Kyū-Shirataki Station

Kyū-Shirataki Station (旧白滝駅, Kyū-Shirataki-eki, lit. "Old Shirataki") was a railway station on the Sekihoku Main Line in Engaru, Hokkaido, Japan, operated by Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido). Opened in 1947, the station closed in March 2016.

Kyū-Shirataki Station

旧白滝駅
The station platform in June 2009
LocationKyūshirataki, Engaru-cho, Monbetsu-gun, Hokkaido 099-0102
Japan
Operated by JR Hokkaido
Line(s)■ Sekihoku Main Line
Distance88.3 km (54.9 mi) from Shin-Asahikawa
Platforms1 side platform
Tracks1
Other information
StatusClosed
Station codeA46
History
Opened11 February 1947 (1947-02-11)
Closed25 March 2016 (2016-03-25)
Location
Kyū-Shirataki Station
Location within Japan

Lines

Kyū-Shirataki Station was served by the single-track Sekihoku Main Line, lying 88.3 km (54.9 mi) from the official starting point of the line at Shin-Asahikawa. The station was numbered "A46".

Station layout

The station had a side platform serving the otherwise single-track line. The station was unstaffed, but had a station structure and waiting room.

Adjacent stations
« 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
Shirataki   Local   Shimo-Shirataki

History

The station opened on 11 February 1947.[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 (Shimo-Shirataki Station, Kami-Shirataki Station, and Kanehana Station) in March 2016, due to low passenger usage.[2] According to a news report, as of January 2016, there was only one passenger using the station regularly: a Hokkaido Engaru High School (ja:北海道遠軽高等学校) student girl.[3][4] JR Hokkaido decided to discontinue the station just after the girl graduated from Engaru high school.[5] Later reports suggest that there were in fact over 10 additional passengers.[6]

The station closed following the last day of services on 25 March 2016.[7] The station structure and platform was demolished in October 2016.[8]

Surrounding area

See also

References
  1. Ishino, Tetsu, ed. (1998). 停車場変遷大辞典 国鉄・JR編 [Station Transition Directory - JNR/JR]. II. Japan: JTB. p. 918. ISBN 4-533-02980-9.
  2. 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 12 January 2016.
  3. Poon, Linda (8 January 2016). "Japan Keeps The Defunct Kyu-Shirataki Train Station Open for Just One High-School Girl". CityLab. Retrieved 12 January 2016.
  4. "卒業式へ最後の通学 旧白滝駅利用、唯一の乗客".
  5. "女子高生1人だけ使っていたJr北海道の駅、卒業待って閉鎖へ、心遣いに中韓から感動・称賛の声続々".
  6. "Remote Hokkaido train station stays open for one high school girl? Perhaps not". The Straits Times. Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. 18 October 2016. Archived from the original on 4 August 2016. Retrieved 9 January 2016.
  7. 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 14 April 2016. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
  8. 「秘境」北海道・旧白滝駅舎が解体　地元住民が別れ惜しむ [Remote JR Hokkaido Kyu-Shirataki Station demolished - Locals pay their last respects]. Doshin Web (in Japanese). Japan: The Hokkaido Shimbun Press. 18 October 2016. Archived from the original on 18 October 2016. Retrieved 18 October 2016.

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