Karuizawa Station (軽井沢駅, Karuizawa-eki) is a railway station in the town of Karuizawa, Nagano, Japan, operated jointly by the JR Group company East Japan Railway Company (JR East) and the third-sector railway operator Shinano Railway.
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Karuizawa Station 軽井沢駅 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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![]() North side of Karuizawa Station | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
General information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Location | Karuizawa, Karuizawa-machi, Kitasaku-gun, Nagano-ken 389-0102 Japan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Coordinates | 36°20′33.18″N 138°38′6.22″E | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Elevation | 941 meters[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Platforms | 3 island platforms | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Connections | Bus stop | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Other information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Status | Staffed (Midori no Madoguchi ) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
History | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Opened | 1 December 1888 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Passengers | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
FY2015 | 2,889 daily (JR East) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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![]() ![]() Karuizawa Station Location within Nagano Prefecture Show map of Nagano Prefecture![]() ![]() Karuizawa Station Karuizawa Station (Japan) Show map of Japan |
Karuizawa Station is served by the JR East Hokuriku Shinkansen high-speed line from Tokyo to Kanazawa via Nagano. On the Shinkansen line, it is located 146.8 kilometers from Tokyo Station. It is also a terminal station for the 65.1 kilometer Shinano Railway Line which operates between Karuizawa and Nagano.
The JR portion of the station has two elevated island platforms, serving four tracks, with the station building underneath. The station has a Midori no Madoguchi staffed ticket office.[2] The Shinano Railway portion of the station has one ground-level island platform serving two tracks, connected to the JR East portion of the station by a footbridge.
1/2 | ■ Hokuriku Shinkansen | for Takasaki, Ōmiya, and Tokyo |
3/4 | ■ Hokuriku Shinkansen | for Nagano, Toyama, and Kanazawa |
1/2 | ■ Shinano Railway Line | for Komoro, Ueda, Shinonoi, and Nagano |
The station began service on December 1, 1888, as the terminal of the Japanese Government Railways between Naoetsu (near the Sea of Japan coast) and Karuizawa. The line was extended from Karuizawa to Yokokawa through the Usui Pass on April 1, 1893, completing the trunk line between Takasaki (connecting to a Nippon Railway line to Ueno Station in Tokyo) and Naoetsu, which was later named the Shinetsu Main Line. At Karuizawa, all trains were coupled with or separated from helper locomotives that were required for all trains to go through the Usui Pass section.
When the Japanese National Railways (JNR) were divided and privatized on April 1, 1987, Shinetsu Main Line became a part of the system of East Japan Railway Company (JR East). On October 1, 1997, JR East opened the Nagano Shinkansen with a stop at Karuizawa. At the same time, JR East ceased to operate the conventional Shinetsu Main Line between Yokokawa and Shinonoi, of which, the section between Yokokawa and Karuizawa (Usui Pass) was closed permanently and the remaining section was transferred to Shinano Railway. Since then, Karuizawa Station has been shared by JR East and Shinano Railway.
In fiscal 2015, the JR East portion of the station was used by an average of 2,889 passengers daily (boarding passengers only).[3]
Media related to Karuizawa Station at Wikimedia Commons
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Stations of the Shinano Railway Line and related lines | |
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Railway abandoned |
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Shinano Railway Line |
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Shinano Railway Kita-Shinano Line | |
ETR Myōkō Haneuma Line |
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See also: Hokuriku Shinkansen, Joetsu Shinkansen All stations are part of Shin'etsu Main Line prior to Oct 1 1997. bold: Shirayuki stops |