Japan’s JR East to raise train fares for first time since 1987

Fares will increase by an average of 7.1 per cent in a bid to boost company revenues. Read more at straitstimes.com.

TOKYO - Fares on train lines operated by East Japan Railway Co (JR East) will increase by an average of 7.1 per cent on March 14 in a bid to boost company revenues.

The move is the first time for JR East to raise fares solely for revenue purposes since the company was established in 1987, when the company was formed after the privatisation of the former Japanese National Railways.

Previous fare hikes were introduced to accommodate the introduction of consumption tax and to help improve accessibility at stations.

The revised fares will be implemented on all areas that JR East serves.

Regular fares will increase by 7.8 per cent, while normal commuter passes will go up 12 per cent. Rates for students will see a 4.9 per cent hike, but some student commuter passes will remain unchanged in some regional areas to relieve the burden on households.

For paper tickets, base fares will rise by 10 yen from the current 150 yen. The largest fare increases will be on routes in the Tokyo metropolitan area, with the Tokyo-Shinjuku route rising from 210 yen to 260 yen.