| Tateno Station | |
| Native Name: | 立野駅 |
| Native Name Lang: | ja |
| Address: | Tateno, Minamiaso Village, Aso District, |
| Borough: | Kumamoto Prefecture |
| Country: | Japan |
| Coordinates: | 32.8778°N 130.9653°W |
| Platforms: | 2 island platforms |
| Tracks: | 3 + several sidings |
| Structure: | At grade |
| Parking: | Available at station forecourt |
| Status: | Unstaffed, service suspended |
| Map Type: | Japan Kumamoto Prefecture#Japan Kyushu#Japan |
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] The station has a three-stage switchback that trains need to execute in order to proceed to, the next station on the Hōhi Main Line.
On 21 June 1914, the Japanese Government Railways (JGR) opened the, later known as the Miyaji Line, running from eastward to . The line was extended eastward in phases, with opening 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 .
On 12 February 1928, the section between Tateno and was opened as a branch line of the Miyaji Line. By 2 December 1928, the track at Miyaji was linked to the, which had been extended westward in phases from since 1914. Through traffic was established between Kumamoto and Ōita. The two lines were merged, and the entire stretch was renamed the Hōhi Main Line. On the same day, the Miyaji Line branch between Tateno and Takamori was separated and became the Takamori Line.
On 1 April 1986, the Takamori Line was transferred from the Japanese National Railways (JNR) to the Minami Aso Railway, operated by the third sector. With the privatization of JNR on 1 April 1987, the station came under the control of JR Kyushu.
On 14 April 2016, operations at the station were suspended due to landslides caused by the Kumamoto earthquake. On 8 August 2020, Tateno Station reopened for JR services following the resumption of operations between and on the JR Hōhi Main Line.[2] The new Tateno station building was completed on 31 March 2023.[3]
On 15 July 2023, the Minami Aso Railway Takamori Line between Tateno and was restored, and all lines resumed operation. Minami Aso Railway trains began direct service to JR Higo-Ōzu Station via this station.[4]
The station is served by the Hōhi Main Line and is located 32.3km (20.1miles) from the starting point of the line at . It is also the starting point of the Takamori Line.
The station is jointly used by JR Kyushu, which has an island platform with two tracks, and the Minami Aso Railway, which has a single platform with one track. Although it is an unmanned station, the station building is equipped with elevators and ramps. Toilets are installed on both the waiting room floor and the platform floor, with a multipurpose toilet located on the waiting room floor.
The platform was originally 120 meters (393.7 ft) long before restoration work after the earthquake, but it was shortened to 91 meters (298.5 ft) during the restoration. The damaged shed was replaced with a new one. Additionally, the station building housing the waiting room was demolished in March 2020, and the automatic ticket vending machine was moved to the platform.
The railroad crossing on the premises is designed to prevent trains from deviating onto the depot line. It currently serves as a safety measure to prevent trains from entering Platform 1 (Higo-Ōzu) from the Minami Aso Railway Takamori Line.
The station office and trolley train ticket office are located on the Minami Aso Railway platform, as they were before the earthquake. The Takamori Line platform, which was the same as the JR platform before the earthquake, is to the left after descending the connecting stairs from the station square. Additionally, the Minami Aso Railway Tateno Station bookstore was built on the Takamori Line platform.
The station consists of two island platforms serving three tracks. The station forecourt and parking area are 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 provides 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 in the station forecourt.[5] [6] [7] [8]
| Track number | Route name | Destination | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minami Aso Railway Platform | |||
| - [9] | Takamori Line | for and | The platform for the last train on the Takamori Line is located on the JR platform, from which direct trains to Higo-Ōzu arrive and depart. |
| JR Platform | |||
| 1 | Hōhi Main Line | for and | The platform for direct trains from the Takamori Line to the Hōhi Line. |
| 2 | for and | The platform for direct trains from the Hōhi Line to the Takamori Line. | |
Tateno Station is located at an altitude of, while the next station,, is 7.9km (04.9miles) away by rail and situated at an altitude of . To achieve a practical gradient while ascending over this distance, trains must perform a three-stage switchback, changing direction twice, after leaving the station.
Trains approaching from enter Tateno from the west, then reverse direction and exit the station westward. They continue to a point at an altitude of, where they reverse direction again onto a track heading toward the next station. A signboard on the Tateno Station platform provides passengers with a detailed guide to this procedure. The tracks involved in the switchback were severely damaged by the 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes.[10] [11]