The station is served by the Kagoshima Main Line and is located 106.8 km from the starting point of the line at. In addition, the station is the starting point of the Nagasaki Main Line. Besides the local trains of these lines, trains of the following limited express services also stop at the station:
Ariake
Huis Ten Bosch
Kamome
Midori
Yufu/Yufu DX/Yufuinnomori
Station layout
The station consists of three island platforms serving six tracks at grade. Passing loops run between the island platforms and several more passing loops are located to the east, beyond platform 6. Access to the island platforms is by two underground passageways connecting them with the station building. One of the underpasses is served by elevators. A footbridge known as the Rainbow Bridge spans the station plazas to the east and the west of the tracks and is also served by elevators. The station building, is located on the west side of the tracks and houses shops, a waiting area a JR Kyushu ticket window and a JR travel centre. Several udon/soba stands are located in the station, including one on each of the island platforms. A JGR Class 230 steam locomotive is on display on the east side of the station.
Platforms
Adjacent stations
History
The station was opened on 11 December 1889 by the privately run Kyushu Railway after the construction of a track between and the Chitosegawa temporary stop with Tosu as one the several intermediate stations on the line. On 20 August 1891, a track was laid from Tosu to. When the Kyushu Railway was nationalized on 1 July 1907, Japanese Government Railways took over control of the station. On 12 October 1909, the station became part of the Hitoyoshi and Nagasaki Main Lines. On 21 November 1909, the Hitoyoshi Main Line was renamed the Kagoshima Main Line. With the privatization of Japanese National Railways, the successor of JGR, on 1 April 1987, JR Kyushu took over control of the station. The present station building was built in 1903. An extension in 1911 left the original Meiji era building structure intact. It is one of the oldest existing railway station buildings in Kyushu. Despite its historical value, the Saga City authorities decided, in May 2017, to build a new station building slightly to the south of the existing one. The new building will be a hashigami structure in which the station facilities would be located on a bridge spanning the tracks. The project would take about ten years to complete. The city authorities explained that a new building was necessary due to the limited space available in the present building but that it would consider measures to preserve and repurpose the historic structure.
Passenger statistics
In fiscal 2016, the station was used by 7,039 passengers daily, and it ranked 25th among the busiest stations of JR Kyushu.
