Katamachi Station (片町駅)
Historically, there used to be two Katamachi stations in Miyakojima Ward of Osaka City, as shown below, but both had already been abolished. Additionally, Katamachi Stop of Osaka City Trams was located nearby.
The station, which was the terminal facility of the Katamachi Line (Gakkentoshi Line), was operated by the West Japan Railway Company (JR West).
The station located between Tenmabashi Station and Kyobashi Station (Osaka Prefecture) of the Keihan Main Line was operated by Keihan Electric Railway.
Summary
It was constructed as a terminal station on the Osaka side of Naniwa Railway. After merging with Kansei Railway Company, it had once transferred, due to the narrow site of the station, the operation of passenger service to Amijima Station, which was constructed nearby by making the line diverge from Hanaten Station and become a freight station; however, after nationalization it eventually became the terminal station of the Katamachi Line because the Kyobashi exit of the Katamachi Station, which was constructed adjacent to Kyobashi Station of the Joto Line (Osaka Loop Line), became the independent Kyobashi Station and Amijima Station was abolished instead.
While the adjacent Kyobashi Station strived thanks to its position as the transit station to the Joto Line and the Keihan Main Line, this station's position slipped because there was no line to transfer at this station. When the JR Tozai Line came into operation, this facility was abolished as of the day before the inauguration of the JR Tozai Line because of the short distance from Kyobashi Station (0.5 km in terms of operation kilometers) and the small number of passengers. Concurrently with the inauguration of JR Tozai Line, Osakajokitazume Station commenced operation at a short distance, seemingly in place of Katamachi Station.
Even after the station was abolished, the name of this station survives as the name of the line, but JR West uses 'Gakkentoshi Line,' the nickname of the Katamachi Line, in guiding passengers and rarely uses the name "Katamachi Line."
Station layout
As of March 7, 1997, when the station was abolished, it was a ground station that had two toothed platforms for two tracks, and trains bound for Kyobashi Station, Hanaten Station, Shijonawate Station, Nagao Station, Matsuiyamate Station and Kizu Station departed from both platforms. The station building/platforms were simple, as they were constructed in place of the old station building that had been removed due to the construction work of JR Tozai Line, which commenced in March 1991.
Until the spring of 1991, this station was a ground station that had a toothed platform for two tracks, and its station building was two-storied and made of concrete-mortar. Two tracks on the south side were located at both sides of the island-style platform, and two tracks on the north side were storage tracks. Some trains of the Katamachi Line were operated with Kyobashi Station being the terminal station and trains, whose terminal was Kyobashi Station, ran directly into the storage track located on the north side of Katamachi Station and made a turn there. In the 1980s, JNR/JR Commuter Trains Series 103 were stored at the north-side storage track during the daytime. The land used for the old platform and tracks until 1991 is currently the slope where the trains of JR Tozai Line come up from underground. The old platform and tracks were removed in 1991 due to the construction work of the JR Tozai Line, and instead two separate platforms were constructed on both sides of two storage tracks, remaining in use till the station was abolished. On that occasion, lead tracks were installed on the Katamachi side of Kyobashi Station, but they had an effective length of only four cars; consequently, during the period from 1991 until the inauguration of the JR Tozai Line, only four-car trains were used for trains whose terminal station was Kyobashi Station (as most of the rapid trains on the Katamachi Line were four-car trains before the inauguration of the JR Tozai Line, the above didn't cause serious problems).
History
August 22, 1895: The station commenced operation as the station of Naniwa Railway when the Shijonawate - Katamachi section came into operation.
February 9, 1897: It was transferred to the Kansei Railway Company.
November 18, 1898: Passenger service was abolished.
February 1, 1905: Passenger service resumed.
October 1, 1907: The Railway Nationalization Act
April 21, 1912: The Kyobashiguchi Stop was established for the purpose of making convenient transfers to the Joto Line's Kyobashi Station.
November 15, 1913: Kyobashiguchi Stop was upgraded to Kyobashi Station and became independent. Kyobashi Station became the transit station to the Joto Line.
April 1, 1987: The station became a facility of JR West, due to the division and privatization of JNR.
Spring of 1991: The old station building and platform were removed due to the commencement of construction work of the JR Tozai Line, and the new station building was placed in service.
March 8, 1997: The station was abolished due to the inauguration of the JR Tozai Line.
Adjacent stations
West Japan Railway Company (JR West)
Katamachi Line
Kyobashi Station (Osaka Prefecture) - Katamachi Station
Others
Although Katamachi Station and Osakajokitazume Station are located within a short distance and the abolishment/establishment of these stations took place almost simultaneously, there is no relationship between the two stations; therefore, commuter tickets and/or coupon tickets arriving at or departing from Katamachi Station weren't succeeded by Osakajokitazume Station after Katamachi Station was abolished.
In February 1998, the Kyobashi office of the West Japan JR Bus Company was established on the old station site, but it was abolished in 2002 and the land is currently occupied by a private car-washing station.
Even today, the address of the west half of the platform of the Katamachi Line and JR Tozai Line at Kyobashi Station is 2-chome, Katamachi, Miyakojima Ward. Because Katamachi Station also was located at 2-chome Katamachi, all of Kyobashi - Katamachi section was located within 2-chome, Katamachi.
While ten years have passed since the station was abolished, there are still opinions based on the fondness of the 'Katamachi' place name, requesting that the name of Osakajokitazume Station be changed to 'Katamachi Station' or one that includes 'Katamachi.'
Summary
This is a mid-way station that was established when the Tenmabashi - Gojo section of the Keihan Main Line came into operation. Originally, it was named Nodabashi Station but was later renamed Katamachi Station. It was located at the north side of the Katamachi intersection, and the track of the line was at a level intersection with that of Osaka City Trams. Due to the construction work of the elevated quadruple track in the Tenmabashi - Noe signal station section, the station was relocated toward the Kyoto side and became slightly farther from the station of Japan National Railways (JNR). With the completed construction work of the elevated quadruple track to Tenmabashi Station, the station was abolished due to the difficulty of installing wiring as well as the short distance from Kyobashi Station. Instead, the Katamachi exit was established on the west side of Kyobashi Station.
The old site of the station is quite near to Osakajokitazume Station of the JR Tozai Line.
Not only local trains but also semi-express trains used to stop at the station.
Station layout
The station had two separate platforms for two tracks and in the back of a platform, there was a railroad siding that was used for receiving cars delivered by manufacturers.
In addition to cars used by the Keihan Main Line, Keihan Type 300 (second generation) electric cars, which were used by the Keihan Otsu Line, were also received here and sent to the Keihan Otsu Line via the connection line located within the premises of Sanjo Station (Kyoto Prefecture).
History
April 15, 1910 : The station commenced operations as Nodabashi Station.
June 20, 1925 : Due to the opening of Osaka City Trams, facilities required for a level intersection with City Trams were installed.
August 14, 1945 : The station was burned down due to an air raid.
January 1, 1955 : The station was renamed Katamachi Station.
December 18, 1968 : The level intersection was abolished due to the abolishment of the City Trams line.
November 30, 1969 : The station was abolished.
Adjacent stations
Keihan Electric Railway
Keihan Main Line
Tenmabashi Station - Katamachi Station - Kyobashi Station (Osaka Prefecture)