【FHD 駅探訪No.57】JR海峡線 知内駅にて ～さようなら、北の玄関口～ (The Last Winter of Shiriuchi Station on the JR Kaikyo Line)

北海道新幹線開業まで1年弱と迫った2014年、紅白歌合戦を引退した『演歌の大御所』こと北島三郎の後を追うように、彼の生まれ故郷にある駅も約24年の歴史に幕を下ろそうとしていました...。
その名も知内（しりうち）駅。
営業終了を目前とした2014年新春、雪が吹きすさぶ中、駅周辺や構内、列車の発着風景を撮影してきました。
Shiriuchi station, located at Shiriuchi Town in Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan, is a station of JR Kaikyo line. The town is a hometown of Saburo Kitajima, who is a "mogul of Japanese ballad singer". The station was promoted from signal station to passenger station on 1st July, 1990 to respond to the petition from the towner. However, it has a daily ridership of only 1 passengers in 2010. Here is the southernmost ground station of Hokkaido island. Passengers can reach here after going through the world's longest (53.85 km) undersea tunnel "Seikan Tunnel" and "First Yunosato Tunnel (1.2 km)". I took this movie of station, vicinity and trains at Shiriuchi station on the JR Kaikyo line.
BGM : takai様制作 "日常の物語"、"不思議な森～木々のざわめき～" ※配布元：音楽の卵（ontama-m.com/）
Map : Google マップ (maps.google.co.jp/)
Reference : Wikipedia (ja.wikipedia.or...)

[@user-ge7wz3io3f]

海峡線一回は乗りたかったな

[@AndreiTupolev]

Quite breathtaking effects with the trains speeding through in the snow! Fantastic!

[@omiyaexpress]

I used up all my energy to take trains and station all the day and edit the fantastic scenes to deliver all of my viewers. I appreciate your message.

[@ThatSolidworksGuyVC]

Finally! These trains can make stops at this station again. Not for long though...

[@colliecandle]

A big thank you for enduring cold and wet in making this video. Very much appreciated by this ex rail man !

[@capitallines]

Great, thanks for sharing.

[@omiyaexpress]

Thanks for your comment.

[@calvinkulit]

Ah, the snow.

[@tangwaihin291]

Hi OMIYAEXPRESS, according to the video, Local Trains were abolished in 2002. But do you know what rolling stock were used for the Local Trains? Are they KiHa40 Series trains?

[@omiyaexpress]

No. The local train is named KAIKYO composed of Class ED79 electric locomotive and 50 Series (or 12 Series) passenger coaches. Only electric train or locomotives are allowed to run on the JR Kaikyo line because there are very long undersea tunnel "Seikan Tunnel". So diesel train such as KiHa 40 series cannot run on this line.

[@tangwaihin291]

I found more about the series 50 passenger coaches from wikipedia. The coaches were blue, and there was a display for passengers showing their relative position while inside the Seikan Tunnel.
ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%9B%BD%E9%89%8450%E7%B3%BB%E5%AE%A2%E8%BB%8A

[@Trainsforlife89]

As i said before, i see your videos reached the next level! Really professional and realistic presentation of this station, i felt i was there, you goal was achieved! Impressive light changes, great speeds by the limited express trains and my favourite 485 sets. The freight was very impressive too, as the speed dragged the snow! I really admire you work! Please, check your PM.
Panos san

[@omiyaexpress]

This station had abolished but new H5 Series Shinkansen passed through here and the Seikan Tunnel a few days ago. The situation of train of southen Hokkaido will be changed drastically in next years.