Shimonada Station

Railway station in Iyo, Ehime Prefecture, Japan

33°39′18″N 132°35′21″E / 33.6551°N 132.5892°E / 33.6551; 132.5892Operated by

JR ShikokuLine(s) Yosan LineDistance222.4 km (138.2 mi) from TakamatsuPlatforms1 side platformTracks1ConstructionStructure typeAt gradeAccessibleYes - ramp to platformOther informationStatusUnstaffedStation codeS09HistoryOpened9 June 1935; 89 years ago (1935-06-09)PassengersFY201978 Services

Preceding station	JR Shikoku			Following station
Kushi S10 towards Uwajima		Yosan Line via Iyo-Nagahama		Iyo-Kaminada S08 towards Takamatsu

Location
Shimonada Station Location within Ehime Prefecture Show map of Ehime Prefecture Shimonada Station Shimonada Station (Japan) Show map of Japan

Shimonada Station (下灘駅, Shimonada-eki) is a passenger railway station located in the city of Iyo, Ehime Prefecture, Japan. It is operated by JR Shikoku and has the station number "S09".^[1]^[2]

The station has been featured on the Seishun 18 Ticket promotional poster 3 times, making it very popular with photographers and tourists.^[3]

Lines

Shimonada Station is served by the JR Shikoku Yosan Line and is 222.4 km from the beginning of the line at Takamatsu.^[4] It is located on the older, original branch of the line which runs along the coast of the Seto Inland Sea. As most limited express services use the newer and shorter Uchiko branch from Mukaibara to Iyo-Ōzu , Shimonada is mainly served by local trains. The eastbound local services end at Matsuyama. Connections with other services are needed to travel further east of Matsuyama on the line.^[5] The tourist train Iyonada Monogatari runs on the coastal branch and makes a stop at Shimonada to allow passengers to take in and photograph the scenic views. One train times its arrival at sunset to catch the view of setting sun over the Seto Inland Sea. However passengers do not leave the train at this station and no new passengers are taken on.

Layout

The station consists of a side platform serving a single track. An unstaffed station building serves as a waiting room. A ramp leads to the platform where a shelter is provided.^[2]^[6] There are traces of a track bed on the other side of the platform, indicating that it was once an island serving two tracks.^[4]

A scene commonly featured in travel magazines: the platform, with its shelter, with its unobstructed view of the Seto Inland Sea.
The ramp from the waiting room to the platform.
Shimonada from a high vantage point. Note the kink in the track, indicating that there were once two tracks serving the station.

History

Shimonada Station was opened on 9 June 1935 as the terminus of the then Yosan Main Line which had been extended westwards from Iyo-Kaminada. It became a through-station just a few months later on 6 October 1935 when the line was extended to Iyo-Nagahama. At that time the station was operated by Japanese Government Railways (JGR), later becoming Japanese National Railways (JNR). With the privatization of JNR on 1 April 1987, control of the station passed to JR Shikoku.^[7]^[8]

Surrounding area

Iyo City Hall Shimonada Branch
Iyo Municipal Shimonada Elementary School

References

^ "Shikoku Railway Route Map" (PDF). JR Shikoku. Retrieved 27 December 2017.
^ ^a ^b "下灘" [Shimonada]. hacchi-no-he.net. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
^ "A photo journey through 16 extraordinary and secluded train stations in Japan". Rakuten Travel.
^ ^a ^b Kawashima, Ryōzō (2013). 図説: 日本の鉄道四国・九州ライン全線・全駅・全配線・第2巻四国西部エリア [Japan Railways Illustrated. Shikoku and Kyushu. All lines, all stations, all track layouts. Volume 2 Western Shikoku] (in Japanese). Kodansha. pp. 26, 72. ISBN 9784062951616.
^ "Shimonada Station Timetable" (PDF). JR Shikoku. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
^ "下灘駅" [Shimonada Station]. shikoku.org.uk. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
^ Ishino, Tetsu; et al., eds. (1998). 停車場変遷大事典国鉄・JR編 [Station Transition Directory – JNR/JR] (in Japanese). Vol. II. Tokyo: JTB Corporation. p. 639. ISBN 4-533-02980-9.
^ Ishino, Tetsu; et al., eds. (1998). 停車場変遷大事典国鉄・JR編 [Station Transition Directory – JNR/JR] (in Japanese). Vol. I. Tokyo: JTB Corporation. pp. 213–215. ISBN 4-533-02980-9.