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The member companies of Japan Railways are constantly improving rail service for their millions of passengers by introducing new amenities on trains, increasing service, adding new facilities in stations and expanding information for travelers. In addition JR is always working to make the rail system responsive to the ecological and energy needs of a new century. Read below for some of the changes that may make your rail travel in Japan even more convenient and comfortable.
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Past News: April - June 2007
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| May 16, 2007 - JR EAST, JR CENTRAL AND JR WEST TO COOPERATE IN EXTENDING THE USE OF IC ‘SMART CARDS' |
At present three JR companies offer an IC ‘smart card’ for urban transit in their areas. These cards cover many kinds of local transit and allow rapid entrance and exit from train platform areas using electronic scanners at ticket gates. JR East sells the Suica card, JR Central the Toica card and JR West the Icoca card. Since August of 2004 the Suica and Icoca cards have been interchangeable for use, and as of March of 2008 all three cards will be made compatible. That means that if you buy a Suica card in Tokyo, you will be able to use it in the areas covered by the Toica card in Nagoya and the Icoca card in Osaka.
Both JR Central and JR West are expanding the areas where their cards can be used. JR West will add the urban areas of Okayama and Hiroshima to the existing Osaka after this summer, and JR Central will expand the Toica card to cover Shizuoka (city) in addition to the existing Nagoya area in March 2008.
The JR East Suica card already covers the greater Tokyo area as well as the urban areas of Niigata and Sendai. It is important to note that these cards are limited to local transit; they cannot be used for interurban trains such as the Shinkansen between Tokyo (JR East), Nagoya (JR Central) and Osaka (JR West). But once you arrive in your destination you will have the convenience of using a single IC card in any of these cities for sightseeing or business.
In addition to the plans described above, the three companies will also cooperate in extending the use of IC cards to the Tokaido Shinkansen and to the mobile phone reservation system. JR Central and JR West are issuing a new ‘Express IC Card’ aimed at members of their existing ‘Express Reservation’ group.
For example, utilizing this new system, a member can board a local train in Tokyo, using a JR East Suica Card to go to Tokyo Station. At Tokyo Station the member can use his/her Express IC Card to board the Shinkansen to Shin-Osaka. On arrival at Shin-Osaka the member can again use his/her Suica card to travel to any local spot in the city. The holder of two IC cards can thus travel smoothly point to point, long-distance, without buying any paper tickets. The traveler will have two options. The first will be to use two separate cards: an ‘Express IC Card’ and a Suica, Toica or Icoca Card. Or he/she can use the ‘Unified Service’ that allows use of a mobile phone IC service that combines the features of Toica with either an ‘Express IC Card’ or the ‘Express Reservation’ system.
JR East is also expanding its Mobile Suica system to include JR East Shinkansen ticketless reservations in a ‘Mobile Suica Express Ticket’ system. Members of the existing Mobile Suica system can join the ‘Express Reservation’ system and then proceed to use their cell phone to travel on both Shinkansen and local trains.
> See details (PDF:368KB)
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| May 15, 2007 - JR EAST: SPECIAL DISCOUNT ON “JR EAST PASS”: JULY 1 TO OCTOBER 1, 2007 |
East Japan Railway (JR East) will introduce its new discount Regional pass “JR East Pass Special Flexible 3-day” from 1 July at a price of ¥10,000 (for child ¥5,000).
The Tohoku (‘Northeast’) region is the large area encompassing the northern end of the main island of Honshu; part of this region is the Northern Tohoku consisting of the three prefectures of Akita, Aomori and Iwate. These three locales offer a wide range of tourist attractions: castles and samurai towns, festivals in all seasons, soothing hot springs, deep clear lakes and refreshing hikes in the mountains. And all within a few hours ride by Shinkansen ‘Bullet trains’ from Tokyo. From July through September this year, this area is promoting itself in a ‘Northern Tohoku Destination Campaign’ and in conjunction with this event East Japan Railway is offering foreign visitors a very economical limited-time discount ticket, the ‘JR EAST PASS SPECIAL,’ that will go on sale Sunday, 1 July 2007.
During this promotional period we wish to encourage travelers to enjoy the charms of the Northern Tohoku area. But the pass will also cover all JR East service including the metropolitan Tokyo area and many other locations in the Tohoku region and central Japan
such as Matsumoto, Nagano, Nikko and Sendai.
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| May 15, 2007 - JR EAST: OVERSEAS SALES NETWORK EXPANSION OF JR EAST PASS |
From 1 June, the JR EAST PASS and the seasonally limited JR East Pass Special which could previously only be purchased at a limited number of travel agencies will be available at more than 150,000 travel agencies and sales offices (equipped with major Global Distribution System [GDS] terminals) around the world, thereby greatly facilitating the purchase of the products for visitors to Japan.
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| May 9, 2007 - JR HOKKAIDO: DMV (DUAL MODE VEHICLE) SERVICE EXTENDED THROUGH THE SUMMER |
In August of last year we announced JR Hokkaido’s proposed testing of a DMV (Dual Mode Vehicle) to begin in April of this year. The testing of this unique ‘minibus’ that combines features of bus and train began on 14 April this year, and now, JR Hokkaido has announced extended plans for operating this vehicle through the summer. For a description of the DMV vehicle, the reasons for its development, and plans for future use please see JR Hokkaido’s introduction.
JR Hokkaido is trying out the DMV in a round-trip route between Hamakoshimizu and Mokoto on the northeast coast near Abashiri. This summer it will operate on the following dates: 1 July ~ 16 July on Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays*; 21 July ~ 19 August every day; and 25 August ~ 30 September on Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays*. The DMV departs Hamakoshimizu Station on those dates at 09:19, 12:09 and 14:56 carrying 16 passengers in the one-car vehicle. The price for adults is 1,500 yen and for children 1,000 yen. The trip takes 1 hour 10 minutes traveling from Hamakoshimizu to Mokoto as a train along the seaside Senmo Line (11 km) and then returning inland by meandering roads along scenic Lakes Mokoto and Tofutsu as a bus (21 km). Tickets for the DMV are available only in Japan from JR Hokkaido; because of the limited number of passengers per vehicle and the summer holiday period they may be difficult to obtain.
* Holidays are: July 16, 23 through 31; August 1 through 17; September 17 and 24.
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| Apr 30, 2007 - JR EAST: WORLD’S FIRST HYBRID RAILCAR IN COMMERCIAL USE FROM SUMMER 2007 |
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East Japan Railway (JR East) has been developing E200 hybrid railcars with a hybrid power system to reduce the burden on the environment, and has made various kinds of tests since May 2003.
As JR East measures the railcar performance and energy conservation effects by the tests, JR East produced three hybrid railcars. They will be started to the Koumi Line, between Kobuchizawa and Komoro, for commercial service from around the summer, 2007. |
[Comparison with existing system]
Existing system
- Engine sends power to motor through transmission which controls driving power.
Hybrid System
- Use motor as generator and store brake energy in condenser when braking.
- As in electric railcars, power from condenser and generator are transmitted to the motor through the energy control system.
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| Apr 12, 2007 - JR Bulletin Vol.57 Posted |
| Apr 01, 2007 -
JR EAST: SUICA CARD NOW COVERS NON-JR MASS TRANSIT IN THE TOKYO METROPOLITAN AREA |
East Japan Railway (JR East) Suica IC card now covers non-JR trains (subways and private railways) and many buses in the Tokyo metropolitan area. It also covers JR East lines in the Sendai and Niigata areas, as well as West Japan Railway (JR West) lines in the Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe areas. JR East has also begun sale of its new discount Suica & N’EX Ticket for foreign visitors arriving at Narita Airport. Suica is a ‘smart card’ that is easy to use: just touch it above a scanner to enter or exit platform areas in stations. It can also be used at thousands of shops carrying the Suica or PASMO logos. The price is ¥2,000 (¥1,500 credit and ¥500 deposit). Additional money can be added to the card at any time and the card has no limit to validity.
> See details (JR East page)
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