Higashi-Oiwake Station, Signal base station in Abira, Japan
Higashi-Oiwake Station is a signal control facility on the Sekisho Line in Hokkaido, Japan. It has two tracks and serves today only as a technical control point for train movements, with no passenger boarding.
The station opened in 1965 as a stop for passengers. In 2016 it was converted into a signal control point, in line with the general decline in ridership across rural Hokkaido.
The station's transformation from a passenger facility to a signal base reflects the changes in rural Japanese transportation infrastructure and population patterns.
The site is in a part of Hokkaido that receives heavy snowfall in winter, which can make access difficult. As this is an active railway facility, public access is not permitted.
In 2012, a freight train and several containers derailed at this location. The incident led to a review of safety rules for this section of the line.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
