Tateno Station (Kumamoto)

Tateno Station (立野駅, Takeno-eki) is a railway station in Minamiaso, Kumamoto, Japan. It is jointly operated by JR Kyushu and the Minami Aso Railway and is a transfer station between the JR Kyushu Hōhi Main Line and the Minami Aso Takamori Line.[1][2] The station is also noted for the three-stage switchback which trains need to execute in order to proceed to Akamizu, the next station on the Hōhi Main Line.

Tateno Station

立野駅
JR Tateno Station in 2006
LocationJapan
Coordinates32°52′40″N 130°57′55″E
Operated by
Line(s)
Distance
  • 27.2 km from Kumamoto (Hōhi Main Line)
  • 0.0 km (starting point of the Minami Aso Takamori Line)
Platforms2 island platforms
Tracks3 + several sidings
Construction
Structure typeAt grade
ParkingAvailable at station forecourt
Other information
StatusUnstaffed, service suspended
WebsiteOfficial website
History
Opened11 November 1916 (1916-11-11)
Location
Tateno Station
Location within Japan

Lines

The station is served by the Hōhi Main Line and is located 32.3 km from the starting point of the line at Kumamoto.[3] It is also the starting point for the Takamori Line.[4]

Layout

The station consists of two island platforms serving three tracks. The station forecourt/parking area is located at a higher level than the platforms. From there, a flight of steps descends to the first island platform. The station buildings for both the Minami Aso Railway and JR Kyushu are located on this platform, which also serves the Takamori Line. From the JR Kyushu station, a level crossing gives access to the other island platform which serves two Hōhi Main Line tracks. Both station buildings are unstaffed and serve as waiting rooms. A souvenir shop is located at the station forecourt.[2][3][4][5][6]

  • Station forecourt. Note the souvenir shop and the stairs leading to the platform.
  • Base of the stairs from forecourt. To the right is the JR station entrance. To the left, the Miniami Aso station.
  • The Minami Aso Railway platform. The JR station is to the extreme right, outside the camera view.
  • The rear of the Minami Aso station building. The track in the foreground is JR's.
  • The second island platform, used exclusively by JR trains.
  • Schematic of station layout. Gray is the station forecourt. The narrow blue rectangle is the Miniami Aso platform, the thick blue is the JR Kyushu.

Adjacent stations
« Service »
Hōhi Main Line
Seta Local Akamizu
Minami Aso Takamori Line
Terminus Local Chōyō

Switchback

Tateno station is located at an altitude of 277 metres while the next station, Akamizu, 7.9 rail kilometres away, is at 465 metres. In order to achieve a practical gradient while ascending 190 metres within this distance, trains need to execute a three-stage switchback (changing directions twice) after leaving the station. Trains approaching from Seta enter Tateno from the west. They then reverse direction and exit the station westward to a point at altitude of 306 metres where they reverse direction again onto a track heading for the next station. A signboard on the Tateno Station platform gives passengers a detailed guide to this procedure. The tracks of this switchback were severely damaged by the 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes.[6][7]

  • Aerial photo showing Tateno Station with tracks in a brown colour. The switchback can be clearly seen.

History

On 21 June 1914, Japanese Government Railways (JGR) opened the Miyaji Light Rail Line (宮地軽便線) (later the Miyagi Line) from Kumamoto eastwards to Higo-Ōzu. The line was extended eastward in phases and Tateno was opened as the new eastern terminal on 11 November 1916. It became a through-station on 25 January 1918 when the track was extended further to Miyaji. By 2 December 1928, the track at Miyaji was linked up with the Inukai Line (犬飼線), which had been extended westwards in phases from Ōita since 1914. Through-traffic was established between Kumamoto and Ōita. The two lines were merged and the entire stretch redesignated as the Hōhi Main Line. With the privatization of Japanese National Railways (JNR), the successor of JGR, on 1 April 1987, the station came under the control of JR Kyushu.[8][9]

The JR track from Higo-Ōzu to Aso was heavily damaged in the 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes and service between the stations, including to Tateno has been suspended. JR Kyushu has commenced repair work, starting first with the sector from Higo-Ōzu to Tateno but has not announced a targeted completion date.[10]

See also

References
  1. "JR Kyushu Route Map" (PDF). JR Kyushu. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
  2. "立野" [Tateno]. hacchi-no-he.net. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  3. Kawashima, Ryōzō (2013). 図説: 日本の鉄道 四国・九州ライン 全線・全駅・全配線・第6巻 熊本 大分 エリア [Japan Railways Illustrated. Shikoku and Kyushu. All lines, all stations, all track layouts. Volume 6 Kumamoto Ōita Area] (in Japanese). Kodansha. pp. 35, 77. ISBN 9784062951654.
  4. Kawashima, Ryōzō (2013). 図説: 日本の鉄道 四国・九州ライン 全線・全駅・全配線・第6巻 熊本 大分 エリア [Japan Railways Illustrated. Shikoku and Kyushu. All lines, all stations, all track layouts. Volume 6 Kumamoto Ōita Area] (in Japanese). Kodansha. p. 74. ISBN 9784062951654.
  5. "立野" [Tateno]. hacchi-no-he.net. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  6. "南阿蘇鉄道・立野駅に行ってきました" [I went to the Miniami Aso Railway Tateno Station]. 18 June 2016. Retrieved 25 April 2018. Blog entry with good photographic coverage of station facilities including about the switchback.
  7. "熊本地震で被災した九州の鉄道事情ーー豊肥本線は1年前とどう変わったのか" [Situation of Kyushu railways after the Kumamoto earthquake--how has the Hōhi Main Line changed one year after the event?]. 24 June 2017. Retrieved 25 April 2018. Blog entry with good photographic coverage of damage to the switchback.
  8. Ishino, Tetsu; et al., eds. (1998). 停車場変遷大事典 国鉄・JR編 [Station Transition Directory - JNR/JR] (in Japanese). I. Tokyo: JTB Corporation. p. 228. ISBN 4533029809.
  9. Ishino, Tetsu; et al., eds. (1998). 停車場変遷大事典 国鉄・JR編 [Station Transition Directory - JNR/JR] (in Japanese). II. Tokyo: JTB Corporation. p. 745. ISBN 4533029809.
  10. "JR九州、平成28年熊本地震で被害を受けた豊肥本線の復旧工事に4月着手" [JR Kyushu Restoration work commences in April on Hōhi Main Line track damaged in the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake]. Travel Watch. 23 March 2017. Retrieved 23 April 2018. See for details of damaged track locations.
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