is a junction passenger

railway station Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...

located in the city of Miyakonojō, Miyazaki, Japan, operated by

JR Kyushu The , also referred to as , is one of the seven constituent companies of Japan Railways Group (JR Group). It operates intercity rail services within Kyushu, Japan. It formerly operated the Beetle hydrofoil service across the Tsushima Strait be ...

Lines

The station is served by the

Nippō Main Line The is a railway line in Kyushu, in southern Japan, operated by Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu). Also known as the Fukuhoku Nippo Line, The line connects Kokura Station in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, and Kagoshima Station in Kagoshima, Kagoshima, K ...

and is located 389.9 km from the starting point of the line at . It is also the terminal station on the

Kitto Line The is a railway line on the island of Kyushu, Japan. It connects Yoshimatsu Station in Yūsui, Kagoshima Prefecture with Miyakonojō Station in Miyakonojō, Miyazaki Prefecture. It is also known as together with the – segment of the H ...

and is 61.6 kilometers from the opposing terminus of that line at .

Station layout

The station consists of one

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, ...

and two

island platform An island platform (also center platform (American English) or centre platform (British English)) is a station layout arrangement where a single platform is positioned between two tracks within a railway station, tram stop or transitway inte ...

s as well as multiple sidings. The side platform is adjacent to the station building and is connected to the island platforms by footbridges. Next to track 1 is the former freight platform, but the middle track (track 2) between tracks 1 and 3 has been removed. Barrier-free construction was completed on March 15, 2014, and elevators were installed on the footbridge and on each platform. The station has a ''

Midori no Madoguchi , short for ''Magnetic-electronic Automatic'' ''Reservation System,'' is a train ticket reservation system used by the Japan Railways Group (JR Group) companies and travel agencies in Japan. It was developed jointly by Hitachi and the former Ja ...

'' staffed ticket office.

Platforms

File:Train for Kagoshima-Chuo Station at Miyakonojo Station.jpg, 415 series set FK520 at Miyakonojō Station

History

Japanese Government Railways The Japanese Government Railways (JGR) was the national rail transport, railway system directly operated by the until 1949. It was a predecessor of Japanese National Railways and the later Japan Railways Group. Name The English name "Japanese ...

opened Miyakonojō Station on 8 October 1913 as the eastern terminus of its then Miyazaki Line which it had been extending eastwards from since 1912. On 11 Feb 1914, Miyakonojō became a through-station when the track was extended towards the northeast to . By 21 September 1917, the track had reached and line was renamed the Miyazaki Main Line. By 1923, the track had reached north to link up with the track of the Nippō Main Line at . The entire stretch through Miyazaki, Miyakonojō to Yoshimatsu was then redesignated as part of the Nippō Main Line on 15 December 1923. By this time, the extension of the track south and west towards from Miyakonojō had also begun. On 14 January 1923, Japanese Government Railways opened the Shibushi Line from Miyakonojō through to Sueyoshi (now closed). By 1932, various lines stretching to Kagoshima had been linked up and through-traffic had been achieved. The lines serving Miyakonojō were redesignated. The stretch to Yoshimatsu (running generally northeast) was designated as the Kitto Line with Miyakonojō as the eastern terminus. The other tracks, with lines of various names now linked up to Kagoshima were designated as part of the Nippō Main Line. Cargo handling at the station was abolished in November 1986, and the Miyakonojo Container Center was established as a replacement. It was later renamed Miyakonojo Ofrail Station in April 2006. 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 pre ...

, the successor to Japanese Government Railways, on 1 April 1987, the station came under the control of Kyushu Railway Company.

Passenger statistics

In fiscal 2016, the station was used by an average of 1,111 passengers daily (boarding passengers only), and it ranked 152nd among the busiest stations of JR Kyushu.

Surrounding area

*Miyakonojo City Shukiyoshi Elementary School *Miyakonojo City Shukiyoshi Junior High School *Miyazaki Prefectural Miyakonojo Agricultural High School

References

External links

* Railway stations in Miyazaki Prefecture Stations of Kyushu Railway Company Railway stations in Japan opened in 1913 Miyakonojō {{Miyazaki-railstation-stub