Utsunomiya Station

From JNSwiki

Utsunomiya Station (宇都宮駅, Utsunomiya-eki^?) is a JR East railway station located in Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan.

Tōbu Utsunomiya Station is located 1.6 km west of this station.

Utsunomiya Station (west) and the connecting pedestrian walkway

Lines serving Utsunomiya

The east side of Utsunomiya Station, currently undergoing redevelopment (September 2008)

Tōhoku Shinkansen
Utsunomiya Line (Tōhoku Main Line)
Shōnan-Shinjuku Line (Offers Direct service to Zushi and Shinjuku, traveling over the Utsunomiya Line from Utsunomiya to Ōmiya.
Nikkō Line
Karasuyama Line (Limited direct service. Most trips require a transfer at Hōshakuji.)

Platform usage

Shinkansen platform

The elevated Shinkansen platforms are designed to handle 16-car trains. Inbound and Outbound trains have their own platform. An additional two through (passing) tracks (lines 2 and 3) are located between the platforms.

The platforms for local trains are a combination of both island and individual platforms, designed to handle 15-car trains. A side track (often used for freight trains) is located between platforms 5 and 7.

LED information signboards are located on the 2nd-floor concourse both outside and within the ticket gates. Further LED signboards are located on each individual platform.

Platform	Line	Towards
1	■Tōhoku Shinkansen	Nasushiobara, Fukushima, Sendai, and Morioka
1	■Yamagata Shinkansen	Yamagata and Shinjō
4	■Tokyo-bound Shinkansen	Ōmiya, Ueno, and Tokyo
5	■Nikkō Line	Kanuma, Imaichi, and Nikkō
7 to 10	■Utsunomiya Line (Tōhoku Main Line)	Yaita, Nasushiobara, Kuroiso （Some trains provide direct through service to the Karasuyama Line）
	■Utsunomiya Line (Tōhoku Main Line)	Oyama, Ōmiya, Ueno （Some trains provide direct through service to the Ryōmō Line at Oyama）
	■Shōnan-Shinjuku Line	Ōmiya, Ikebukuro, Shinjuku, Shibuya, Yokohama, Zushi (Direct through service to the Yokosuka Line)

Some Nikkō Line trains operate from platform 7. Some Utsunomiya Line trains operate from platform 5.

Surrounding area

History

July 16, 1885: Station opens on what is now the Tōhoku Main Line. The station also sells Japan's first Eki-ben lunch. The first Eki-ben was sold platform-side by local department store Shirokiya, and consisted of Onigiri.

REDIRECT Template:Citation needed

June 1, 1890: Nikkō Line begins operation
June 23, 1982: Tōhoku Shinkansen begins operation
November 18, 2001: Introduction of Suica-enabled ticket gates.
October 12, 2003: Introduction of Suica-enabled ticket gates for Shinkansen passes.
January 29, 2008: Introduction of Suica-only ticket gates.