Kyoto Station: lines, transfers, lockers and step-free routes

Which railways stop here

• JR Central lists the railways at Kyoto Station: JR West, Kintetsu and Kyoto City Transportation Bureau (subway). [1]
• Tokaido Shinkansen platforms: 11–12 for Nagoya and Tokyo, 13–14 for Shin-Osaka, Hiroshima and Hakata. [2]
• The Nara Line (for Tofukuji, Uji and Nara) leaves from platforms 8–10. [2]
• The Sagano Line (for Nijo, Saga-Arashiyama and Kameoka) leaves from platforms 31–33. [2]
• The Haruka limited express to Kansai Airport leaves from platforms 6, 7 or 30. [2]
• On JR Central's station map the Shinkansen platforms and the Shinkansen Central and Hachijo gates are on the south side; the JR Central Gate (中央口) is on the north (Karasuma) side; platforms 30–34 are at the west end; the subway (Karasuma Line) gates are at the east end, along the East underground passage. [3, map]
• On Kintetsu's station map the Kintetsu platforms and the Kintetsu gate are on the 2nd floor, next to the JR Shinkansen Central gate. [4, map]

Changing trains

• JR West's standard transfer time from the Shinkansen is 9 minutes to JR local lines and 10 minutes to Kintetsu or the subway. [2]
• Kintetsu: from its platforms to the JR Shinkansen Central gate takes about 4 minutes. [5]
• JR West's Hachijo East gate is open only 6:50–23:00; the Central, West and Underground East gates open from 4:35 to the last train. [6]

Tickets, rail passes and seat reservations

• JR West ticket office (Midori-no-madoguchi) 6:30–21:00; ticket machines 5:30–23:00. [6]
• JR Central Shinkansen ticket offices at the Central and Hachijo gates: 6:30–21:00. [1]
• Japan Rail Pass: exchanged at the JR West Central gate ticket office (foreign visitor counter, 8:00–20:00) and the JR Central Shinkansen Hachijo office (8:30–20:00). This list is dated March 2023, so check the hours. [7]

Lockers and luggage

• JR West has coin lockers at Kyoto Station (some may be limited to certain users depending on location). [6]
• The Kyoto Tourist Information Center ("Kyo Navi") sends bags to hotels in Kyoto Prefecture and Osaka City. [8]

Step-free routes and accessible toilets

• JR West lists step-free routes with elevators and escalators from the Central, West and Shinkansen Central transfer gates to every platform, for example platform 33 (Sagano Line). [9]
• Every JR gate can be reached without steps from both the Karasuma (north) and Hachijo (south) entrances, e.g. the Shinkansen Hachijo gate on 1F. [9]
• JR West has wheelchair-accessible toilets (with baby beds and ostomate facilities) both inside and outside the gates. [9]
• Kyo Navi lends wheelchairs free of charge for sightseeing in Kyoto (5,000 yen deposit, returned; 3 chairs, first come first served). [8]

Tourist information

• Kyoto Tourist Information Center "Kyo Navi": 2nd floor of the Kyoto Station Building, along the north–south free passage; open daily 8:30–19:00. [8]

Applies to

JR West (West Japan Railway Company), JR Central (Central Japan Railway Company), Kintetsu Railway (Kinki Nippon Railway), Kyoto Municipal Subway (Kyoto City Transportation Bureau)