Ōfunato Line
Kesennuma Station opened on 31 July 1929 on the Ōfunato Line. Passenger services on the Kesennuma Line began on 11 February 1957. The station was absorbed into the JR East network upon the privatization of the Japanese National Railways (JNR) on April 1, 1987. Since the March 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, the station has become the de facto terminal station of the Ōfunato Line, with services beyond the station replaced by a provisional bus rapid transit line. Services on the Kesennuma Line have also been suspended and replaced by a bus line.