is a 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

Soo, Kagoshima file:Kagoshima Pref Road 2 Takarabe Ct 2016.JPG, 270px, Kagoshima Pref Road 2 in Soo file:Yagorodon Iwagawa 2011 01.JPG, Yagorodon is a Cities of Japan, city located in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 32,57 ...

, Japan. It is 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 ...

and is on 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 ...

Lines

The station is served by the

and is located 403.0 km from the starting point of the line at .

Layout

The station consists of two

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, ...

s serving two tracks on a low embankment. The station building is a simple functional shed which is unstaffed and serves only to house a waiting area. From there, a short flight of steps leads up the embankment to the first platform. Access to the opposite side platform is by means of a footbridge. Blog entry with good photographic coverage of station facilities.

Platforms

Kitamata Station2.JPG, Platforms

History

On 28 April 1929,

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 ...

(JGR) opened the from to . In the next phase of expansion, the track was extended to which opened as the new southern terminus on 1 November 1931. On the same day Kitamata was opened as an intermediate station on the new track. By 1932, the track had been linked up with other networks north and south, and through traffic had been established from , through this station to . The station and the Kokuto East Line were then absorbed and were designated as part of the Nippō Main Line on 6 December 1932. 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 ...

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

Passenger statistics

In fiscal 2015, the station was used by an average of 2 passengers daily.

Surrounding area

*Tomb of Hirata Sangoro Hirata and Miyauchi Shikibu (historic site)

References

External links

Kitamata (JR Kyushu)
Railway stations in Japan opened in 1931 Railway stations in Kagoshima Prefecture Soo, Kagoshima {{Kagoshima-railstation-stub