Kabe Station (Hiroshima)

Kabe Station (可部駅, Kabe-eki^?) is a JR West Kabe Line terminal station located in 2-chōme, Kabe, Asakita-ku, Hiroshima, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. As of December 1, 2003, Kabe Station is the terminal station of the Kabe Line. It replaced Sandankyō Station after the Kabe Line beyond Kabe Station was suspended.

Kabe Station was formerly the boundary between the electrified and non-electrified sections of the Kabe Line. The non-electrified section of the line is now out of service.

Kabe Station features two platforms capable of handling three lines simultaneously. Platforms one and two are bay platforms, and all three service trains headed to Hiroshima Station. During the day, the trains are handled at platform two. During the morning and evening, the trains are handled at platforms one and three. Before the segment was closed, platform three handled trains bound for Sandankyō Station because it was the only through platform. The line at platform three which formerly continued on to Sandankyō Station has been severed and turned into a buffer stop (or "bumper") to keep the train from proceeding (see photo on right).

Prior to 2006, the unisex restroom was found outside the station before passing through the ticket gates. While the station is located within the city of Hiroshima, this restroom featured a pit-style toilet which had to be pumped regularly in order to remove the accumulated waste. The station had developed somewhat of a bad reputation because of this due to the lingering odor. This issue was resolved in 2006, however, with the completion of gender-specific restrooms featuring standard flush toilets connected to the city's sewer system. Once the new restrooms were completed, the old one was closed.

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