Sōjōdaigakumae Station

Sōjōdaigakumae Station (崇城大学前駅, Sōjōdaigakumae-eki) is a passenger railway station located in the Nishi-ku ward of the city of Kumamoto, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. It is operated by JR Kyushu.^[1][2] The station name means, literally, "in front of Sojo University".

Sōjōdaigakumae Station 崇城大学前駅
Sōjōdaigakumae Station in 2006
General information
Location	4-chōme-19 Ikeda, Nishi-ku, Kumamoto-shi, Kumamoto-ken, 860-0082 Japan
Coordinates	32°49′51″N 130°41′42″E
Operated by	JR Kyushu
Line(s)	■ Kagoshima Main Line,
Distance	191.7 km from Mojikō
Platforms	2 side platforms
Tracks	2
Construction
Structure type	At grade
Accessible	No - platforms linked by footbridge
Other information
Status	Staffed ticket window (outsourced)
Website	Official website
History
Opened	13 March 1988 (1988-03-13)
Previous names	Kumamoto Kōdaimae (until 13 March 2004)
Passengers
FY2020	1021 daily
Rank	133rd (among JR Kyushu stations)
Services
Preceding station JR Kyushu Following station Kami-Kumamoto towards Kagoshima Kagoshima Main Line Nishisato towards Mojikō
Location Sōjōdaigakumae Station Location within Kumamoto Prefecture Show map of Kumamoto Prefecture Sōjōdaigakumae Station Sōjōdaigakumae Station (Japan) Show map of Japan

Lines

The station is served by the Kagoshima Main Line and is located 191.7 km from the starting point of the line at Mojiko.^[3]

Layout

The station consists of two side platforms serving two tracks at grade. There is no station building, only shelters on both platforms for waiting passengers and a small brickwork booth housing a ticket window. Access to the opposite side platform is by a footbridge.^[2][3]

Management of the station has been outsourced to the JR Kyushu Tetsudou Eigyou Co., a wholly owned subsidiary of JR Kyushu specialising in station services. It staffs the ticket counter which is equipped with a POS machine but does not have a Midori no Madoguchi facility.^[4][5]

Platforms

1	■ ■ Kagoshima Main Line	for Kumamoto and Yatsushiro
2	■ ■ Kagoshima Main Line	for Tamana, Ōmuta and Tosu

• 
  A view of the platforms and tracks.

History

JR Kyushu opened the station on 13 March 1988 as an additional station on the existing track of the Kagoshima Main Line. At that time, the station was named Kumamoto Kōdaimae (熊本工大前駅), literally "in front of Kumamoto Industrial University", after the institute of higher education nearby. The university changed its name to Sojo University (崇城大学) in 2000. Four years later, the station followed suit, becoming Sōjōdaigakumae on 13 March 2004. With the privatization of JNR on 1 April 1987, JR Kyushu took over control of the station.^[6]

Passenger statistics

In fiscal 2020, the station was used by an average of 1021 passengers daily (boarding passengers only), and it ranked 133rd among the busiest stations of JR Kyushu.^[7]

Surrounding area

• Sojo University

See also

• List of railway stations in Japan