Shin-Shirakawa Station

Shin-Shirakawa Station (新白河駅) is a railway station in the village of Nishigō, Fukushima, Japan, operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East).

Shin-Shirakawa Station 新白河駅
The station exterior in May 2011
General information
Location	Nishigō-mura, Nishishirakawa-gun, Fukushima-ken 961-8055 Japan
Coordinates	37.123199°N 140.188766°E / 37.123199; 140.188766
Operated by	JR East
Line(s)	Tōhoku Shinkansen      Tōhoku Main Line
Platforms	3 side + 1 island platforms
Tracks	5
Connections	Bus stop
Other information
Status	Staffed (Midori no Madoguchi)
Website	Official website
History
Opened	7 April 1959; 65 years ago (1959-04-07)
Previous names	Iwaki-Nishigō (until 1982)
Passengers
FY2016	2,999 daily
Services
Preceding station JR East Following station Nasu-Shiobara towards Tokyo Tōhoku Shinkansen Yamabiko Kōriyama towards Morioka Tōhoku Shinkansen Nasuno Kōriyama Terminus Shirasaka towards Kuroiso Tōhoku Main Line Local Shirakawa towards Morioka
Location Shin-Shirakawa Station Location within Fukushima Prefecture Show map of Fukushima Prefecture Shin-Shirakawa Station Shin-Shirakawa Station (Japan) Show map of Japan

Lines

The station is served by the Tōhoku Shinkansen high-speed line and the Tōhoku Main Line, and is 185.4 km from the starting point the Tōhoku Main Line at Tokyo Station.

Station layout

The shinkansen section consists of two opposed side platforms serving two tracks, with two centre tracks for non-stop passing trains. The Tōhoku Main Line section of the station consists of one side platform and one island platform, serving three tracks.

The station has a Midori no Madoguchi staffed ticket office.^[1]

Platforms

1	■ Tōhoku Shinkansen	for Ōmiya, Ueno, and Tokyo
4	■ Tōhoku Shinkansen	for Sendai and Morioka
5	■ Tōhoku Main Line	for Kuroiso and Utsunomiya
6	■ Tōhoku Main Line	for Kuroiso and Utsunomiya
	■ Tōhoku Main Line	for Shirakawa and Kōriyama
7	■ Tōhoku Main Line	for Shirakawa and Kōriyama

History

The station first opened as Iwaki-Nishigō Station (磐城西郷駅) on 7 April 1959.^[2] On 23 June 1982, it was renamed Shin-Shirakawa Station, coinciding with the opening of the Tohoku Shinkansen. The station was absorbed into the JR East network upon the privatization of the Japanese National Railways (JNR) on 1 April 1987.

Passenger statistics

In fiscal 2016, the station was used by an average of 2,999 passengers daily (boarding passengers only).^[3] The passenger figures for previous years are as shown below.

Fiscal year	Daily average
2000	2,824[4]
2005	2,799[5]
2010	2,724[6]
2011	2,504[7]

Surrounding area

• National Route 4
• National Route 294
• JR East Research Centre

Bus routes

Shin-Shirakawa

Track 1

• JR BUS KANTO Hakuhō Line
  • Shirakawa Station
• Community buses
  • Shirakawa Station via Nanko Park
    • Runs on only weekdays and Saturdays.

Track 2

• JR BUS KANTO Hakuhō Line
  • Shin-Shirakawa Station - Nanko Park - Iwaki-Tanakura Station - Sobo'oka

Track 3

• Fukushima Transportation
  • Shin-Shirakawa Station - Shirakawa Station - Iwaki-Ishikawa Station^[8] - Ishikawa Office
  • Shin-Shirakawa Station - Shirakawa Station - Shirasaka Station
  • Shin-Shirakawa Station - Shirakawa no Seki - Sekinomori Park
• Limited express bus (operated by Fukushima Transportation and Aizu Bus)
  • Shin-Shirakawa Station - Shimogo Village Hall - Ouchijuku - Tō-no-Hetsuri Station - Yunokamionsen Station - Ashinomakionsen Station - Tsuruga Castle - Aizu-Wakamatsu Station
    • Runs on only holidays during summer.

Track 4

• Night bus operated by Sakura Kotsu
  • Bound for Shinjuku Station

Shin-Shirakawa Kogenguchi Bus stop

• Fukushima Transportation
  • Shobusawa
  • Circular-route bus for Nishigo
  • Shimo-Shibahara via Haranaka
  • Kawatani via Haranaka
  • Tsunago^[9] via Haranaka
  • Manako
  • Yuigahara via Oppara
  • Kogen Hotel^[10]
• Reservation bus
  • British Hills^[11][12]

References

1. 各駅情報（新白河駅） [Station Information (Shin-Shirakawa Station)] (in Japanese). Japan: East Japan Railway Company. Retrieved 7 April 2013.
2. 日本国有鉄道停車場一覧 [JNR Station Directory]. Japan: Japanese National Railways. 1985. p. 98. ISBN 4-533-00503-9.
3. 各駅の乗車人員 (2016年度) [Station passenger figures (Fiscal 2016)] (in Japanese). Japan: East Japan Railway Company. 2017. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
4. 各駅の乗車人員　（2000年度） [Fiscal 2000 station passenger figures] (in Japanese). Japan: East Japan Railway Company. Retrieved 7 April 2013.
5. 各駅の乗車人員　（2005年度） [Fiscal 2005 station passenger figures] (in Japanese). Japan: East Japan Railway Company. Retrieved 7 April 2013.
6. 各駅の乗車人員 (2010年度) [FY2010 station passenger figures] (in Japanese). Japan: East Japan Railway Company. Retrieved 7 April 2013.
7. 各駅の乗車人員 (2011年度) [FY2011 station passenger figures] (in Japanese). Japan: East Japan Railway Company. Retrieved 7 April 2013.
8. Transfer onto bus bound for Sukagawa Station via Izumigo Station which is located near Fukushima Airport and the walk takes about 30 minutes from the station to the airport.
9. The walk brings from this bus stop to International Christian University for about 40 minutes and passengers are able to transfer onto Nasu-Shiobara Municipal bus bound for Kurodahara Station at Otani bus stop near this university.
10. Located near Mount Sanbonyari and Mount Futamata.
11. British Hills is managed by Kanda University of International Studies and located near Hatori Dam in Tenei, Fukushima. There are restaurants and shops, hotels that are British-style. When passengers reserve the bus, you must go to British Hills.
12. Passengers are able to ride on Fukushima Transportation bound for Ryui or Mount Futamata (Fukushima) from Ohira bus stop which is located on Japan National Route 118 by walking on Michikizawa Line which is a forest road for 50 minutes. Besides, transfer onto route buses bound for Sukagawa Station at Ryui bus stop and the route bus for Futamata brings from Ohira bus stop to Sakamoto bus stop for about 30 minutes and go to Edamastu bus stop by walking from Sakamotobashi bus stop. Besides, you are able to ride on Aizu Bus bound for Aizu-Tajima Station via Yunokamionsen Station

External links

• Official website (in Japanese)