A video visit to Doai, one of Japan’s most terrifying train stations

[gmat]

From Sora News24. 

https://en.rocketnews24.com/2017/10/16/a-video-visit-to-doai-one-of-japans-most-terrifying-train-stations【video】/

 

Seems kinda interesting. Might be worth a visit just to say you went there. Bring along a good book waiting for the next train. Don't think the internet reception good is at the platform.

 

Grant

Edited October 16, 2017 by gmat

[Kiha66]

Interesting how the station entrance still has positions for human ticket takers to stand, I wonder what its current and historical patronage is per day.  Seems the platform was meant to have another track, although if I recall correctly the line in the other direction is above ground.  I supposed if you missed the train you could just wait back at the top, kinda weird all the windows on the hallways are boarded up and dark.

[Martijn Meerts]

Only thing scary about that station is the amount of stairs :)

 

[railsquid]

Terrifying?!

34 minutes ago, Kiha66 said:

Interesting how the station entrance still has positions for human ticket takers to stand, I wonder what its current and historical patronage is per day.  Seems the platform was meant to have another track, although if I recall correctly the line in the other direction is above ground.  I supposed if you missed the train you could just wait back at the top, kinda weird all the windows on the hallways are boarded up and dark.

 

At weekends it seems to have a fair bit of patronage from sightseers. The other track looks like it was to facilitate some kind of overtaking arrangement. The stairs have a channel on one side which looks like it was left in case they needed to install an escalator or something.

[Kiha66]

Just now, railsquid said:

The stairs have a channel on one side which looks like it was left in case they needed to install an escalator or something.

 

I was wondering about that myself.  I know some old lighthouses have that have long staircases something similar with a cart at the top and a winch to raise and lower cargo, saving many trips on the stairs by hand.

[railsquid]

Just noticed in the picture I took in 2004 while passing through, the original platform was still in use:

Doai Station by Rail Squid, on Flickr

[Kiha66]

Interesting, I wonder if the passing track was in use untill then?  I wonder why the change.

[westfalen]

I was looking at checking out Doai on my recent trip (it's been on my to do list for 20 years) but decided to do the Seikan Tunnel Park instead. I had worked out a timetable for myself that would allow me to get a freight passing the underground platform and another on the spiral at Yubiso as well as get to Echigo-Yuzawa and back but it is a bit awkward from Tokyo because of the limited passenger services so I decided to leave it for a future trip and stay in Takasaki so I can do a few other things in that area as well.