Momoyama Station (桃山駅)
Momoyama Station, located at 34 Nabeshima, Momoyama-cho, Fushimi ward of Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture, is a stop on the Nara Line of West Japan Railway Company (JR West).
It is a station situated within 'Kyoto Municipality' in accordance with JR's Specific Ward Municipal System.
Station layout
It is an above-ground station with a complex configuration of two platforms, one a single-sided platform (track on one side only) and the other an island platform with tracks on both sides, for a total of three tracks where trains can pass each other or pass others.
The station remained unmanned for a long time, but between 07:30-19:50 in recent years a female employee of JR West Japan Transportation Service Co., Ltd. is on duty as station staff. ICOCA and J-Thru cards can be used at this station. J-Thru cards (Surutto KANSAI Association) which are to subject to mutual use with ICOCA cards can also be used.
As the railway tracks are not high-speed compatible, rapid trains and others are forced to slow down quite a bit (speed limit 35 km/h) when they pass this station.
The tracks on the northern side of the station are laid between National Route 24 and a hilly area where many houses have been built, creating a situation that makes it difficult to find the means to come up with sufficient land when advancing the Nara Line Double Track Project.
Platform 1 is the single-sided one nearer the main station building, and Platform 2 and 3 are the ones of the island type on the opposite side crossing an overpass.
Platform 2 is normally a platform along which nonstop trains bound for Kyoto pass, but it's converted to where trains bound for Kyoto stop when special group trains are operated (group trains stop on Platform 1.)
Platform 1 is used for shuttle operation and is where a special signal is installed for a train to take refuge from the following train, and there were times in the past when trains shuttled between Kyoto and Momoyama stations under a New Years' timetable then in effect.
In the days when the freight line was being operated, Japanese liquor (sake) of Fushimi produce was also an item that was transported.
Usage status
The number of passengers boarding at this station came to approximately 1,732 per day in fiscal year 2006.
（Source: Kyoto Prefecture Statistical Report)
Station surroundings
A short distance to the west are Momoyama Goryo-mae Station (Kintetsu Kyoto Line) and Fushimi-Momoyama Station (Keihan Main Line) and to the south is Kangetsukyo Station (Keihan Uji Line). Transferring to any of them is possible with a walk of approximately 10 minutes.
Fushimi-Momoyama-no-Misasagi (Imperial Mausoleum of Emperor Meiji)
This is the nearest station. It is the Imperial Mausoleum of Emperor Meiji. Momoyama Station was renovated to coincide with the Emperor's funeral. There were times in pre-WWII days when the Emperor's special train arrived at or departed from this station.
Nogi-jinja Shrine (Kyoto Prefecture)
Hoen-ji Temple
Gokonomiya-jinja Shrine
Kyoto Tachibana High School
Kyoto Prefectural Momoyama Senior High School
Fushimi-Momoyama Post Office
History
At the outset, when inaugurated by Nara Railway, the route between this station and Kyoto Station was via Fushimi Station (Kyoto Prefecture), but coinciding with the change made to the route of Tokaido Main Line between Baba (now Zeze Station) and Kyoto Station in 1921, the former route between Inari Station and Kyoto was annexed and changed to the route as it is today. The section between this station and Fushimi on the former line existed for some time as a freight line.
November 3, 1895: The station was inaugurated as a terminal station incidental to the Nara Railway, extending its operations to this station from Momoyama.
January 25, 1896: The extension work from this station to Tamamizu Station was completed. This station became an intermediate station.
February 7, 1905: The station became a Kansai Railway Company station as a result of amalgamation.
October 1, 1907: Kansai Railway Company was nationalized under the Railway Nationalization Act.
March 20, 1921: The new line between Inari and Momoyama inaugurated, and the Nara Line was rerouted. The former section between this station and Fushimi Station continued to exist, but only as a freight line.
September 3, 1928: The freight branch line from this station to Fushimi Station was abolished.
April 1, 1987: The station became a JR West station due to the split privatization of Japan National Railways.
Neighboring stations
West Japan Railway Company (JR West)
■Nara Line
■Miyako Rapid Service/■ Rapid Service/■Regional Rapid Service
Nonstop
■Local
JR Fujimori Station - Momoyama Station - Rokujizo Station
Routes which once existed
Ministry of Railways (National Railways)
Nara Line (former line)
Fushimi Station (Kyoto Prefecture) - Momoyama Station - (Kohata Station (JR West))
※Rokujizo Station still had not opened in the former line's era.