Nishi-Kumamoto Station

Nishi-Kumamoto Station (西熊本駅) is a railway station on the Kagoshima Main Line in Kumamoto, Japan, operated by Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu). It opened on 26 March 2016.

Lines
Nishi-Kumamoto Station is served by the Kagoshima Main Line between Mojiko and Kagoshima, and lies 3.2 km south of Kumamoto Station.

Station layout
The station is unstaffed, with ticket barriers on the ground floor level, and the platforms on the second floor level. The platforms are approximately 85 m long, able to handle four-car local trains.

History
A public ballot for the new station name was held between February and March, with the name "Nishi-Kumamoto" officially announced by JR Kyushu on 23 July 2015. Other names suggested in the ballot included Shimo-Kumamoto Station (下熊本駅), Chikami Station (近見駅), and Karikusa Station (刈草駅). The total cost of building the station is approximately 1.25 billion yen, funded by the city of Kumamoto, with 380 million yen funded by a national grant.

Passenger statistics
According to Kumamoto city forecasts, approximately 1,200 passengers are expected to use the station daily.

Surrounding area

 * Aeon Town Nishi-Kumamoto shopping mall
 * Rikigo Junior High School
 * Japanese National Route Sign 0003.svg National Route 3
 * Japanese National Route Sign 0057.svg National Route 57