noun
station; railway station; train station
The standard word for any train station, and by extension bus stations or other transit stops.
東京駅で降りてください。
Please get off at Tokyo Station.
駅の近くにコンビニがあります。
There is a convenience store near the station.
noun
staging post; post station
Historical term for a relay station or post town along old highways, such as the Tōkaidō, where travelers and horses could rest.
東海道五十三次の宿場は、かつて「駅」とも呼ばれた。
The post towns of the Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō were once also called 'eki'.
counter
counter for stations
Used to count the number of stations, e.g., how many stops away something is.
ここから三駅先で降ります。
I'll get off three stations from here.
Originally referred to a relay station or post town along highways in pre-modern Japan. With the introduction of railways, the meaning shifted to 'train station' and became the standard modern term.