Taka Station

Taka Station

高駅
Taka Station, October 2007
General information
Location1262 Ishiba, Taka-chō, Shōbara-shi, Hiroshima-ken
Japan
Coordinates34°52′40.24″N 133°4′14.02″E / 34.8778444°N 133.0705611°E / 34.8778444; 133.0705611
Operated by JR West
LineP Geibi Line
Distance62.3 km (38.7 miles) from Bitchū-Kōjiro
Platforms1 side platform
Tracks1
Other information
StatusUnstaffed
WebsiteOfficial website
History
Opened15 March 1934 (1934-03-15)
Passengers
20191 daily
Services
Preceding station JR West Following station
Bingo-Shōbara
towards Hiroshima
Geibi Line
Local
Hirako
towards Niimi
Location
Taka Station
Location within Hiroshima Prefecture
Taka Station
Taka Station (Japan)

Taka Station (高駅, Taka-eki) is a passenger railway station located in Taka-chō, in the city of Shōbara, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. It is operated by the West Japan Railway Company (JR West).[1]

Lines

Taka Station is served by the Geibi Line, and is located 62.3 kilometers from the terminus of the line at Bitchū-Kōjiro and 68.7 kilometers from Niimi.

Station layout

The station consists of one ground-level side platform serving single bi-directional track. It formerly had two side platforms; however, in 2010 use of one of the platforms was discontinued and the track removed, although the platform itself remains in situ. The station is unattended.

The station features a wooden station building that dates back to its original construction in 1934. While the second track and corresponding side platform were removed in 2010 to simplify maintenance, the remains of the former platform are still visible and have since been repurposed by local residents as a decorative flower bed. The station currently lacks permanent restroom facilities following the removal of its vault toilet.[2]

History

Taka Station was opened on March 15, 1934. It became part of JR West in 1987 when Japan National Railways was privatized.

Shortly after its opening as part of the Shōbara Line, the station was incorporated into the Sanshin Line on October 10, 1936, before officially becoming part of the Geibi Line on July 1, 1937.

Historically, the station handled both freight and baggage services; however, freight operations were discontinued on March 11, 1962, followed by the cessation of baggage services on September 1, 1972. The station was made unstaffed on October 31, 1983, transitioning to a simplified commission-based system (kan'i itaku) before the 1987 privatization of Japan National Railways.[3][4]

Passenger statistics

Taka Station has seen a long-term decline in ridership consistent with the depopulation of northern Hiroshima Prefecture.

In fiscal 2019, the station was used by an average of 1 passengers daily.[5]

In fiscal 2020, the average daily number of boarding passengers was recorded as 0, reflecting the extreme rurality of the Tojo-Bingo-Ochiai section of the Geibi Line, which is documented as having the lowest transportation density in the entire JR West network.[6]

Surrounding area

See also

References

  1. ^ Kawashima, Reizo (2012). 山陽・山陰ライン - 全線・全駅・全配線』5 鳥取・出雲・尾道エリア [Sanyo/Sanin Line - All Lines, All Stations 5 Tottori/Izumo/Onomichi Area] (in Japanese). Kodansha. ISBN 978-4-06-295155-5.
  2. ^ "Japan's unprofitable local rail lines face threat of cuts amid pandemic". The Japan Times. 2022-05-09. Retrieved 2026-03-17.
  3. ^ Kawashima, Reizo (2012). Sanyo/Sanin Line - All Lines, All Stations 5 Tottori/Izumo/Onomichi Area (in Japanese). Kodansha. ISBN 978-4-06-295155-5.
  4. ^ Ishino, Tetsu, ed. (1998). Teishajō Heishō Daijiten – Kokutetsu JR Hen (in Japanese). Tokyo: JTB. p. 264. ISBN 978-4-533-02980-6.
  5. ^ Numerical National Land Information Passenger Number Data by Station - Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, September 2020
  6. ^ "Underutilized Hiroshima-Okayama rail route struggles to survive". The Japan Times. 2025-02-10. Retrieved 2026-03-17.

Media related to Taka Station at Wikimedia Commons