New Limited Express Train Destination to Ease Kyoto Station Congestion; Bringing Travelers Closer to Popular Spots

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:56 JST, December 28, 2024

As a measure to ease congestion caused by inbound tourists at Kyoto Station, all Limited Express Haruka trains, which run directly from Kansai Airport, will stop at Yamashina Station from fiscal 2029, according to West Japan Railway Co.

The company plans to position Yamashina Station, about 5.5 kilometers east of Kyoto Station, as the eastern gateway to Kyoto and use it as a detour to tourist destinations such as the Higashiyama and Gion districts.

The number of passengers on JR lines, excluding shinkansen bullet trains, at Kyoto Station was about 330,000 per day in fiscal 2023, recovering to 80% of the pre-pandemic level. When Haruka trains arrive and depart, the station is crowded with tourists carrying suitcases, making movement within the station difficult.

Sixty Haruka trains run each day, with 55 starting and ending at Kyoto Station and five connecting to Shiga Prefecture. Many foreign visitors get on and off at Kyoto Station, causing further congestion on the subway lines and buses.

Yamashina Station on the Tokaido Line is about a five-minute train ride from Kyoto Station. The number of passengers per day was about 65,000 in fiscal 2023, one-fifth of that of Kyoto Station. Tourists transferring to the subway can get to Sanjo Keihan Station, which is close to the Higashiyama and Gion districts, in about nine minutes.

The company said that getting from Yamashina Station to popular tourist spots such as Heian Jingu shrine and Yasaka Shrine is more convenient than lining up at the bus terminal in front of Kyoto Station. It will change the operation of Haruka trains to start and end at Yamashina Station in principle from fiscal 2029 and invest about \10 billion to renovate the tracks and build a new platform at Yamashina Station.