Nagaokakyo Station (長岡京駅)
Nagaokakyo Station, located at 1-chome Kotari, Nagaokakyo City, Kyoto Prefecture, is a railway facility of the Tokaido Main Line (JR Kyoto Line), which is operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West).
ICOCA and J-Through cards can be used at this station. PiTaPa (SURUTTO KANSAI ASSOCIATION), which is mutually usable with ICOCA, can also be used.
Station layout
This station is a ground facility having two platforms for four tracks and a station building on the bridge.
A direct access way connects the station with Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd., and Bambio.
Platform 1 and 4 are usually sealed off by rope, which is removed only when trains that stop at this station come in. According to the effective timetable as of August 2007, trains that stop at Platform 1 (rapid inbound trains that run on the outer track in the section of Takatsuki eastward) aren't scheduled.
Passenger use
According to Kyoto Prefecture Statistics Report, the average number of passengers a day in fiscal year 2006 was 19,512.
Although the station is somewhat far from the central district of Nagaokakyo City, the number of passengers, especially commuters, is relatively large.
Additionally, people who go to Kyoto Driver's License Center use this station (by Hankyu Bus from this station). Because many condominiums and other buildings have been constructed and roads have been paved around the station in recent years, the area's appearance has become somewhat attractive, and as a result this area is likely to become the center of the town in the near future.
However, as far as the number of passengers is concerned, that of Hankyu Railway's Nagaokatenjin Station, which also is located in Nagaokakyo City, is greater than that of this station.
Station surroundings
As mentioned above, although this station is the JR facility nearest to Nagaoka Tenman-gu Shrine, the area around Nagaokatenjin Station of the Hankyu Kyoto Line is considered the central district of Nagaokakyo City and the density of buildings around this station is low. It takes about fifteen minutes on foot from the west exit of this station to reach Nagaokatenjin Station of the Hankyu Kyoto Line. Because the distance from this station to Yodo Station of the Keihan Main Line (operated by Keihan Electric Railway) is considerable, it isn't appropriate to transfer on foot.
West exit
Many shops are located along the street extending to Nagaokatenjin Station of the Hankyu Kyoto Line.
Large-scale construction work, including pedestrian decks, a bus rotary and parking area, was carried out from November 2004 till May 2005.
An integrated shopping mall, including Heiwado (a supermarket called 'Friend Mart'), was completed on April 20, 2005.
Other facilities
A bank ATM, Japanese-style pub, real-estate brokerage, dental office, Familymart store, bookstore, fitness club, toll parking lot, hospital, cram school, etc.
East exit
The stairs and sidewalks around the station are very crowded during commuting hours with people going to the offices of Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Panasonic Corporation, Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd., etc.
Koban (police box)
Bus stop
The west exit (Hankyu Bus) : Nagaokakyo Route (loop in the city; Oyamazaki business office (partly the Muko sub-branch)) is in charge, but operations are outsourced to the Hankyu Denen Bus Co., Ltd.)
Buses bound for Shin-Yamazaki-bashi (Oyamazaki-cho) via Hankyu Nagaokatenjin Station, Taikoyama, Kanegahara, Tomooka, Koizumibashi (Oyamazaki-cho), JR Yamazaki Station (Oyamazaki-cho), Okukaiinji, Kofudai Jutaku (Kofudai residential district), Mitakedai Jutaku (Mitakedai residential district), Komyoji (Komyo-ji Temple), Higashidai, Yakushido, Maizuka, Driver's License Center (Fushimi Ward, Kyoto Prefecture), Hankyu Higashimuko Station (Muko City), Mukomachi Yubinkyoku-mae (Mukomachi Post Office), Mukodai Danchi-mae (Mukomachi Housing Complex) (Oharano and Katsuyama-cho in Nishikyo Ward, Kyoto City) and Muko City Hall
West exit (Nagaokakyo Happy Bus): a community bus operated by Nagaokakyo City
Operation is being outsourced to Hankyu Bus.
North route (to Takino-cho, Nishinokyo, Imazato, Uguisudai) and West route (to Tomooka, Izumigaoka, Takadai, Kayogaoka)
The East exit (Hankyu Bus) : Nagaokakyo Route (loop in the city; Oyamazaki business office is in charge, but operations are outsourced to the Hankyu Denen Bus Co., Ltd.)
Buses bound for Shironosato, Shibamoto, Ochiaibashi, Tomooka, Ichimonbashi, Akane, Imazato, Hishikawa (Muko City), Shimo-kuze (Minami Ward, Kyoto City), Naka-kuze (Minami Ward, Kyoto City), JR Mukomachi Station, Hankyu Higashi-muko Station (both are in Muko City)
Free shuttle-bus service for visitors to the Suntory Kyoto Brewery, which is operated by Hankyu Bus on consignment basis, is provided during the daytime (a private bus with original coating is used, but during inspections a substitute bus is used).
East exit (Kyoto City bus): South 2 route, Special south 2 route (operations are outsourced to Hankyu Bus (Yokooji branch office))
Buses bound for Shironosato, Shibamoto, Driver's License Center (south 2 route only), Hizume-guchi, Koganomori, Koga, Kokudo Akaike, Takeda Station (Kyoto Prefecture) West exit
The Oyamazaki business office (partly the Muko sub-branch) is in charge of the south 2 route and special south 2 route of Kyoto City bus (operations are outsourced to Hankyu Bus (Yokooji branch office)), which overlap the Nagaokakyo route of Hankyu Bus (the loop within the city; operations are outsourced to Hankyu Denen Bus Co., Ltd.).
History
August 1, 1931: The station commenced operations as Kotari Station of Japan National Railways (JNR). It commenced both passenger and freight services.
November 1, 1985: Freight service was abolished. Freight service had been provided using the exclusive track that had once connected to the service station of the Sumitomo Osaka Cement Co., Ltd., located on the opposite side of the river.
February 1987: The station building on the bridge was completed.
April 1, 1987: The station became a facility of the West Japan Railway Company due to the division and privatization of JNR.
September 1, 1995: The station was renamed Nagaokakyo Station.
Others
The display, which was used when Kotari Station commenced operations, is now being erected at 2-chome Kotari, Nagaoka City.
In front of the current station building, a JNR Type Yo 8000 freight car is being preserved as it was, and the wheels of JR SHINKANSEN Super Express Series 0 and JNR steam locomotive D51 class (which were in fact in use in the past) are preserved for display.
Shinsuke SHIMADA is known for his specialty of reciting all the station names between Tokyo and Kobe from memory, but he refers to this station by its old name, 'Kotari.'
Adjacent stations
West Japan Railway Company (JR West)
JR Kyoto Line (Tokaido Main Line)
Special Rapid
They pass through this station.
Rapid (rapid service between Kyoto and Akashi, running in the morning and at night)
Kyoto Station - Nagaokakyo Station - Takatsuki Station
Local (including those that become rapid trains between Takatsuki and Akashi)
Mukomachi Station - Nagaokakyo Station - Yamazaki Station (Kyoto Prefecture)