Mukaijima Station (向島駅)
Mukaijima Station, located in Mukaijima Higashi-Jouke, in the Fushimi ward of Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture, is a stop on the Kintetsu Kyoto Line of the Kintetsu Corporation. It is the nearest station to Mukaijima New Town. Rice paddies created by draining Ogura-ike Pond spread out to the west of the station, but the landscape on the east side is in stark contrast, being crowded with a housing complex and private residences.
Station layout
The station facilities comprise elevated two island platforms and four tracks on which slow trains taking refuge can stand by. Trains can take refuge at this station since they can't do so at the Kintetsu Tambabashi and Momoyama Goryo-mae stations, where express trains stop.
A departure signal is installed for Platform 4 departures toward Saidaiji; it is structured to execute shuttle service but is limited to deadheads only per the ordinary timetable.
Therefore, shuttle service is provided from this station in the event operations are suspended due to an accident occurring between the Kyoto and Mukaijima stations.
The platform length is sufficient to accommodate six cars. A kiosk stall can be found on the same floor as the ticket gates.
Access to station facilities is possible from both the east and west sides, and a bus boarding station is located on the east side. Ticket gates were once found in just one location until a separate gate was installed solely for users of a newly installed elevator, which became usable on February 16, 2006. One LED train direction board is installed on each platform, and an emergency call button was installed in 2007.
From the time the station opened till around the mid-1980s, there was no refuge track and operations were managed by only the present Platform 2 and Platform 3.
Limited express train tickets and commuter passes can be purchased at this station. The red-colored, automated ticket gates (EG-2000) were manufactured by Toshiba; they can process two tickets together when exiting and are compatible with the PiTaPa and ICOCA cards.
Express train temporary stops
Express trains may at times make temporary stops when Rakunan High School athletics meets are held at Shuchiin University's Mukaijima Ground. Automated announcements of express trains making temporary stops are made at the station platforms. In order to prevent mistaken boarding, announcements are expressly made for down trains that Ogura Station (Kyoto Prefecture) and Iseda Station will be bypassed. The LED train direction board indicates only the composition of trains.
Usage status
A survey conducted on November 8, 2005 revealed that the number of passengers who got on and off at this station on that day was 18,340.
It ranked thirty-ninth among all Kintetsu stations (323 stations on that date) that were subject to the survey.
It ranked eighth among the stations of the Kyoto Line (a total of 26, including Yamato-Saidaiji Station).
It ranked sixth among Kintetsu stations (23 stations) in Kyoto Prefecture.
Station surroundings
Shuchiin University
Kyoto Bunkyo University, Kyoto Bunkyo Junior College (school buses operated)
Kyoto Prefectural Kyoto Subaru High School
Kyoto Municipal Mukaijima Junior High School
Kyoto Municipal Ninomaru-kita Elementary School
Kyoto Municipal Mukaijima-Ninomaru Elementary School
Mukaijima Central Park
Mukaijima Library
Kinsho Store
Mukaijima-Uji Line of Kyoto Prefectural Route 241
National Route 24
Lawson Plus
Ogura-ike Pond Reclaimed Land
Bus
Kintetsu Bus: Loop Line within Mukaijima New Town
No. 02: Limited Loop Line for Yotsuya-ike Pond and Center-mae
No. 03: Limited Loop Line for Center-mae and Yotsuya-ike Pond
No. 04: for Marumachi via Yotsuya-ike Pond and Kiyomizu-cho-nishi
No. 08: Loop Line for Yotsuya-ike Pond, Kiyomizu-cho and Marumachi
No. 09: for Momoyama (Momoyama Goryo-mae Station on the Kintetsu Kyoto Line) via Yotsuya-ike Pond, Shimizu-cho and Marumachi
No. 12: Loop Line for Kamishima-nishi, Shimizu-cho-nishi and Marumachi
Keihan-Uji Bus
Route No. 111: for Uji Station (Keihan)
Nara Kotsu Bus
Route No. 75: for Ogawara (Nara Kotsu Kyoto Office) (Only one trip a day on Sundays and holidays)
The route linking Kyoto Station and Nara once passed through here. Kintetsu Bus (then Kintetsu Railways), Nara Kotsu and Keihan Bus operated bus routes but were totally abolished by 1998. Kintetsu Bus and Nara Kotsu now only operate the above-mentioned routes in Kyoto City.
History
March 30, 1979: The station opened.
March 15, 2000: The station was upgraded to a semi-express stopping station.
February 16, 2000: The elevator and exclusive ticket gate were activated.
April 1, 2007: The use of PiTaPa cards commenced.
Neighboring stations
Kintetsu Corporation
Kyoto Line
■Express
Nonstop (when temporary stopping, Momoyama Goryo-mae Station - Mukaijima Station - Okubo Station (Kyoto Prefecture))
■Semi Express/■Local
Momoyama Goryo-mae Station - Mukaijima Station - Ogura Station (Kyoto Prefecture)