Takenaka Station

Takenaka Station (竹中駅) is a passenger railway station located in Ōita City, Ōita Prefecture, Japan. It is operated by JR Kyushu.

Lines
The station is served by the Hōhi Main Line and is located 130.8 km from the starting point of the line at Kumamoto.

Layout
The station consists of an island platform serving two tracks. The station building is a small modern functional concrete structure which is unstaffed and serves only as a waiting room. Access to the island platform is by means of a level crossing.

History
Japanese Government Railways (JGR) had opened the Inukai Light Rail Line (犬飼軽便線) (later Inukai Line) from Ōita to Nakahanda on 1 April 1914. In a further phase of expansion, the track was extended westwards, with Takenaka opening as the new western terminus on 1 September 1916. It became a through-station on 20 July 1917 when the track was extended to Inukai. By 1928, the track, extended west in phases, had linked up with the Miyagi Line (宮地線) reaching eastwards from Kumamoto. On 2 December 1928, the entire track from Kumamoto through Takenaka to Ōita was designated as the Hōhi Main Line. With the privatization of Japanese National Railways (JNR), the successor of JGR, on 1 April 1987, the station came under the control of JR Kyushu.

In September 2017, Typhoon Talim (Typhoon 18) damaged the Hōhi Main Line at several locations. Services between Aso and Nakahanda, including Takenaka, were suspended and replaced by bus services. Normal rail services between Aso and Ōita were restored by 2 October 2017.

Passenger statistics
In fiscal 2015, there were a total of 15,632 boarding passengers, giving a daily average of 43 passengers.

Surrounding area

 * Ono River
 * Oita City Takenaka Elementary School
 * Oita City Takenaka Junior High School