Mukomachi Station (向日町駅)
Mukomachi Station, located in Kuguso, Terado-cho, Muko City, Kyoto Prefecture, is a railway facility of the Tokaido Main Line (JR Kyoto Line), which is operated by the West Japan Railway Company (JR West). It is also a freight station of the Japan Freight Railway Company, but freight trains have neither departed from nor arrived at the station since 2006.
ICOCA and J-Through cards can be used at this station. PiTaPa, which is mutually usable with ICOCA, can also be used.
In fact, a small portion of the premises of the station belongs to Minami Ward of Kyoto City. Higashi-muko Station, of the Hankyu Kyoto Line, is located approximately 500 meters from this station (about a ten-minute walk).
Although Higashi-muko Station (the old Higashi-mukomachi Station) and Nishi-muko Station (the old Nishi-mukomachi Station) of the Hankyu Kyoto Line, which are also located in Muko City, were given their current names when old Mukomachi was upgraded to Muko City in October 1972, Mukomachi Station was not renamed despite the upgrade to city status.
The abbreviated name for telegraph is "Muko" (the same as that of Musashi-Koganei Station).
Station layout
This station is a ground station that has two platforms for four tracks, but only the inner platform is used for passengers getting on and off, because the outer platform is enclosed by fences (depending on the time zone, rapid trains pass through on the inner tracks also). The station building is situated on the west side of the track and is connected to platforms via an underground passage.
Station surroundings
Kyoto Integrated Operation Center (the old Mukomachi Operation Center) is situated on the Osaka side of the station.
The ancient tomb of Mozume Kurumazuka
Take-no-Michi (Bamboo Road)
The tomb of Emperor Kanmu's wife
Bus stop
JR Mukomachi
Yasaka Bus Co., Ltd.
Route 1 (via Nishi-Katsurazaka): Buses bound for Katsurazaka-Chuo
Route 2: (Inner Loop) Buses bound for Sakaidani Center-mae
Route 3: (Outer Loop) Buses bound for Fukunishi Takenosato
Route 6 (via Kyodai Katsura Campus): Buses bound for Katsurazaka-Chuo
Keihan Kyoto Kotsu
Route 22 (via Kyodai Katsura Campus): Buses bound for Katsurazaka-Chuo
The Muko sub-branch (Oyamazaki business office) of Hankyu Bus Co., Ltd., is in charge (operations are outsourced to Hankyu Denen Bus Co., Ltd.).
Route 4 (Rakusai Newtown Route via Rakusaiguchi Station, Daini Kaisei Byoin-mae (Second Kaisei Hospital), Rakusai Koko-mae (Rakusai High School), Nishitakenosato-cho): Buses bound for Rakusai Bus Terminal (some buses run as far as Takenosato Shogakko-mae (Takenosato Elementary School))
Route 63 (Oharano Route via Higashiyama, Ukyonosato, Haigata): Buses bound for Rakusai Bus Terminal
Route 65 (Oharano Route via Higashiyama, Ukyonosato, Haigata): Buses bound for Minamikasuga-cho
Route 66 (Oharano Route via Higashiyama, Ukyonosato, Haigata): Buses bound for Oshio (Jurin-ji-mae (Jurin-ji Temple)), Yoshimine-dera (Yoshimine-dera Temple) (Shiawase Jizo (Happiness Buddha)); No. 20 hudasho (a temple where amulets are collected) of Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage (in winter season (January 6 - end of February); all buses run as far as Oshio (Jurin-ji-mae))
Route 71 (Nagaokakyo Route via Shimo-Kuze, Hishikawa, Nagaokakyo Station, Nagaokatenjin Station, Tomooka, Kugai): Buses bound for east exit of JR Nagaokakyo Station
Route 4 (Rakusai Newtown Route), Route 65 (Oharano Route), Route 72 (Nagaokakyo Route): Buses bound for Higashi-muko Station
Passenger use
According to Kyoto Prefecture Statistics Report, the average number of passengers a day in fiscal year 2006 was 11,575.
History
July 26, 1876: The station became operational.
April 1, 1987: The station became a station of JR West and the Japan Freight Railway Company due to the division and privatization of Japan National Railways.
Around March 18, 2006: Freight service was abolished. There used to be an exclusive track connecting to Kyoto Service Station of the Sumitomo Osaka Cement Co., Ltd., and freight trains for the transport of cement used to arrive from Motosu Station and Omi-Nagaoka Station.
There were also tank yards of the Nippon Oil Corporation and Showa Shell Sekiyu K.K. nearby, and they were connected to the station by the exclusive tracks. Additionally, there used to be the exclusive tracks extending to Camp Katsura of the Ground Self-Defense Force and the Kyoto Works of the Kirin Brewery Company (which closed in 1999).
Adjacent stations
West Japan Railway Company (JR West)
JR Kyoto Line (Tokaido Main Line)
Special Rapid/Rapid
They pass through this station.
Local (some are operated as rapid trains between Takatsuki Station and Akashi Station)
Nishioji Station - Mukomachi Station - Nagaokakyo Station
* Between Nishioji Station and Mukomachi Station, Katsuragawa Station (tentative name) was scheduled to commence operations in the autumn of 2008.