Shirataki Station 上白滝駅 | |
|---|---|
 Kami-Shirataki Station building in June 2009 | |
| General information | |
| Location | Kamishirataki, Engaru-cho, Monbetsu-gun, Hokkaido 099-0127 Japan |
| Operated by | .svg){kind=logo} Hokkaido Railway Company |
| Line(s) | ■ Sekihoku Main Line |
| Distance | 78.9 km (49.0 mi) from Shin-Asahikawa |
| Platforms | 1 side platform |
| Tracks | 1 |
| Other information | |
| Status | Closed |
| Station code | A44 |
| History | |
| Opened | 1 October 1932 |
| Closed | 25 March 2016 |
| Location | |
  Kami-Shirataki Station Location within Japan | |
Lines edit
Kami-Shirataki Station was served by the single-track Sekihoku Main Line, lying 78.9 km (49.0 mi) from the official starting point of the line at Shin-Asahikawa. The station was numbered "A44".
By December 2012, the station was served by just one train service in each direction daily.
Station layout edit
The station had a single side platform serving the single-track line. The station was unstaffed, but a station structure was provided, with toilet facilities for passengers.
-
The station waiting room in December 2012 -
The station platform in June 2009
Adjacent stations edit
| « | Service | » | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sekihoku Main Line | ||||
| Limited Express Okhotsk: Does not stop at this station | ||||
| Limited Express Taisetsu: Does not stop at this station | ||||
| Limited Rapid Kitami: Does not stop at this station | ||||
| Kamikawa | Local | Shirataki | ||
History edit
The station opened on 1 October 1932.[1] With the privatization of Japanese National Railways (JNR) on 1 April 1987, the station came under the control of JR Hokkaido.[1]
In July 2015, JR Hokkaido announced that it would be closing the station along with three others on the line (Kyū-Shirataki Station, Shimo-Shirataki Station, and Kanehana Station) in March 2016, due to low passenger usage.[2]
In January 2016, it was reported on Chinese state broadcaster CCTV's Facebook page that the station was being kept open for the benefit of just one high-school girl who used the station to commute to and from school, and that it was scheduled to close when the girl graduated.[3] However, it was later revealed that the station in question was actually Kyū-Shirataki Station, two stops away, and there is no evidence that the timing of the closure of either station was connected with the girl's graduation.[4]
The station closed following the last day of services on 25 March 2016.[5]
Surrounding area edit
See also edit
References edit
- ^ a b Ishino, Tetsu, ed. (1998). 停車場変遷大辞典 国鉄・JR編 [Station Transition Directory - JNR/JR]. Vol. II. Japan: JTB. p. 918. ISBN 4-533-02980-9.
- ^ 上白滝・旧白滝・下白滝の３駅も廃止 ＪＲ石北線、来年３月に [3 JR Sekihoku Line stations Kami-Shirataki, Kyu-Shirataki, and Shimo-Shirataki to close next March]. Doshin (in Japanese). Japan: The Hokkaido Shimbun Press. 22 July 2015. Archived from the original on 22 July 2015. Retrieved 11 January 2016.
- ^ "Remote Hokkaido train station stays open for one high school girl? Perhaps not". The Straits Times. Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. 11 January 2016. Retrieved 9 January 2016.
- ^ "Train continues to stop at rural station for lone schoolgirl until she graduates in March". SoraNews24 -Japan News-. 12 January 2016. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
- ^ 根室線花咲など８駅廃止、７９本減便 ＪＲ北海道がダイヤ改正 [JR Hokkaido introduces revised timetable - 8 stations closed and 79 services cut]. Doshin Web (in Japanese). Japan: The Hokkaido Shimbun Press. 26 March 2016. Archived from the original on 2 April 2016. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
External links edit
- JR Hokkaido Station information (in Japanese)