Hirafu Station

Railway station in Kutchan, Hokkaido, Japan

Preceding station		Following station
Niseko towards Hakodate	Hakodate Main Line Local	Kutchan towards Asahikawa
Rapid
Niseko One-way operation	Niseko Liner	Kutchan towards Sapporo

Location
Hirafu Station Location within Hokkaido Show map of Hokkaido Hirafu Station Hirafu Station (Japan) Show map of Japan

Hirafu Station (比羅夫駅, Hirafu-eki) is a railway station on the Hakodate Main Line in Kutchan, Hokkaido, Hokkaido, Japan. It is operated by JR Hokkaido and has the station number "S24".^[1]

Lines

The station is served by the Hakodate Main Line and is located 186.6 km from the start of the line at Hakodate.^[2] Both local and the Rapid Niseko Liner services stop at the station.^[3]

Station layout

The station consists of a side platform serving a single track.

Platforms

■ Hakodate Main Line

for Oshamambe, Kutchan, Otaru, and Sapporo

The platform in October 2005
View of the platform under snow in March 2015

History

The station was opened on 15 October 1904 by the private Hokkaido Railway as an intermediate station during a phase of expansion when its track from Hakodate to Neppu was extended to link up with stretches of track further north to provide through traffic from Hakodate to Otaru. After the Hokkaido Railway was nationalized on 1 July 1907, Japanese Government Railways (JGR) took over control of the station. On 12 October 1909 the station became part of the Hakodate Main Line. On 1 April 1987, with the privatization of Japanese National Railways (JNR), the successor of JGR, control of the station passed to JR Hokkaido.^[2]^[4]

Future plans

In June 2023, this station was selected to be among 42 stations on the JR Hokkaido network to be slated for abolition owing to low ridership.^[5]

References

^ "JR Hokkaido Route Map" (PDF). JR Hokkaido. Retrieved 21 February 2018.
^ ^a ^b Ishino, Tetsu; et al., eds. (1998). 停車場変遷大事典国鉄・JR編 [Station Transition Directory – JNR/JR] (in Japanese). Vol. II. Tokyo: JTB Corporation. p. 811. ISBN 4-533-02980-9.
^ "Hakodate Main Line - Kutchan - Niseko - Rankoshi Station Timetable" (PDF). JR Hokkaido. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
^ Ishino, Tetsu; et al., eds. (1998). 停車場変遷大事典国鉄・JR編 [Station Transition Directory – JNR/JR] (in Japanese). Vol. I. Tokyo: JTB Corporation. p. 240. ISBN 4-533-02980-9.
^ Sugiyama, Junichi (26 June 2023). "「JR北海道が42駅廃止検討」報道、宗谷本線の駅がごっそり消える?" [Report of JR Hokkaido regarding abolition of 42 Stations, majority of which are on the Soya Main Line]. MyNavi Corporation (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 27 June 2023. Retrieved 4 July 2023.