Utsunomiya Station

Utsunomiya Station (宇都宮駅) is a railway station in the city of Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture Japan, operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East). The station also is a freight depot for the Japan Freight Railway Company (JR Freight).

Utsunomiya Station East is the current terminus of the Utsunomiya Light Rail line located in front of the East Exit, while Tōbu-Utsunomiya Station is located 1.6 km west of this station.

Lines
Utsunomiya Station is served by the following JR East lines.
 * Tōhoku Shinkansen
 * Utsunomiya Line (Tōhoku Main Line)
 * Shōnan–Shinjuku Line (Direct service to Zushi and Shinjuku via the Utsunomiya Line from Utsunomiya to Ōmiya.)
 * Nikkō Line
 * Karasuyama Line (Limited direct service. Most trips require a transfer at Hōshakuji.)

Layout
The elevated Shinkansen platforms are designed to handle 16-car trains. Inbound and outbound trains have their own platform. An additional two through (passing) tracks (tracks 2 and 3) are located between the platforms.

The platforms for local trains are a combination of both island and individual platforms, designed to handle 15-car trains. A side track (often used for freight trains) is located between platforms 5 and 7.

LED information signboards are located on the 2nd-floor concourse both outside and within the ticket gates. Further LED signboards are located on each individual platform.

Platforms
Some Nikkō Line trains operate from platform 7. Some Utsunomiya Line trains operate from platform 5.

History

 * July 16, 1885: Station opens on what is now the Tōhoku Main Line.
 * June 1, 1890: Nikkō Line begins operation
 * June 23, 1982: Tōhoku Shinkansen begins operation
 * November 18, 2001: Introduction of Suica-enabled ticket gates.
 * October 12, 2003: Introduction of Suica-enabled ticket gates for Shinkansen passes.
 * January 29, 2008: Introduction of Suica-only ticket gates.
 * March 2019: Discontinued operating services bound for Takasaki Station via Shin-Maebashi Station on Ryomo Line, which last for 60 years since 1958.
 * August 26, 2023: Utsunomiya Light Rail started operation of the Utsunomiya Haga Light Rail Line and held an opening ceremony near Utsunomiya Station East.

Passenger statistics
In fiscal 2019, the station was used by an average of 37,374 passengers daily (boarding passengers only).

Utsunomiya Station East
Utsunomiya Station East (宇都宮駅東口) is the current terminus of the light rail line, located in front of the East Exit. The station is also called "Light Cube Utsunomiya-mae" (ライトキューブ宇都宮前) named after the nearby convention center Light Cube Utsunomiya.

Utsunomiya Station West
Utsunomiya Light Rail has an extension plan to overcross the JR conventional lines, undercross the elevated Tohoku Shinkansen line, open another station in front of the West Exit, Utsunomiya Station West, and extend the line to points further west.

Track 3
It is possible for passengers who have valid Japan Rail Pass to use following all bus routes operated by JR Bus Kanto for free.

Track 4
Track 4 has not been used since August 27, 2023.

Track 5
Buses bound for Fujimigaoka via Hanada and Utsunomiya Commercial high school or Takebayashi and FKD operated by Kanto Transportation depart from and arrive at this track.

Track 6
Buses bound for Otani Kaido Avenue via Babacho and Prefectural operated by Kanto Transportation depart from and arrive at this track.

Track 12

 * ［25］Suzumenomiya Jieitai・Ishibashi Station (Tochigi) via Ishibashi Highschool
 * ［36］Tsuruta Station via Rokudo tsuji・Nishi Kawada higashi
 * ［41］Tochigi Prefectural Driver License Center・Niregi Shako via Niregi Station
 * Free Shuttle Bus - Utsunomiya Velodrome

Track 13

 * ［34］Tsuruta Station via Yozei Dori
 * ［37］Tsuruta Station・Nishi-Kawada Station via Sakura Dori

Track 14
Former Toya Kotsu (Kanto Transportation)
 * Kazuhisa via Imaizumi 9 chome
 * Okamoto Station (Tochigi) via Ueno Danchi
 * Ujiie Station via Okamoto Station (Tochigi) and Hōshakuji Station
 * Bell Mall/Seppo-ji/Kameyama/Hashiba/Mooka Office via Mōka Station
 * Mashiko Station via Nanai Station and Togei Messe iriguchi ※There are partly services pass through Bell Mall
 * Kaisei Joshi Gakuin
 * Takebayahsi Jumonji/Hiraide Industrial Apartment Complex via Mine
 * Bell Mall

Track 15
Toya Kotsu (Kanto Transportation)
 * Okamoto Station (Tochigi) via Miyukigahara Motomachi

Track 16
Highway buses operated by Kanto Transportation depart from and arrive at this track.


 * Marronnier (For Narita International Airport) (Kanto Transportation・Chiba Kotsu)
 * Marronnier (For Haneda Airport) (Kanto Transportation・Airport Transport Service)
 * Tochinoki (For Universal Studios Japan via Kyōto Station・Ōsaka Station) (Kanto Transportation・Kintetsu Bus)
 * Night bus Nagoya Line (For Nagoya Station) (Fukushima Transportation・Meitetsu Bus)
 * Kita-Kanto Liner (For Mito Station via Akatsuka Station) (Kanto Transportation・Ibaraki Transportation)
 * School Bus - Sakushin Gakuin University

Track 38

 * [34] Utsunomiya City Circular-route Bus "Kibuna"