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Ōsaka Station 大阪駅 | |||||
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Ōsaka Station in 2015 | |||||
General information | |||||
Location | 1-1 Umeda Sanchōme,Kita Ward,Osaka City Osaka Prefecture Japan | ||||
Coordinates | 34°42′09″N135°29′46″E / 34.70250°N 135.49611°E /34.70250; 135.49611 | ||||
Operated by | ![]() | ||||
Line(s) | |||||
Platforms | 7island platforms and 1side platform | ||||
Tracks | 15 | ||||
Connections |
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Construction | |||||
Structure type |
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Other information | |||||
Station code |
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History | |||||
Opened | 11 May 1874; 150 years ago (1874-05-11) | ||||
Passengers | |||||
FY 2023 | 734,838 daily[1] | ||||
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Ōsaka Station (大阪駅,Ōsaka-eki) is a major railway station in theUmeda district ofKita-ku, Osaka, Japan, operated byWest Japan Railway Company (JR West). It forms as one of the city's main railway terminals to the north, the other beingShin-Ōsaka.
Although it is officially served by only the JR Kobe/Kyoto Lines (Tōkaidō Main Line) and theOsaka Loop Line, Ōsaka is the starting point ofJR Takarazuka Line service, and serves as the terminal for trains bound for theSan'in region viaJR Takarazuka Line and theHokuriku region via JR Kyoto Line, while offering connections to trains bound forNara,Wakayama andKansai International Airport via theOsaka Loop Line.
Umeda Station (Hankyu,Hanshin, andOsaka MetroMidosuji Line),Nishi-Umeda Station (Subway Yotsubashi Line) andHigashi-Umeda Station (Subway Tanimachi Line) are directly connected to Ōsaka Station, andKitashinchi Station on theJR Tozai Line is within walking distance.
Ōsaka Station and Umeda Station, effectively part of the same complex, together constitute the busiest station in Western Japan, serving 2,343,727 passengers daily in 2005, and thefourth-busiest railway station in the world.[2]
Ōsaka Station also houses a large terminal for overnight bus services to other cities in Japan, and until March 2013 also had a nearby freight terminal complex, Umeda Freight Terminal, owned byJR Freight.
Ōsaka station is elevated above street level, on the second floor of the station complex. There are four concourses, corresponding to four sets of ticket gates: the Midosuji gates, serving as a transfer point toHankyu andSubwayUmeda Station andHigashi-Umeda Station; the Central gates, with access to Daimaru, Lucua, Yodobashi Camera, Umeda Sky Building, Grand Front and transfers toHanshin Umeda and JRKitashinchi Station; the Sakurabashi gates, with access to Ōsaka Garden City and transfers to SubwayNishi-Umeda Station, city bus, hotel shuttle buses and taxi; and the Bridge Gates, with direct access into Daimaru and Lucua, as well as a bridge passage to Hankyu Umeda. The Midosuji concourse is on the lower level, with escalators and elevators leading directly to platforms; the Central concourse has both direct escalators and a mezzanine-level transfer passage connected by stairs; the Sakurabashi concourse has gates on ground level but is primarily on the mezzanine level, connected to the central concourse by a corridor; and the Bridge Gate is on the third level above the platforms, and connected by escalators and elevators. An additional concourse is planned for the west side of the station, which will link the elevated platforms with the under-construction underground platforms to the northwest of the main station.
Platforms and tracks are on the second floor. There were previously six island platforms and oneside platform serving 13 tracks; the highest-numbered track was Track 11, as theOsaka Loop Line tracks were referred to as "Inner Loop" and "Outer Loop" only. In preparation for the construction of the new north building, the sixth platform was closed and the seventh was removed altogether; at the same time, the remaining platforms were renumbered so that Tracks 1 and 2 were for the Ōsaka Loop Line, and so on. The sixth platform reopened on 20 December 2009 and there became five island platforms and a side platform serving 11 tracks in total (up to the new Track 11—the old Track 9). The remainder of the old Track 11 platform, on the west side of the station, was used as a pedestrian walkway linking the North Gate Building with its parking garage until 2020, when it was removed to facilitate construction of a new West Gate Building. There was originally a through track in between tracks 8 and 9, but it had been long disused; during the closure of Track 11, the platform for Tracks 9 and 10 was expanded and this track was used temporarily as Track 9. Since 12 October 2010, this track has been used permanently as Track 8 after the widening of the adjoining platform.
An additional four tracks are located under the northwest side of the station complex, via relocated undergroundJR Freight tracks (Umeda branch line) originally used forUmeda Freight Station. Opened for passenger service on 18 March 2023, these tracks serve as the western terminus of the Osaka Higashi Line, withsingle track connection for continuing Umeda branch freight service as well asHaruka andKuroshio limited express services.[3] There is also a stub tunnel west of the platforms, for planned connection to theNaniwasuji Line.
1 | ■ Osaka Loop Line | inner track (counter-clockwise) forNishikujō,Bentenchō,Shin-Imamiya andTennōji |
■ JR Yumesaki Line | forUniversal City andSakurajima | |
■ Yamatoji Line | for Tennōji,Ōji andNara | |
■ Hanwa Line | for Tennōji andWakayama | |
■ Kansai Airport Line | for Tennōji andKansai Airport | |
2 | ■ Osaka Loop Line | outer track (clockwise) forKyōbashi,Tsuruhashi and Tennoji |
3 | ■ JR Takarazuka Line Fukuchiyama Line | forTakarazuka,Sanda,Sasayamaguchi andFukuchiyama |
■ limited express "Kounotori" | for Fukuchiyama,Toyooka andKinosaki Onsen | |
■ limited express "Super Hakuto" | forTottori andKurayoshi | |
■ JR Kobe Line | rapid services (weekday mornings) and special rapid services (weekday rush hours) forSannomiya,Nishi-Akashi andHimeji | |
4 | ■ JR Takarazuka Line Fukuchiyama Line | for Takarazuka, Sanda, Sasayamaguchi and Fukuchiyama |
■ limited express "Kounotori" | for Fukuchiyama, Toyooka and Kinosaki Onsen | |
■ JR Kobe Line | special rapid services for Sannomiya, Akashi and Himeji (weekday rush hours) | |
■ limited express "Hamakaze" | for Toyooka, Kinosaki Onsen,Hamasaka and Tottori | |
5 | ■ JR Kobe Line | rapid services and special rapid services for Sannomiya, Nishi-Akashi and Himeji |
6 | ■ JR Kobe Line | local trains forTachibana andKōshienguchi |
■ JR Takarazuka Line | from the JR Kyoto Line (local trains) forTsukaguchi andInadera | |
7 | ■ JR Kyoto Line | local trains forShin-Ōsaka andSuita |
8 | ■ JR Kyoto Line | rapid services and special rapid services for Shin-Ōsaka,Takatsuki,Kyoto andMaibara |
9, 10 | ■ JR Kyoto Line | rapid services (weekday mornings) and special rapid services (weekday rush hours) for Shin-Ōsaka, Takatsuki, Kyoto and Maibara |
10 | ■ Commuter limited express "Biwako Express" | for Maibara |
11 | ■ limited express "Thunderbird" | forTsuruga |
■ limited express "Hida" | forGifu andTakayama | |
■ Sleeper limited express "Sunrise Izumo" "Sunrise Seto" | forTokyo |
21 | ■ limited express "Haruka", "Kuroshio" | forKansai Airport,Wakayama,Shirahama andShingu |
22, 23 | ■ Osaka Higashi Line | forShin-Ōsaka,Hanaten andKyūhōji |
24 | ■ limited express "Haruka", "Kuroshio" | forShin-Ōsaka andKyoto |
for theSanyo Line
for theKansai Airport Line via theOsaka Loop Line and theHanwa Line
for theKisei Main Line via theOsaka Loop Line and theHanwa Line
« | Service | » | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Tokaido Line (JR Kyoto Line, JR Kobe Line) | ||||
ShizuokaCA17 | Sleeper Limited ExpressSunrise Seto & Sleeper Limited ExpressSunrise Izumo (eastbound) | Sannomiya (JR-A61) | ||
Terminus | Commuter Limited ExpressRakuraku Harima & Limited ExpressHamakaze | Sannomiya (JR-A61) | ||
Shin-Osaka (JR-A46) | West Express Ginga (San'yo and San'in Routes) | Sannomiya (JR-A61) | ||
Shin-Ōsaka (JR-A46) | Limited ExpressSuper Hakuto | Sannomiya (JR-A61) | ||
Shin-Ōsaka (JR-A46) | Limited ExpressThunderbird, Limited ExpressHida andBiwako Express | Terminus | ||
Shin-Ōsaka (JR-A46) | Special Rapid Service | Amagasaki (JR-A49) | ||
Shin-Ōsaka (JR-A46) | Rapid Service(including terminating JR Takarazuka Line trains) | Amagasaki (JR-A49) | ||
Shin-Ōsaka (JR-A46) | Local (Including through to and from the JR Takarazuka Line) | Tsukamoto (JR-A48) | ||
Through to and from the Fukuchiyama Line (JR Takarazuka Line) | ||||
Shin-Ōsaka (JR-A46) | Limited ExpressKounotori | Amagasaki (JR-G49) | ||
Terminus | Tambaji Rapid Service | Amagasaki (JR-G49) | ||
Terminus | Rapid Service | Amagasaki (JR-G49) | ||
Terminus | Regional Rapid Service | Amagasaki (JR-G49) | ||
Terminus | Local trains originating from and terminating at Osaka | Amagasaki (JR-G49) | ||
Osaka Loop Line | ||||
Shin-Osaka (JR-A46) | West Express Ginga (Kisei Route) | Tennoji (JR-R20) | ||
Shin-Osaka (JR-A46) | Kansai Airport Limited ExpressHaruka | Tennoji (JR-R20) | ||
Shin-Osaka (JR-A46) | Limited ExpressKuroshio | Nishikujō (JR-O14) Tennoji (JR-R20) | ||
Temma (JR-O10) | All services | Fukushima (JR-O12) | ||
Osaka Higashi Line | ||||
Shin-Osaka (JR-F02) | Direct Rapid Service | Terminus | ||
Shin-Osaka (JR-F02) | Local | Terminus |
Osaka Station opened on 11 May 1874, as one of the first railway stations in theKansai region when the railway between Osaka andKobe started operation. It was electrified along with theTōkaidō Main Line in 1934.
The existence of the station naturally made the area the primary transport hub of the city. Railways that set Ōsaka Station as the terminal or built their terminal around Osaka Station include Osaka Railway (present-day east half of theOsaka Loop Line) in 1895, Nishinari Railway (west half of the Osaka Loop Line) in 1898, Hanshin Electric Railway in 1906, Minoo Arima Electric Tramway (Hankyu Railway) in 1910, andOsaka Municipal Subway in 1933. The regional railways tended to name their stationsUmeda, the name of the area, rather than the city name.
Theair raids inWorld War II flattened the blocks in front of the station. Immediately after the war, the area turned into a hugeblack market, the atmosphere of which remained until redevelopment in the 1970s.
The station building was rebuilt in 1901, 1940, and 1979 (north building). In 1983, ahigh-rise building, Acty Osaka, which housed a department store and a hotel, was added to the south of the station.
A new north station building (the North Gate Building) was opened in 2011, coinciding with an expansion of Acty Osaka (now the South Gate Building) and major renovation of the station areas with a new concourse and north–south connection. This is the first step in a larger drive to redevelop the land used byJR Freight's Umeda Terminal, which is seen as the last undeveloped piece of real estate in the area. Plans also call for moving the Umeda Freight Line underground and establishing a terminal for theOsaka Higashi Line just north of ALBi, with an eye towards a future extension toJR Namba Station (thus alleviating delays on the Osaka Loop Line caused by Limited Express trains). The relocation of the former Umeda Freight line (and related redevelopments) ultimately became part of theNaniwasuji Line project in 2019.[4]
Station numbering was introduced in March 2018 with the Tokaido Line platforms being assigned station number JR-A47, the Fukuchiyama Line platforms being assigned station number JR-G48, and the Osaka Loop Line platforms being assigned station number JR-O11.[5][6]
The new underground facilities at Osaka Station (nicknamedUme-kita during planning and construction) opened for service from the start of the revised timetable on 18 March 2023.[7] In preparation for the opening, all limited express trains running on the Umeda Freight Line were re-routed through the new underground tracks in February 2023.[8]
A new line called the Naniwasuji Line is planned to be opened by 2031 and will route trains under the Naniwasuji corridor toJR Namba Station and further south.[4] To prepare for the opening of the line, an additional two underground platforms serving four tracks opened for service on the northwest side of the station on 18 March 2023.[9] The next phase of the Naniwasuji Line is to construct the underground tracks south to JR Namba Station and the Nankai Main Line.