is a railway station on the

Sōya Main Line The is a Japanese railway line operated by Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido) in Hokkaido. The line connects Asahikawa Station in Asahikawa and Wakkanai Station in Wakkanai, and is the northernmost railway line in Japan. The name comes fr ...

in the city of

Wakkanai, Hokkaido ' meaning "cold water river" is a city located in Sōya Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. It is the capital of Sōya Subprefecture. It contains Japan's northernmost point, Cape Sōya, from which the Russian island of Sakhalin can be seen. As of 1 ...

, operated by

Hokkaido Railway Company The is one of the constituent companies of the Japan Railways Group (JR Group), and is often referred to using its official abbreviation of . It operates intercity and local rail services in Hokkaido, Japan. The company introduced Kitaca, a sm ...

(JR Hokkaido). It is the northern terminus of the Sōya Main Line, and is also the northernmost railway station in Japan.

Lines

Wakkanai Station is the northern terminus of the

from . The station is numbered "W80".

Layout

Wakkanai Station has a 1 single

side platform A side platform (also known as a marginal platform or a single-face platform) is a platform positioned to the side of one or more railway tracks or guideways at a railway station, tram stop, or transitway. A station having dual side platforms ...

. The

station building A station building, also known as a head house, is the main building of a passenger railway station. It is typically used principally to provide services to passengers. A station building is a component of a station, which can include tracks, p ...

was renewed in 2011.

Platforms

稚内駅にある「日本最北端の駅」を示す標柱.jpg, Marker on the platform showing the station as the northernmost station in Japan. (July 2018) JR Soya-Main-Line Wakkanai Station Platform.jpg, Station platform and station structure in the back, October 2017

Limited express services

Wakkanai is served by the following

limited express A limited express is a type of express train service. It refers to an express service that stops at a limited number of stops in comparison to other express services on the same or similar routes. Japan The term "limited express" is a common ...

services in addition to all-stations "Local" services. * '' Sōya'' (Sapporo – Wakkanai) * '' Sarobetsu'' (Asahikawa – Wakkanai)

Adjacent stations

History

The station opened on 26 December 1926, initially named . It was renamed Wakkanai on 1 February 1939 at the same time as the original Wakkanai Station was renamed

Minami-Wakkanai Station is a railway station on the Sōya Main Line in Wakkanai, Hokkaido, Japan, operated by Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido). Lines Minami-Wakkanai Station is served by the Sōya Main Line from to , and lies 256.7 km from the starting p ...

. With the privatization of

Japanese National Railways The abbreviated JNR or , was the business entity that operated Japan's national railway network from 1949 to 1987. Network Railways As of June 1, 1949, the date of establishment of JNR, it operated of narrow gauge () railways in all 46 pref ...

(JNR) on 1 April 1987, the station came under the control of JR Hokkaido.

Surrounding area

Port of Wakkanai The Port of Wakkanai (''稚内港'') is a major port located in the Municipality of Wakkanai, Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan. Sakhalin lies about 62.81 kilometers (39.03 mi) to the north. Many ferries that go/come to/from Rishiri Island, Rebun ...

It takes about 7 minutes from here to Port of Wakkanai on foot.
It takes about 3 minutes from here to Port of Wakkanai by bus at 700 yen(adult) or 350 yen(children). End of JR railroad.JPG, Terminating tracks in the snow, April 2014 JR Soya-Main-Line Wakkanai Station Gates.jpg, Fare gates and ticket office, October 2017 Wakkanai Station1.JPG, Wakkanai Station in June 2012 Wakkanai station001.JPG, View of the surrounding area of the station, July 2012 Soya Bus 20211122 wakkanai station bus terminal.JPG, Adjacent bus terminal, November 2021

References

External links

{{Sōya Main Line Railway stations in Hokkaido Prefecture Railway stations in Japan opened in 1928