Chushojima Station (中書島駅)
Chushojima Station, located in Yoshijima Yagura-cho, Fushimi Ward, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture, is a facility of Keihan Electric Railway.
Lines
Keihan Electric Railway
Keihan Uji Line (* a station where trains start their runs)
Station layout
This station is located on the ground level, being provided with three platforms serving four tracks with an island platform placed between the remaining ones. There are two station houses, one on the north side (whose ticket gate is provided on Platform 1) and the other on the south side (whose ticket gate is provided on Platform 4), with both located on the Yodoyabashi side, and each platform is reached either by a bridge across the railroads or an underground passage. An elevator is also provided between the bridge and each platform.
The tracks curve sharply within the premises of the station, and consequently they're largely slanted toward side of the Platform 1. With derailing accidents within the premises recorded, the trains arriving at and departing from Platform 3 enter the premises after decreasing their speeds considerably. The trains on Uji Line run at a speed of 15 km/h in the area from the storage tracks on the Uji side, as described later, to the premises of this station.
Twenty meters east of the platforms (on the Uji side), two storage tracks, with the Uji Line between them, are provided, with the north-side storage track enabling a five-car train to be kept there and the south-side (where New Japan Chemical Co., Ltd. is located) storage track accommodating a seven-car train. Additionally, one more storage track supporting a seven-car train is provided on the Osaka side of Platform 4, and a Keihan Electric Railway Series 3000 train used for special limited express services has sometimes been kept there temporarily.
A side track from Uji is provided in the portion where a train enters the main line from the south-side storage track; however, in the past a track used exclusively for the Fushimi port existed there. It is said that this track was constructed in 1944, during World War II, in order to bolster cooperation with other transportation means, assuming that the transportation network might be disrupted by bombardment from B-29 airplanes (side tracks for Kyoto City Trams were also constructed). However, the construction was completed in 1946, after the end of the war, and the track was removed by 1951.
Because the position of the platform for outbound trains has been changed, all outbound trains (except for semi-express trains starting at Yodo Station) first enter Platform 4 in Chushojima Station and then run toward Yodo Station from there. For this reason, a special small-scale platform for seven- or eight-car trains and usable only by their train crews has been constructed on the Uji side of Platform 4. It is generally visible when a semi-express outbound train starting at Yodo Starting or a special express train is operated.
A convenience store (Anthree) is located on Platform 1. On Platform 2 and 3, 'Menza,' a noodle shop, and 'Second pochette,' a conventional type kiosk, are located.
Platforms
With Platform 2 and 3 provided on the same plane, one can easily change from an outbound train on the main line to a train on Uji Line and vice versa; moreover, trains with up to eight cars can stop on Platform 1 and 2 and those with up to five cars can stop on Platform 3 and 4.
(There is some space between Platform 2 and 3, which run alongside each other, and a fence is provided between them because of the point-related situation.)
Platform 4, which is rarely used today, was originally the platform for trains bound for Sanjo Station (or Demachiyanagi Station), providing through-service to the Keihan Main Line from the Uji Line. Even after the system for the trains providing through-service between the Uji Line and the Keihan Main Line was divided in 2000 with Chushojima as the boundary, this track was used for the trains returning for Sanjo Station or Demachiyanagi Station at this station; however, after the train schedule was changed in the autumn of 2003, only one train returning at this station was operated on a weekday, and then, when the train schedule was changed in the spring of 2006, the operation for the trains returning at this station was abolished; accordingly, today only a few trains on the Uji Line use this track in the early morning (two trains a day in the weekday and a train on holidays). Formerly, Platform 4 was closed when it wasn't being used, but now the track is always open, corresponding to the provision of the south ticket gate.
The information board for Platform 4 displayed the message, 'For the trains bound for Sanjo or Uji starting at this station' immediately after the south ticket gate was installed, but after a while the display was changed to read, "For the trains starting at this station (only in the early morning)'. However, even the description doesn't reflect the true situation because, as described above, the trains using the track are only trains on the Uji Line and deadhead trains.
A melody for train-departure notification is used in this station, and the type of public announcement of departure information for the trains for Uji differs from that of the corresponding ordinary announcement for other trains. When the train schedule was changed in 2003, the announcement was, 'The local train on Platform 3 or 4 is going to depart,' but then it was changed to, 'The train for Uji on Platform 3 or 4 is going to depart,' and was again changed to, 'The doors of the train for Uji on Platform 3 or 4 are going to be closed' when the automatic public announcement system was updated in June 2007. It is considered that such changes in the announcements were made because trains of only one type (local trains for Uji) are operated on the Uji Line, but another reason is to prevent passengers going to get on a down-train on the Keihan Main Line on Platform 2 from mistakenly boarding the train on Platform 3 or 4 when a train is going to depart from Platform 3. Public announcements of such a type are also made in Hirakatashi Station (trains bound for Kisaichi Station), in Kyobashi Station (Osaka Prefecture) and in Tenmabashi Station (trains bound for Yodoyabashi).
Station surroundings
Before the war, the area thrived with a red-light district, as around Hashimoto Station. Now, although the area is crowded with eating/drinking establishments, some buildings in the red-light district remain as private houses to remind people of the old days.
The Kyoto factory of New Japan Chemical Co., Ltd.
Fushimi-port Park
Teradaya is a long-established inn where, toward the end of the Edo period, Ryoma SAKAMOTO stayed regularly; it was also the scene of the Teradaya Incident.
J. MORITA MFG. CORP.
The Uji-gawa River
Bus stops
Keihan Bus/Keihan City Bus/Keihan Uji Bus/Keihan Kyoto Kotsu
Path 6: Bound for Daigo Station (Kyoto Prefecture) (via Momoyama-Minamiguchi Station and the Ouke-danchi housing complex) (Keihan Bus Yamashina Eigyosho (Yamashina business office))
Route 23: Bound for Keihan Uji Bus Uji Eigyosho (Uji business office) (via the JUSCO Kumiyama-ten store and the Kumiyama-danchi housing complex)
Paths 24/24A: Bound for Takeda Station-nishiguchi (the west exit of Takeda Station) (Kyoto Prefecture)/Yodo Station
Path 25 (Route 25 for Keihan-Uji Bus): Bound for Okubo Station (Kyoto Prefecture) (via the JUSCO Kumiyama-ten store and the Kumiyama-danchi housing complex) (Keihan Bus Kyotanabe Eigyosho (Kyotanabe business office), etc.)
Express bus: Bound for Ritsumeikan University
Keihan Chushojima/Fushimi-port park
Located near Fushimi-port Park, it is a three-minute walk from Keihan Chushojima Station.
Kyoto City Bus
Route 81: Bound for Kyoto Station (via Takeda-kaido Road)
Route 20: Bound for the direction of Miyamaebashi Nishizume (via Menkyo Shikenjo (driver's license center)/for the direction of Miyamaebashi Nishizume (via Noso-cho)
Route 22: Bound for Minami Kogyodanchi (the south industrial park) (via Koga)
Route south 3: Bound for Takedaeki-nishiguchi (the west exit of Takeda Station)
Located on a prefecture route, it's a three-minute walk from Keihan Chushojima Station.
Kyoto City Bus
Route 19: Bound for Kyoto Station (via Keihan Kokudo (the keihan national route))/Yokooji-shako Depot
Route 20: Bound for the direction of Miyamaebashi Nishizume (via Menkyo Shikenjo (driver's license center)/for the direction of Miyamaebashi Nishizume (via Noso-cho)
Route south 8: Bound for Takedaeki-higashiguchi (the east exit of Takeda Station) (via the Toryo-danchi housing complex)/for Yokooji-shako Depot (via Fujinomori-jinja Shrine) (small-size buses run throughout the day).
Route 22: Bound for Minami Kogyo Danchi (the south industrial park) (via Koga)/for Yokooji-shako Depot
Routes 81/special 81: Bound for Kyoto Station (via Takeda-kaido Road)/for Yokooji-shako Depot
Route south 3: Bound for Takedaeki-nishiguchi (the west exit of Takeda Station)/for Yokooji-shako Depot
Only buses on routes 19, 20 and south 8 are operated by Keihan Bus, while the operation of the other buses is entrusted to Hankyu Bus Co., Ltd.
Keihan Bus/Keihan City Bus/Keihan-Uji Bus
Path 6: Bound for Takedaeki-nishiguchi (the west exit of Takeda Station)/for Daigo Terminal (via Momoyama-Minamiguchi Station and the Ouke-danchi housing complex)
Route 23: Bound for Uji-shako Depot (via the JUSCO Kumiyama-ten store and the Kumiyama-danchi housing complex)
Paths 24 and 24A: Bound for Takedaeki-nishiguchi (the west exit of Takeda Station)/for Yodo Station
Path 25 (Route 25 for Keihan-Uji Bus): Bound for Okubo Station (Kyoto Prefecture) (via the JUSCO Kumiyama-ten store and the Kumiyama-danchi housing complex)
History
Origin of the station's name
It is said that the name 'Chushojima' was generated because Yasuharu WAKIZAKA, who worked at Nakatsukasasho (Ministry of Central Affairs) in the Bunroku era (1593 - 1596), built a house on an island surrounded by a branch river of the Yodo-gawa River and lived there.
At that time, there was a practice of using witty expressions for official position names (for example, using 'Komon' for 'Chunagon' (vice-councilor of state)), and since the position of Nakatsukasa-shoyu (Junior Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Central Affairs) was called 'Chushosho,' WAKIZAKA was called 'Mr. Chujo.'
The name of the island became called 'Chushojima' (Chusho island), because 'Mr. Chojo' lived on it.
It is not used as an official place name, and the area called "Chushojima" covers the areas of the towns of Kitahama-cho, Nishihama-cho and Higashiyanagi-cho.
Chronological table
April 15, 1910: This station's operations started simultaneously with those of the Keihin Main Line.
June 1, 1913: The Keihan Uji Line went into operation. It became a transfer station.
August 25, 1914: The operation of the Fushimi Line of Kyoto City Streetcar (Kyoto City Trams from July 1, 1918) was extended to this station.
April 1, 1916: Express trains began making stops at this station.
October 1, 1943: The station became a facility of the Keihanshin Express Railway (Hankyu Railway) as a result of amalgamation.
December 1, 1949: Due to the division of the company, it became a station of Keihan Electric Railway.
January 28, 1967: The usage of an underground passage in the station premises started, while that of the pedestrian crossing in the premises was discontinued. At the same time, the use of the (concave-shaped) Platform 3, which was used for returning trains, was discontinued, and corresponding to the expansion of its width, the Platform numbers were changed as follows: from Platform 4 to Platform 3 and from Platform 5 to Platform 4.
April 1, 1970: The operations of the Fushimi Line of Kyoto City Trams (between Shiokoji Takakura and Chushojima) were discontinued.
June 2, 1984: The work of rebuilding the station house was completed, and it became operational.
April 17, 1985: A unit to detect the fall of a human was installed and implemented under the Platform 2.
October, 1989: The construction of a bridge across railroads within its premises was completed.
July 1, 1991: Waiting rooms with air conditioners on each of Platform 1, 2 and 3 came into use.
January 30, 1993: According to the change in the train schedule, six of the limited express trains bound for Yodoyabashi during the weekday morning rush hours began making stops at this station. However, no limited express trains bound for Demachiyanagi Station stopped at this station.
December 27, 1995: The waiting room on Platform 1 was moved, and an air conditioner was installed at the new location.
April 1, 1996, three elevators were installed and activated between the bridge across railroads and the platforms.
July 1, 2000: Corresponding to the change in the train schedule, all limited express trains began making stops at the station throughout the day. The operations of almost all trains providing through-services between Uji and Sanjo (Demachiyanagi) were discontinued, and trains running between Chushojima and Sanjo (Demachiyanagi) began using Platform 4 (in fact, it is considered that the through-service up to Uji was separated with the boundary at this station).
September 6, 2003: Only one train was to be operated between Chushojima and Sanjo (Demachiyanagi) in the morning of weekdays, and the number of trains arriving at/departing from Platform 4 decreased drastically.
August 9, 2004: Corresponding to the opening of a bus terminal on the south side of the station, a south ticket gate was provided.
April 16, 2006: Corresponding to the change in the train schedule, the operation of all trains running between Chushojima and Sanjo (Demachiyanagi) was discontinued, and Platform 4 became used as the standby location for special trains in order to deal with the temporary movement of Yodo Station.
February 2008: 'Units for indicating abnormalities on platforms' were installed.
March 27, 2008: An LED train information display board was installed on each platform.
Others
Considering the operation of through-service from the Kyoto area to the area along the Keihan Uji Line, it is supposed that it may be better to branch the line at Fushimi-momoyama Station, located in the center of Fushimi Ward and immediately north of this station, instead of switching back trains at this station, but the following reasons exist for using the present system: private houses and other buildings are already dense on the south side of Fushimi-momoyama Station, and there exist the cost-related problems of moving these houses and the negotiations for the movement would become complicated. For Fushimi-momoyama Station, this made a factor that, although it is placed at the center of the ward, no higher-class train stops there (also due to the existence of Tanbabashi Station) (express trains stopped at this station before the Nara Electric Railway began using Tanbabashi Station).
On the north side of the north exit, there was a platform for Kyoto City Trams from 1914 to 1970, and after the operation of the city trams was discontinued the place was used as a stop for bus lines, including the city bus lines that replaced the City Trams. When the place was used as a bus stop, a turntable was provided there for changing the directions in which the buses ran, because the place had insufficient room. After that, the bus stops were moved and the space was vacant for some time, but now the area is used for paid bicycle parking.
The announcement for changing the main line to the Uji Line was, 'For the direction of Rokujizo, Obaku and Uji,' but it has simply been 'Uji Line' since 2003.
Adjacent stations
Keihan Electric Railway
The Keihan Main Line
Kyobashi Station (Osaka Prefecture) - Hirakatashi Station (only outbound trains in the mornings of weekdays) - Chushojima Station - Tanbabashi Station
Limited Express
Kuzuha Station - Chushojima Station - Tanbabashi Station
Express
Yawatashi Station - Chushojima Station - Tanbabashi Station
Express (special trains for Yodo Station, which are operated when horse races are held)
Yodo Station - Chushojima Station - Tanbabashi Station
Semi-express/Local
Yodo Station - Chushojima Station - Fushimi-momoyama Station
The Uji Line (all trains stop at each of the stations)
Chushojima Station - Kangetsukyo Station