Rakusaiguchi Station (洛西口駅)
Rakusaiguchi Station, located on the boundary between Nishikyo Ward, Kyoto City and Muko City, both located in Kyoto Prefecture, is a stop on the Hankyu Kyoto Line, which is operated by the Hankyu Railway.
Circumstances of the station's opening
On February 1, 1946, just after the war, 'Mozume Station' was built in this area, but on March 1, 1948 it was abandoned.
However, a new station was built when the momentum of redeveloping the area around the station increased, following the closure of the Kirin Brewery Company, Ltd., near the station, and due to the poor transportation around Katsura Station, which leads to Rakusai Newtown.
For the Hankyu Railway, the new station was the first built in three decades since Yamada Station (Osaka Prefecture) (1973) and the station was restored for the first time in fifty-five years after the abandonment of Mozume Station; some trains running on the Kyoto Line were decorated as a memorial to the opening, while as many as nine types of Lagare cards were issued to commemorate the event, including limited types of cards available only from the automatic ticket machine.
Station layout
Rakusaiguchi Station is an aboveground station with two separate platforms serving two tracks. In the future, Rakusaiguchi Station and adjacent stations will be elevated; therefore, the current station building and platforms comprise a simple structure. Each inbound platform and outbound platform has a ticket gate, and the platforms are separate; consequently, it's impossible to move from one platform to another within the ticket gate. Both ticket gates (on the inbound and outbound platforms) are located on the Kawaramachi side of the platforms. The board bearing the station name at the entrance to the station building and platforms has decorations adapted from bamboo.
Platform numbers aren't assigned.
Features
Due to the line of the next station, Katsuragawa, the first few trains depart from this station for Umeda Station, being sent out from the Katsura train depot.
Station surroundings
Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF), JGSDF Camp Katsura
Nakayama Inari Line of Kyoto Prefectural Route 201
(JR) Katsuragawa Station, which opened in the fall of 2008, is about 600 meters away from the station.
Bus stop
Rakusaiguchi Eki-mae (Rakusaiguchi Station)
Kyoto City Bus
Route 42: Bound for Kyoto Station (via To-ji Temple)
Route West 4: Bound for Rakusai Bus Terminal (via Sakaidani Center-mae)
Yasaka Bus Co., Ltd.
Route 1: Bound for Katsurazaka-Chuo (via Nishi-Katsurazaka)/for Mukomachi Station
Route 2: (Inner Loop) for Nishitakenosato-cho/for JR Mukomachi Station
Route 3: (Outer Loop) for Fukunishi Takenosato/for JR Mukomachi Station
Route 6: Bound for Hananomai Koen-mae (Hananomai Park), Katsurazaka-Chuo (via Higashi-Katsurazaka)/for JR Mukomachi Station
Keihan Kyoto Kotsu
Route 12: Bound for Katsurazaka Higashiguchi, Kyoto Seisho High School
Route 22: Bound for JR Mukomachi Station/for Katsurazaka-Chuo
Hankyu Bus Co., Ltd., Rakusai Newtown Route
Route 4: Bound for Rakusai Bus Terminal (via Nishitakenosato-cho)/for JR Mukomachi Station, Higashimuko Station (via Takada-cho)
Route 24: Bound for Fukunishi Takenosato Loop/for Hankyu Higashimuko (via Kurumazuka Jutaku-mae (Kurumazuka residential district))
Passenger use
The number of passengers per day in fiscal year 2003 was approximately 1,682 (according to the Kyoto Prefecture Statistics Report).
History
February 1, 1946: Mozume Station was opened.
March 1, 1948: Mozume Station was abandoned.
March 16, 2003: Rakusaiguchi Station was opened.
March, 2008: the elevation construction will begin.
Adjacent stations
Hankyu Railway
Kyoto Main Line
Commuter Limited Express/Limited Express/Rapid Express
(Commuter) limited express, limited express and rapid express trains don't stop at Rakusaiguchi Station.
Semi Express/Local
Higashimuko Station - Rakusaiguchi Station - Katsura Station