The other day, we wrote an article about one of the tracks at Mukogawa Station on the Hanshin Mukogawa Line being gone.
(Information provided by Rikuchi @ Nishi2 SP)
So we asked Hanshin Electric Railway about it!
The reason was: “Since trains no longer enter that track, we carried out removal work.” Just as many of you had guessed!
Even if no trains come through, as long as railway facilities such as tracks and overhead wires remain, maintenance inspections are required. True, that would be an unnecessary cost.
On the Danchi-mae Station side of Mukogawa Station, toward the seaside, there was a switch point connected to the main line, so depending on the work being done, inspections were sometimes carried out at night when trains were not running.
So the reason this time was that even if trains are not running, maintenance inspections are still required as long as the track remains, which led to its removal.
On top of that, the nighttime work was apparently done around the time when that major cold wave hit and it was freezing!! So cold~~~~!! The workers carried out the removal work in those conditions while also making sure not to make noise.
What will happen to the site after removal?
According to Hanshin Electric Railway, “We are currently considering how to use the site.”
Will something new be built there, or will it be used for another purpose? We’ll be keeping an eye on what happens next!
People who use Mukogawa Station may have been surprised and thought, “Wait, the track is gone!” But when you consider safety and costs, it makes sense.
The Mukogawa Line ↓
This is a video from before, when the Hanshin Koshien Stadium announcer was doing the announcements, showing the train running.
Finally
Trains run every day like it’s the most normal thing in the world, but railway staff, including maintenance workers, are protecting the railways day and night. It really makes you feel grateful! We’ll let you know as soon as we get any new information. Stay tuned!
