Miyazu Station (宮津駅)

Miyazu Station, located in Aza-Tsuruga of Miyazu City, Kyoto Prefecture, is a stop on the Kitakinki Tango Railway (KTR).

The business headquarters of Kitakinki Tango Railway are housed at this station.

Accessible railway lines
Kitakinki Tango Railway
Kitakinki Tango Railway, Miyazu Line
Kitakinki Tango Railway, Miyafuku Line

Station layout
Each platform and every track extends southwesterly when seen from the direction of Nishi-Maizuru. It is an aboveground station having two platforms with track on one side only opposite each other at a distance, with a double-tracked island-type platform in between for a total of three platforms and four tracks. A station building stands on both the northwestern and southeastern sides, but the one on the northwestern side having a JR Ticket Office (Midori-no-madoguchi) is the main segment and staff are stationed there throughout the day. The segment on the southeastern side was constructed when the Miyafuku Railway was inaugurated, and it houses only automated ticket gates and a waiting room. The overbridge above Platform 1 and between Platform 2 and 3 nearer the main segment was constructed during government ownership, and the section that spans the distance between Platform 2 and 3 and Platform 4, fit for the height of aerial-type electric train wiring, was installed when Miyafuku Railway commenced operations. Overhead wiring is installed for Platform 3 and 4.

The exterior of the main structure of the station is tiled with white porcelain and is symbolic of Miyazu City, the Kaien-toshi (literally Sea Garden City). The plaza is adjacent to the main structure of the station and is where the bus and taxi boarding platforms are located.

Boarding platforms
1: Limited Express Tango Discovery (for Kyoto) on Miyazu Line (for Tango-Yura, Nishi-Maizuru, etc.)
2: Limited Express Tango Discovery (for Kumihama) on Miyazu Line (for Amanohashidate, Toyooka)
3: Limited Express trains Hashidate, Monju, Tango Explorer on Miyazu Line and Miyafuku Line
4: Miyafuku Line (station of origin)

Mutual direct trains of the Miyazu and Miyafuku lines use only Platform 3 due to the track arrangement. Miyazu is the switchback station for trains going via the Miyafuku Line from the direction of Amanohashidate (or vice versa).

Rinko Line
An industrial railway was installed up to Tsuruga pier nos. 1 and 2 of Miyazu Port in 1938. It was discontinued in 1981.

Usage status
Miyazu City is a tourist destination representing Japan due to its Amanohashidate, but the number of tourists using this station is not so large as access to Amanohashidate is more convenient from neighboring Amanohashidate Station. However, many citizens use this station as it is the gateway station to Miyazu City. The Miyazu Line for Nishi-Maizuru and the Miyafuku Line for Kyoto Station and Osaka Station branch at this station; the characteristics are that, although the number of passengers using the Miyazu Line far surpasses that of the Miyafuku Line, the latter carries more long-distance travelers.

Number of passengers boarding at this station per day in fiscal year 2006 (source: Kyoto Prefecture Statistical Report)

Miyazu Line - 532 (including 318 commuter pass users)

Miyafuku Line - 304 (including 25 commuter pass users)

Total - 836 (among which 347 were commuter-pass users)

Station surroundings
Miyazu City Hall
Miyazu City Rekishi-no-yakata (Miyazu City Museum of History)
Kyoto Bank, Miyazu Branch
Kyoto Hokuto Shinkin Bank, Head Office, Business Department
Miyazu Post Office
Miyazu Regional Common Building for Government Offices
Miyazu Hot Spring Pinto-Yu
Nihon Rent-A-Car Service, Inc.

Bus service
Tango Kairiku Kotsu Co., Ltd.
For: Amanohashidate, Inecho-Yakuba-mae, Kyoga-misaki, Sodeshi
For: Kyoto Station
Kaya Fellow Line
For: Amanohashidate, Kaya-cho-yakuba, Kaya Steam Locomotive Square, Kaya-no-Sato (only two round trips)

Taxi service
Nihon Kotsu Co., Ltd. (Fukuchiyama City)
Kyoto Taxi Co., Ltd. Miyazu Office

History
April 12, 1924: The station was inaugurated as a Japan National Railways' station on the Mineyama Line. It commenced handling passengers and freight. It was a terminal station at the outset.

July 31, 1925: The station became an intermediate station as a result of Mineyama Line being extended to Tango-Yamada Station (now Nodagawa Station).

August. 10, 1932: The Mineyama Line was renamed the Miyazu Line.

March 14, 1985: The handling of freight was discontinued.

April 1, 1987: The station became a JR West station due to the split privatization of Japan National Railways.

July 16, 1988: The station became a junction station from the inauguration of Miyafuku Railway, Miyafuku Line.

August 1, 1989: Miyafuku Railway was renamed Kitakinki Tango Railway.

April 1, 1990: The station became a station of the Kitakinki Tango Railway simultaneously with the transfer of the Miyazu Line to Kitakinki Tango Railway, and the station building was reconstructed as it stands today.

Neighboring stations
Kitakinki Tango Railway
Miyazu Line
Local
Kunda Station - Miyazu Station - Amanohashidate Station
Miyafuku Line
Local
Miyamura Station - Miyazu Station

[Original Japanese]