Ōzai Station (大在駅, Ōzai-eki) is a passenger railway station located in Ōita City, Ōita Prefecture, Japan. It is operated by JR Kyushu. The station serves Ōzai, a village that has now been merged into Ōita City and is typically busy with commuter traffic. It is also the nearest station to the Nippon Bunri University located at the nearby Ōita suburb of Sakanoichi.[1][2]

Lines

The station is served by the Nippō Main Line and is located 144.3 km from the starting point of the line at Kokura.[3] The station is served by all local trains and by one Sonic express in each direction daily.

Layout

The station consists of a side platform and an island platform serving three tracks at grade. The station building is a modern concrete structure with a distinctive saw-tooth roof. It houses a waiting area, SUGOCA card readers and a staffed ticket window. Access to the island platform is by means of a footbridge. Bike sheds and parking are available at the station forecourt. Next to the station building is another footbridge which links the streets on both sides of the tracks.[2][3][4]

Although it is an unmanned station, automatic ticket vending machines are installed.

Platforms

1, 2 ■ ■ Nippō Main Line for Saiki and Nobeoka
for Ōita and Kokura
3 ■ ■ Nippō Main Line for Ōita and Kokura (special trains and first departures)
  • A view of the station platforms and tracks.
    A view of the station platforms and tracks.
  • The sign says "Ōzai Station South Entrance". This footbridge leads to the forecourt next to the station building on the other side of the tracks.
    The sign says "Ōzai Station South Entrance". This footbridge leads to the forecourt next to the station building on the other side of the tracks.

History

Japanese Government Railways (JGR) opened the station on 25 November 1924 as an additional station on the existing track of its Nippō Main Line. With the privatization of Japanese National Railways (JNR), the successor of JGR, on 1 April 1987, the station came under the control of JR Kyushu.[5]

JR Kyushu had planned to convert Ōzai (with several other stations in Ōita City) into an unstaffed, remotely-managed "Smart Support Station" by 17 March 2018. After opposition from users, this move was postponed, pending works to improve accessibility.[6] It was then introduced on July 1, 2023.[7]

Passenger statistics

In fiscal 2016, the station was used by an average of 2,061 passengers daily (boarding passengers only), and it ranked 89th among the busiest stations of JR Kyushu.[8]

Surrounding area

See also

References

  1. ^ "JR Kyushu Route Map" (PDF). JR Kyushu. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
  2. ^ a b "大在" [Ōzai]. hacchi-no-he.net. Retrieved 18 June 2018.
  3. ^ a b Kawashima, Ryōzō (2013). 図説: 日本の鉄道 四国・九州ライン 全線・全駅・全配線・第6巻 熊本 大分 エリア [Japan Railways Illustrated. Shikoku and Kyushu. All lines, all stations, all track layouts. Volume 6 Kumamoto Ōita Area] (in Japanese). Kodansha. pp. 45, 82. ISBN 9784062951654.
  4. ^ "豊州路散歩　VII　～大在駅～" [Strolling on the Hoshu Road VII Ōzai Station]. 20 June 2014. Retrieved 18 June 2018. Blog entry with good photographic coverage of station facilities.
  5. ^ 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. 754. ISBN 4-533-02980-9.
  6. ^ "大分市内、牧駅除く７駅は無人化先送り　ＪＲ九州" [With exception of Maki, unstaffing of 7 stations in Ōita City postponed JR Kyushu]. Ōita Gōdō Shimbun. 15 February 2018. Archived from the original on 18 March 2018. Retrieved 18 June 2018.
  7. ^ "大分の駅無人化さらに ７月からＪＲ九州、５駅で遠隔案内". 読売新聞オンライン (in Japanese). 20 May 2023. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
  8. ^ "駅別乗車人員上位300駅（平成28年度）" [Passengers embarking by station - Top 300 stations (Fiscal 2016)] (PDF). JR Kyushu. 31 July 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 August 2017. Retrieved 3 March 2018.

External links

Media related to Ozai Station at Wikimedia Commons