Kami-Shirataki Station
Former railway station in Engaru, Hokkaido, Japan
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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.
Japan
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Hokkaido Railway CompanyKami-Shirataki Station 上白滝駅 | |||||
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Kami-Shirataki Station building in June 2009 | |||||
| General information | |||||
| Location | Kamishirataki, Engaru-cho, Monbetsu-gun, Hokkaido 099–0127 Japan | ||||
| Operator | Hokkaido Railway Company | ||||
| Line | ■ 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 | ||||
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Lines
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".
Station layout
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
History
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]
