Yawatahama Station

Yawatahama Station (八幡浜駅) is a passenger railway station located in the city of Yawatahama, Ehime Prefecture, Japan. It is operated by JR Shikoku and has the station number "U18".

Lines
Yawatahama Station is served by the JR Shikoku Yosan Line and is located 262.8 km from the beginning of the line at Takamatsu. Eastbound local trains which serve the station terminate at Matsuyama. Connections with other services are needed to travel further east of Matsuyama on the line.

In addition, the Uwakai limited express also stops at the station.

Layout
The station consists of an island platform and a side platform serving three tracks. Access to the island platform is by means of a footbridge. The station building houses a waiting room, shops, a JR ticket window (Midori no Madoguchi facility) and a JR Travel Centre (Warp Plaza). Car parking and car rental is available at the station. There is a passing loop between tracks 2 and 3, in between the side and island platform and several sidings are located south of the station beyond track 3.

History
Yawatahama Station was opened on 6 February 1939 as the western terminus of the then Yosan Mainline which had been extended westwards from Iyo-Hirano. It became a through-station on 20 June 1945 when the track of the Yosan Mainline linked up with the track of the then Uwajima Line at Unomachi, allowing through-traffic from Takamatsu to Uwajima. 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.

Surrounding area

 * Yawatahama Port Ferry Terminal
 * Yawatahama Labor Standards Inspection Office
 * Yawatahama Tax Office
 * Yawatahama City Public Health and Welfare Cente