Photo/Illutration The Suica IC card (Provided by East Japan Railway Co.)

Riders who swipe their Suica commuter pass through East Japan Railway Co. (JR East) ticket gates will be able to earn points for taking the train in off-peak hours.

The point service awarding passengers for staggering their commutes will start March 15.

Commuters who use the train on weekdays during hours when the train is not packed will earn JRE Points, which can be used to recharge their IC cards or shop at participating stores.

JR East hopes that its employees and trains can be deployed more efficiently by having passengers stagger their commutes.

According to JR East officials, every station on the company’s network will have a specific peak 90-minute period designated for it.

Commuters who use the train from their station either up to an hour earlier or later than the peak period will receive from between 15 to 20 points for their trip. The service will be in place on local train lines in the greater Tokyo metropolitan area until March 31, 2022.

JR East will begin another program starting March 1 that would constitute an electronic form of a ticket book. Train passengers who ride 10 times in a month on the same route and pay the same fare will receive enough points so that their next ride of that distance is free. It serves like a book of 11 train tickets purchased for the price of 10.

This new service is designed for employees working from home who no longer receive payments from their company for commuter passes and instead are only reimbursed the amount they actually spend on train trips to the office. All rides from the 11th trip onward within the one-month period will earn the passenger 10 percent of the fare in the form of JRE Points, with each point equivalent to one yen.

Commuters must first register their Suica card over the internet to receive the points. Those using the off-peak service must also apply through a special page on the JR East website.

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