Bingo-Ochiai Station

Bingo-Ochiai Station 備後落合駅
The front of the Bingo Ochiai Station building (2007-09-26).
Location
Prefecture	Hiroshima (See other stations in Hiroshima)
City	Shōbara
Neighborhood etc.	1778, Saijō-chō Hattori
Coordinates	35°00′04″N 133°08′54″E / 35.001197°N 133.148375°E / 35.001197; 133.148375Coordinates: 35°00′04″N 133°08′54″E / 35.001197°N 133.148375°E / 35.001197; 133.148375
Postal code	729-5721
(in Japanese)	広島県庄原市西城町八鳥1778
History
Year opened	1935
Rail services
Operator(s)	JR West
Line(s)	Geibi Line Kisuki Line
There is a bus stop near this station

Bingo Ochiai Station (備後落合駅, Bingo-Ochiai-eki) is a JR West Geibi and Kisuki Line station located in Hattori (sometimes called "Ochiai Ekimae"), Saijō-chō, Shōbara, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The Miyoshi Liner express service from Hiroshima Station (one run in the evening) terminates at this station, though it is a local train between Miyoshi Station and Bingo Ochiai.

Bingo Ochiai was previously a switchback station for express trains, and had a lot of staff to handle the large number of trains. Now all of the traffic is handled by a CTC system and the station is due to become an unmanned station. The station used to house a train garage, turntable, water tower, and a coal yard, though most traces of these were removed by 2004. The area around the station now includes an old house which the train engineers used, and due to the full automation of all of the station functions, the area is generally quiet. Bingo Ochiai Station is popular among railway fans due to its elevation, and it is now one of the Hikyō stations.

Because Bingo Ochiai Station is located at the boundaries between the Okayama, Yonago, and Hiroshima branch offices of JR West, the Okuizumo Orochi-gō old-style coach train is often seen there. These trains many times feature old-style wooden benches.

History

• 1935-12-20: Bingo Ochiai Station opens as the terminal station of the Shōbara Line between Bingo Saijō Station and Bingo Ochiai
• 1936-10-10: With the completion of the line from Onuka Station, Bingo Ochiai Station becomes an intermediary stop on the Sanshin Line between Bitchū Kōjiro Station and Miyoshi Station
• 1937-07-01: Bingo Ochiai Station becomes part of the nationalized Geibi Line, which stretches from Hiroshima to Niimi
• 1937-12-12: Bingo Ochiai Station becomes a junction station between the Kisuki Line and the Geibi Line
• 1987-04-01: Japan National Railways is privatized, and Bingo Ochiai Station becomes a JR West station

It was recently announced that Bingo Ochiai Station will become an unmanned station at some point in the near future.

Station building and platform

Bingo Ochiai Station features one station-side platform facing an island with two more platforms. The station features a kumitorishiki benjo (basically an "indoor outhouse" attached to the building).

• Platform 1: Kisuki Line (toward Shinji Station)
• Platform 2: Geibi Line (toward Miyoshi Station)
• Platform 3: Geibi Line (toward Niimi Station).

Environs

Hiroshima Prefectural Route 234 (Bingo Ochiai Teishajō Route) connects Bingo Ochiai station to Japan National Route 314. A beauty salon and taxicab service are located on this road, along with a variety of vending machines. In addition, there is a ryokan for travellers ehich is frequented by those using the evening Chidori express. Due to a smaller number of customers, the ryokan also acts as a tobacco shop in order to stay in business. Across the bridge at the base of the hill is a small grocery store, another group of vending machines, and a small contract post office.

Route 314 connects to Japan National Route 183 on the way toward Saijō. A drive-in featuring area specialties such as oden and udon, hot foods which are especially popular during the ski season, is found along this route.

Connecting lines

All lines are JR West lines.

Gallery

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  Enclosure(2007-09-26)

• 

  Type 120-300 series oneman train at Bingo Ochiai Station headed to Niimi Station (2006-09-17)

• 

  Type 120-200 series oneman train at Bingo Ochiai Station (2006-09-17)

• 

  Okuizumo Orochi-gō 98 headed to Bingo Ochiai Station (2006-06-25)

External links

• (Japanese) JR West