Kamo Station (Kyoto Prefecture) (加茂駅 (京都府))
Kamo Station, located in 1-6-3, Eki-Nishi, Kamo-cho, Kizugawa City, Kyoto Prefecture, is the station of the Kansai Main Line that is operated by the West Japan Railway Company (JR West).
This station separates the electrified section from the non-electrified section of the line, and when guiding passengers the electrified section situated in the Kizu Station side of this station is called the 'Yamatoji Line.'
The station's position
Kamo Station came into operation in 1897 as a station of Kansei Railway Company, which operated the line connecting Osaka and Nagoya via Nara. The line operated by Kansei Railway Company, which was a private railway, had been in competition with the state-operated Tokaido Main Line, but in 1907 the company was nationalized and its line became the Kansai Main Line. Later, the line became the line of Japan National Railways (JNR) and eventually it became the line operated by the West Japan Railway Company (JR West) in 1987.
Although the line near to Kamo Station had not been electrified during the era of JNR, the electrification of the section between Kizu Station and Kamo Station was completed in March 1988, the year following the inauguration of JR West, and the section between Minatomachi Station (JR Nanba Station) and Kamo Station started to be called by the nickname of the Yamatoji Line. Subsequently, Kamo Station became the station separating the metropolitan suburban line (to Osaka Station) and the non-electrified local line (to Kameyama Station (Mie Prefecture)) because the Yamatoji Line is one of the lines that constitute the Urban Network, a collective term for suburban lines of JR West in the Osaka area.
Even after that, this has officially remained the station of the Kansai Main Line; however, in practice the Nara and Tennoji side and Kameyama side of this station are distinctly referred to as 'Yamatoji Line' and 'Kansai Main Line' respectively, and this station is treated as the transfer station between the 'Yamatoji Line' and the 'Kansai Main Line' in the guidance announced on trains. According to the above practice, two lines are to be treated as different lines in the description of this article.
The electrified section as well as the section where ICOCA and J-through cards (including Suica (East Japan Railway Company (JR East)) and PiTaPa (SURUTTO KANSAI ASSOCIATION), which are mutually usable with ICOCA) can be used, also extend from Osaka to this station.
Station layout
This station is a ground station that has two island-style platforms for three tracks and a station building on the bridge. These platforms are located at both sides of the center track (Platform 2 and 3). This station is the transfer station between the Nara side and the Kameyama side of the Kansai Main Line. This is quite a unique station because, from this station, trains connecting six electric cars depart for Osaka while trains connecting one or two diesel cars depart for Kameyama. The scenery along the line also changes drastically beyond this station.
Although Platform 1 and 2 are in use for the arrival and departure of trains under normal circumstances, Platform 3 and 4 are also used depending on the requirements of operation.
As for trains arriving at or departing from the center track (Platform 2 and 3), those running between this station and Kameyama onward use Platform 2 while those running on the Yamatoji Line use Platform 3. Exceptionally, when trains of the Yamatoji Line that are scheduled to make connections with trains departing for Kameyama from the center track arrive at Platform 4, trains bound for Kameyama open the doors of both sides so that passengers who get on and get off at this station can use Platform 2 and those who transfer at this station can use Platform 3 (when trains coming from Kameyama, which are scheduled to make connections with trains of the Yamatoji Line leaving from the center track, arrive at Platform 1, trains of the Yamatoji Line open the doors of both sides and, in this case, Platform 2 is used for passengers to transfer).
Station surroundings
Kizugawa City Hall, Kamo Branch (old Kamo-cho (Kyoto Prefecture) Town Office)
Kamo Elementary School, Kizugawa City
The Yamashiro Kamo post office
The Nanto Bank, Ltd., Kamo Branch
Buses
Kamo Community Bus
West exit
Noborioji Route: Bound for Noborioji, bound for Kamo Branch
Okuhata Route: Bound for Okuhata, bound for Kamo Branch
Yamada Route: Bound for Yamada, bound for Kamo Branch
Ohata Route: Bound for Ohata-kami, bound for Kamo Branch
Kannonji Route: Bound for Kannonji, bound for Kamo Branch
Nara Kotsu Bus Lines Co., Ltd.
West eixt
No. 65: Bound for Wazuka-cho Kosugi, bound for Kizu Station
No. 66: Bound for Wazuka-cho Kosugi
In the past there were buses bound for Ueno, Tsukigaseguchi Station and Kasagi. Their bus stops can still be seen today.
East exit
No. 10: Bound for Kamo-no-Ie via Gansenji
No. 107: Bound for Nagamodai 5-chome
No. 109: Bound for JR Nara Station via Nara Dreamland-mae
Express 109: Bound for JR Nara Station
No. 111: Bound for JR Nara Station via Joruriji-mae, Nara Dreamland-mae
History
Consequent upon the revision of the schedule implemented on March 13, 1988 in association with the completion of electrification between Kamo and Kizu, the trains departing from this station and directly running through into the Yamatoji Line and Osaka Loop Line began operating.
November 11, 1897: This station commenced operation as a facility of the Kansei Railway Company (general railway station) when the section from Iga-Ueno Station to this station became operational.
April 19, 1898: The line of the Kansei Railway Company was extended to Daibutsu Station.
November 18, 1898 : The line of the Kansei Railway Company was extended to Shin-Kizu Station.
August 21, 1907: The section from this station to Daibutsu Station and Nara Station was abolished, as was the section from this station to Shin-Kizu Station. The section from this station to Kizu Station came into operation.
October 1, 1907: The Kansei Railway Company was nationalized.
October 12, 1909: In the wake of the establishment of the line name, this station became a facility of the Kansai Main Line.
March 16, 1974: Freight service was abolished, whereby this station became a passenger railway station.
April 1, 1987: This station became a facility of West Japan Railway Company (JR West) due to the division and privatization of Japan National Railways (JNR).
December 21, 1999: The station building was rebuilt and became the station on the bridge.
Adjacent stations
West Japan Railway Company (JR West)
The Yamatoji Line (electrified section of the Kansai Main Line)
Yamatoji Liner (arriving trains only)/Yamatoji Rapid Service/Rapid/Regional Rapid/Local
Kamo Station - Kizu Station (Kyoto Prefecture)
The Kansai Main Line (the section that isn't electrified)
Kasagi Station - Kamo Station