Fukushima Station (福島駅, Fukushima-eki) is a railway station in the city of Fukushima, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. The station is the terminus for the JR East Yamagata Shinkansen, and Ōu Main Line, as well as the third-sector Abukuma Express Line and privately operated Fukushima Kotsu Iizaka Line.
The station is separated into an east and a west section. Within the area after entering the ticket gates, the opposite sections of the station are accessible via a pedestrian tunnel that runs over the tracks. Outside of the ticketed area, pedestrians must use a tunnel to access the opposite section. Cyclists and other vehicles must utilize the bridges to either the north or south of the station.
All lines, except for the Abukuma Express Line and the Iizaka Line, are accessible through the main entrance of the East or West sections of the station. The Abukuma Express Line and the Iizaka Line have a separate entrance on the Northeast side of the station.
The JR portion of the station uses one side platform, one island platform and one bay platform (with two bays) to serve a total of six tracks for regular trains, and two elevated island platforms for Shinkansen operations. The station has a Midori no Madoguchi staffed ticket office. The Abukuma Express Line and the Fukushima Kōtsū Iizaka Line share a single island platform.
Nippon Railway opened Fukushima Station and the railway between Kōriyama Station and Shiogama Station (later called Shiogamakō Station) on December 15, 1887.[1] This railway was later nationalized and named the Tōhoku Main Line. The government railways opened the railway, later named the Ōu Main Line, between Fukushima Station and Yonezawa Station on May 15, 1899.[2]
The Iizaka Line was opened on April 13, 1924 by Fukushima Iizaka Electric Tramway (福島飯坂電気軌道, Fukushima Iizaka Denki Kidō).[3] The Tōhoku Shinkansen opened on June 23, 1982 and the Abukuma Express Line opened on July 1, 1988.[4]
Through services between the Tōhoku Shinkansen and the Ōu Main Line, under the name Yamagata Shinkansen, began on July 1, 1992.[5]
JR East announced in 2020 a plan to construct an elevated crossing serving the Yamagata Shinkansen to rectify bottleneck issues with Tokyo-bound Yamabiko trains having to cross over to Platform 14 to connect with Tsubasa trains.[6] The new line will consist of 760 m of surface level track and 540 m of elevated viaduct connecting to Platform 11. Estimated date of completion is 2026.[7]
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