Fukakusa Station (深草駅)
Fukakusa Station, located in Fukakusa-kenasa-cho, Fushimi Ward, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture, is a stop on the Keihan Main Line, which is operated by Keihan Electric Railway.
Station layout
It is an over-track station provided with siding facilities and two island platforms serving four tracks. The over-track station house is located on the Demachiyanagi side of the platforms. Only one ticket gate is provided, with an entrance/exit on the east side and on the west side of the station, respectively.
The pillars of the roof of this station are painted dark green, corresponding to 'Fukakusa (thick grass).'
In the past, Fukakusa-shako Depot existed beside the station; however, its use was discontinued after Yodo-shako Depot was constructed in March 1980. The former depot site, located on the west side of this station, remained vacant for some time, but recently a condominium was built there. When the use of the depot on the eastern side was discontinued, two extra sidetracks for keeping trains remained; however, one of them was later removed in order to expand the platform widths, so that only one extra sidetrack remains.
Platforms
The effective length of each platform is sufficient to accommodate a seven-car train, but with the effective lengths of the tracks being those for eight-car trains, deadhead trains of eight cars can stop at this station. The length of the extra sidetrack for keeping trains is equal to that of an eight-car train.
Features
A melody is used to indicate a train's departure.
As mentioned in regard to the station layout, a depot was once provided beside the station. Perhaps being a vestige of the era, the destination-displaying cloths include the sign of 'For Fukakusa,' which is no longer used. Trains up to Fukakusa Station were operated until the Oto Line started its operation.
Most of the local trains in the morning and evening rush hours wait on the side tracks in order to allow the K-limited express trains, limited express trains and express trains to run through the station. Accordingly, one can't change from a local train to a faster one here, and therefore some seasonal ticket users get off a local train here, run to the nearest Fushimi-inari Station and take an express train in order to reach areas in the direction of Sanjo more quickly. This is because two faster trains--a limited express train and an express train--usually run through this station while a local train waits here, making the waiting time significantly long (before September 2003, local trains had to wait even in the daytime).
Eight-car trains can wait on the sidetracks (tracks 1 and 4), but the effective lengths of the platforms are only sufficient for seven-car trains. The platforms can't be extended to accommodate eight-car trains because, with the lengths of the platforms being limited, some spaces on them whose length corresponds to that of a train car were used in constructing the stairs between each platform and the over-track station house, and an overpass of the Nakayama-Inari Line of Kyoto Prefectural Route 201 exists on the south side of the platforms. Of the stations on the Keihan Main Line in Kyoto City, Tofukuji Station and Fushimi-momoyama Station have a similar problem, with a crossing placed at each end of the platforms of those stations, but without large-scale construction it would be impossible to enable Chushojima Station and the stations located further north, where only semi-express trains and local trains stop, to support eight-car trains.
Station surroundings
A space for bicycle parking and a toll parking lot are located in front of the west entrance to the station.
Several eating and/or drinking establishments are located in front of the station's east entrance.
Ryukoku University Fukakusa Campus
Inari Station (on the Nara Line of the West Japan Railway Company (JR West)) is an approximately three-minute walk in the north-northeast direction from this station.
Kyoto Municipal Sunagawa Elementary School
Kyoto Prefectural Police School
Ritsumeikan Junior & Senior High School
The Fushimi branch of the Kyoto District Legal Affairs Bureau
The Fukakusa bus stop is located about a kilometer from this station but is nearest to Fujinomori Station.
Bus stops
No route bus service is available at Keihan Fukakusa Station.
The nearest bus stop: Ryukoku-daigaku-mae (in front of Ryukoku University) for route buses by the Kyoto Municipal Transportation Bureau
Ryukoku-daigaku-mae (in front of Ryukoku University)
This bus stop is not located in front of this station but is instead situated along Shidan-kaido Road, a five-minute walk from the station.
Kyoto City bus
Route South 5: Bound for the Takeda-eki-higashiguchi (the east entrance to Takeda Station (Kyoto Prefecture)/for Kyoto Station
History
April 15, 1910: It began operating as Inari Station.
December 16, 1910: Its name was changed to Fukakusa Station.
October 1, 1943: The companies concerned merged, and this station became a facility of Keihanshin Express Electric Railway (Hankyu Corporation).
December 1, 1949: Due to a separation of the company, this station became a facility of Keihan Electric Railway.
March 15, 1964: The station was relocated to its present site.
The former station was placed slightly on the Demachiyanagi side. The site remains vacant today.
August 15, 1971: The work of constructing the over-track station house was completed.
March 17, 1980: The operation of Fukakusa-shako Depot was discontinued.
February, 1988: The widths of the platforms and stairs were expanded by a meter. To secure the land area for the expansion above, one of the two extra sidetracks for keeping trains was removed.
Adjacent stations
Keihan Electric Railway
Keihan Main Line
K-Limited Express/Limited Express/Express
Nonstop
Sub-express/Local
Fujinomori Station - Fukakusa Station - Fushimi-inari Station