Wakōshi Station

Wakōshi Station (和光市駅, Wakōshi-eki) is an interchange passenger railway station located in the city of Wakō, Saitama, Japan, operated by the private railway operator Tōbu Railway and Tokyo subway operator Tokyo Metro. It is the only Tokyo Metro station located in Saitama Prefecture. It is the westernmost station in the Tokyo subway network, and the northernmost Tokyo Metro station (Nishi-takashimadaira on the Toei network is farther north).

TJ11 Y01 F01 Wakōshi Station 和光市駅
General view of the station from the south side in July 2008
General information
Location	4-6 Honchō, Wakō City, Saitama Prefecture 351-0114 Japan
Coordinates	35.788407°N 139.612885°E / 35.788407; 139.612885
Operated by	Tōbu Railway (manager) Tokyo Metro
Line(s)	TJ Tōbu Tōjō Line Y Yūrakuchō Line F Fukutoshin Line
Distance	12.5 km (7.8 mi) from Ikebukuro
Platforms	2 island platforms
Tracks	4
Connections	Bus terminal
Construction
Structure type	Embankment
Accessible	Yes
Other information
Status	Staffed
Station code	TJ-11, Y-01, F-01
History
Opened	1 February 1934; 90 years ago (1 February 1934)
Previous names	Niikura (to 1951); Yamato-machi (to 1970)
Passengers
FY2019	180,819 daily (Tōbu) 192,132 (Tokyo Metro)
Services
Preceding station Tobu Railway Following station Asakadai TJ13 towards Ogawamachi Tojo Line Rapid Express Ikebukuro TJ01 Terminus Asaka TJ12 towards Ogawamachi Tojo Line Express Semi Express Local Narimasu TJ10 towards Ikebukuro Preceding station Tokyo Metro Following station Asakadai TJ13 towards Ogawamachi F Liner Kotake-mukaihara F06 towards Motomachi-Chūkagai through to Tojo Line Yūrakuchō Line Chikatetsu-narimasu Y02 towards Shin-kiba Fukutoshin Line Express Kotake-mukaihara F06 towards Shibuya Fukutoshin Line Commuter Express Local Chikatetsu-narimasu F02 towards Shibuya
Location Wakōshi Station Location within Special wards of Tokyo Show map of Special wards of Tokyo Wakōshi Station Wakōshi Station (Saitama Prefecture) Show map of Saitama Prefecture Wakōshi Station Wakōshi Station (Japan) Show map of Japan

Lines

Wakōshi Station is served by the Tōbu Tōjō Line from Ikebukuro to Kawagoe and Ogawamachi in Saitama Prefecture. It also forms the northern terminus of the Tokyo Metro Yurakucho Line and Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin Line, with some trains continuing northward on the Tobu Tojo Line to Shiki and Kawagoeshi. Trains continuing onto the Tobu Tojo Line from Tokyo Metro lines all change drivers here: Tobu Railway drivers take over trains from Tokyo and Tokyo Metro drivers take over trains towards Tokyo. Located between Narimasu and Asaka stations, it is 12.5 km (7.8 mi) from the Ikebukuro terminus.^[1]

Station layout

The station consists of two island platforms serving four tracks. The two platforms, 2 and 3, used by Tokyo Metro services were equipped with chest-high platform edge doors in April 2012, with operation commencing in July 2012.^[2] Similar platform edge doors were installed on the Tōbu platforms, 1 and 4, in February 2016, and scheduled to be brought into operation from 26 March.^[3]

• 
  South entrance, October 2012
• 
  North entrance, October 2012
• 
  Ticket barriers, October 2012

Platforms

1	TJ Tōbu Tōjō Line	for Shiki, Kawagoe, Shinrinkōen, Ogawamachi, and Yorii (from Ikebukuro on the Tojo Line)
2	TJ Tōbu Tōjō Line	for Shiki, Kawagoe, and Shinrinkōen (from the Yurakucho Line & the Fukutoshin Line)
	Y Yūrakuchō Line	(terminating services)
	F Fukutoshin Line	(terminating services)
3	Y Yūrakuchō Line	for Kotake-mukaihara, Ikebukuro, Yūrakuchō, and Shin-Kiba
	F Fukutoshin Line	for Kotake-mukaihara, Ikebukuro, Shinjuku-sanchōme, and Shibuya  TY Tōkyū Tōyoko Line for Hiyoshi and Yokohama  SH Tōkyū Shin-Yokohama Line for Shin-Yokohama   via Sōtetsu Shin-Yokohama Line for Ebina and Shōnandai   Minatomirai Line for Motomachi-Chukagai
4	TJ Tobu Tojo Line	for Narimasu, Kami-Itabashi, and Ikebukuro

• 
  View from platforms 3/4, looking toward Ikebukuro, October 2012
• 
  Track layout of Wakoshi station

History

Niikura Station circa 1942

The station opened on February 1, 1934, as Niikura Station (にいくら駅) on the Tōjō Railway Line.^[4] Though originally written in hiragana, the station name was written in kanji (新倉駅) from July 21, 1934 onwards.^[4] On October 1, 1951, the station was renamed Yamato-machi Station (大和町駅).^[4] On December 20, 1970, it was renamed Wakōshi Station.

Fukutoshin Line services started on June 14, 2008.^[5]

From March 17, 2012, station numbering was introduced on the Tōbu Tōjō Line, with Wakōshi Station becoming "TJ-11".^[6]

View of the platforms before the addition of platform screen doors, July 2008

Chest-height platform edge doors were added to platforms 2 and 3 in April 2012, with operation commencing in July 2012.^[2]

Through-running to and from Yokohama and Motomachi-Chukagai via the Tokyu Toyoko Line and Minatomirai Line commenced on 16 March 2013.^[7]

Effective the timetable revision on 18 March 2023, through services onto the Sagami Railway commenced courtesy of the Tokyu and Sotetsu Shin-yokohama Line.^[8] Most southbound services routing through Hiyoshi on the Tokyu Shin-yokohama Line continue as far south as Ebina Station on the Sōtetsu Main Line or Shōnandai Station on the Sōtetsu Izumino Line.^[9]

Passenger statistics

In fiscal 2019, the Tōbu portion of the station was used by an average of 180,819 passengers daily.^[10] The Tokyo Metro portion of the station was used by an average of 192,132 passengers daily.^[11]

Surrounding area

• RIKEN
• Japan Ground Self-Defense Force Asaka Base
• Honda Technical Research Institute
• National Tax College
• National Route 254 (Kawagoekaidō avenue)
• Nihonium road (city road 113)

Bus services

The following long-distance express bus services operate from the south side of the station.

• Haneda Airport, operated by Airport Transport Service (Limousine Bus)^[12] and Seibu Bus^[13]
• Narita Airport, operated by Seibu Bus^[13]

See also

• List of railway stations in Japan

References

1. Terada, Hirokazu (July 2002). データブック日本の私鉄 [Databook: Japan's Private Railways]. Japan: Neko Publishing. p. 200. ISBN 4-87366-874-3.
2. 有楽町線：和光市駅に設置！ [Installation at Yurakucho Line Wakoshi Station] (PDF) (in Japanese). Japan: Tokyo Metro. 27 March 2012. Retrieved 15 April 2012.
3. 東上線和光市駅4番線ホームに可動式ホーム柵が設置される [Platform edge doors installed on platform 4 of Wakoshi Station on Tojo Line]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. 15 February 2016. Retrieved 16 February 2016.
4. 和光市駅 [Wakōshi Station information].
5. Tobu Tojo Line Timetable, published 7 June 2008
6. 「東武スカイツリーライン」誕生！ あわせて駅ナンバリングを導入し、よりわかりやすくご案内します [Tobu Sky Tree Line created! Station numbering to be introduced at same time] (pdf). Tobu News (in Japanese). Tobu Railway. 9 February 2012. Retrieved 21 March 2012.
7. Tobu Tojo Line Timetable, published March 2013
8. "～神奈川県央地域及び横浜市西部から東京・埼玉に至る広域的な鉄道ネットワークの形成～" [-Formation of a wide-area railway network from central Kanagawa Prefecture and western Yokohama to Tokyo and Saitama-] (PDF). tokyometro.jp. 27 January 2022. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 January 2022. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
9. "2023年3月18日（土）ダイヤ改正に係る各列車の時刻変更について" [March 18, 2023 (Saturday) Timetable change for each train due to timetable revision]. Tobu Railway. Archived from the original on 2023-03-14. Retrieved 2023-05-28. 羽沢横浜国大～新横浜～日吉駅間の開業に合わせ、東上線から日吉駅・新横浜駅を経由して海老名駅・湘南台駅までの直通運転を開始します。 [In conjunction with the opening of the Hazawa yokohama-kokudai - Shin-Yokohama - Hiyoshi line, we will start direct operation from the Tojo Line to Ebina Station and Shonandai Station via Hiyoshi Station and Shin-Yokohama Station.]
10. 駅情報（乗降人員） [Station information: Passenger figures] (in Japanese). Japan: Tobu Railway. 2021. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
11. 各駅の乗降人員ランキング [Passenger ranking at each station] (in Japanese). Japan: Tokyo Metro. 2021. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
12. 石神井公園駅・和光市駅⇔羽田空港 [Shakujiikoen/Wakoshi – Haneda Airport]. Airport Limousine (in Japanese). Japan: Airport Transport Service Co., Ltd. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
13. 西武　空港連絡バス [Seibu Airport Bus Links] (in Japanese). Japan: Seibu Bus Co., Ltd. Retrieved 23 November 2012.

External links

Media related to Wakōshi Station at Wikimedia Commons

• Tobu station information (in Japanese)
• Tokyo Metro station information (in Japanese)