Niigata Station (新潟駅, Niigata-eki) is a major railway station in Chūō-ku, Niigata, Japan, operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East).[1] The station is in the center of Niigata city, the largest city on the Sea of Japan coast in Honshu. It forms the central station for the railway infrastructure along the Sea of Japan coast, and is also the terminus of the Jōetsu Shinkansen high-speed line from Tokyo.
The station has two side platforms (former 1, 4) and two island platforms (former 2/3, and 8/9) at ground level serving a total of six tracks for conventional narrow gauge lines, of which only one island platform remains in use for trains originating from Niigata Station. This island platform (8/9) is an extension of one of the side platforms (1). The station also has two elevated side platforms 2, 5) and one island platform 3,4) serving conventional narrow gauge lines, and two more elevated island platforms serving four shinkansen tracks (11 to 14). The elevated station building has a "Midori no Madoguchi" staffed ticket counter and "View Plaza" travel agency.[1]
Niigata Station opened on 3 May 1904.[1] With the privatization of Japanese National Railways (JNR) on 1 April 1987, the station came under the control of JR East.
Passenger statistics
In fiscal 2017, the station was used by an average of 37,461 passengers daily (boarding passengers only).[2] The passenger figures for previous years are as shown below.
A panorama view of the North (Bandai) Entrance, June 2013
A panorama view of the South Entrance, June 2013
Bus terminals
Both the Bandai Entrance and the South Entrance have bus terminals.[16][17] As of February 2017[update], the following transit bus line are on service.