Wakkanai Station

Wakkanai Station (稚内駅, Wakkanai-eki) is a railway station located in the city of Wakkanai, Hokkaidō, Japan. It is operated by JR Hokkaido.^[1][2] It is the northernmost railway station in Japan. The station is numbered "W80".

W80 Wakkanai Station 稚内駅
regional rail
Wakkanai Station, November 2021
General information
Location	3–6-1 Chuo, Wakkanai-shi, Hokkaidō 097-0022 Japan
Coordinates	45°25′1.3″N 141°40′37.2″E
Operated by	JR Hokkaido
Line(s)	Sōya Main Line
Distance	259.4 km (161.2 mi) from Asahikawa
Platforms	1 side platform
Tracks	1
Construction
Structure type	At grade
Other information
Status	Staffed (Midori no Madoguchi)
Station code	W80
Website	Official website
History
Opened	26 December 1928 (1928-12-26)
Rebuilt	2011
Previous names	Wakkanai Minato (until 1939)
Passengers
2022	48 daily
Services
Preceding station JR Hokkaido Following station Terminus Sōya Main Line Local Minami-Wakkanai W79 towards Asahikawa Sōya Main Line Sōya / Sarubetsu
Location Wakkanai Station Location within Hokkaido Show map of Hokkaido Wakkanai Station Wakkanai Station (Japan) Show map of Japan

Lines

Wakkanai Station is the northern terminus of the 259.4 km (161.2 mi) Sōya Main Line from Asahikawa.^[3]

Layout

Wakkanai Station is an above-ground station with one side platform and one track. Previously, it had one island platform and two tracks, but on 30 January 2010, the second track was abolished, and the tracks, switches, departure signals, and in-house signals were removed, and the train stops and rails that were previously used were donated by JR Hokkaido to Wakkanai City, to create a monument in the station square. The passage from the ticket gate to the platform is a slope, making the station barrier-free. The station has a Midori no Madoguchi staffed ticket office. The station building was renewed in 2011.

Platforms

1

■ Sōya Main Line

for Asahikawa and Sapporo

• 
  The station platform before renewal in May 2005
• 
  Marker on the platform showing the station as the northernmost station in Japan. (July 2018)
• 
  Station platform and station structure in the back, October 2017.

History

The station opened on 26 December 1926, initially named Wakkanai Minato Station (稚内港駅, lit. "Wakkanai Port Station") on the Teshio Line. On April 1, 1930 the Teshio Line was incorporated into the Sōya Main Line. ^[3] It was renamed Wakkanai on 1 February 1939 at the same time as the original Wakkanai Station was renamed Minami-Wakkanai Station.^[3] With the privatization of Japanese National Railways (JNR) on 1 April 1987, the station then became under the control of JR Hokkaido.^[3]

Passenger statistics

In fiscal 2022, the station was used by an average of 48 passengers daily.^[4]

Surrounding area

• Port of Wakkanai

• 
  Terminating tracks in the snow, April 2014
• 
  Fare gates and ticket office, October 2017
• 
  Wakkanai Station in June 2012
• 
  View of the surrounding area of the station, July 2012
• 
  Adjacent bus terminal, November 2021

See also

• List of railway stations in Japan

References

1. Kawashima, Ryōzō (2016). 北海道ライン 全線・全駅・全配線・第3巻 道東 道北 エリア [Japan Railways Illustrated. Hokkaido. All lines, all stations, all track layouts. Volume 3 East and North areas] (in Japanese). Kodansha. pp. 22, 67. ISBN 4062951800.
2. "稚内駅" [Wakkanai Station]. hacchi-no-he.net. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
3. Ishino, Tetsu, ed. (1998). 停車場変遷大辞典 国鉄・JR編 [Station Transition Directory – JNR/JR] (in Japanese). Vol. II. Japan: JTB. pp. 903–904. ISBN 4-533-02980-9.
4. 令和５年度　稚内市統計書・第１０章　交通) [Reiwa 5 Wakkanai City Statistics Book Chapter 10 Transportation] (in Japanese). Japan: Wakkanai City. 2023. Retrieved 11 July 2024.

External links

Media related to Wakkanai Station at Wikimedia Commons

• Official website (in Japanese)