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).

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 from the Ikebukuro terminus.

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. 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.

Platforms

History

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

Fukutoshin Line services started on June 14, 2008.

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

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

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

Effective the timetable revision on 18 March 2023, through services onto the Sagami Railway commenced courtesy of the Tokyu and Sotetsu Shin-yokohama Line. 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.

Passenger statistics

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

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) and Seibu Bus
• Narita Airport, operated by Seibu Bus

See also

• List of railway stations in Japan

References

External links

Media related to Wakōshi Station at Wikimedia Commons

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