By SHINYA MATSUMOTO/ Staff Writer
January 25, 2023 at 08:00 JST
A train on the Yamanote loop line in central Tokyo (Provided by East Japan Railway Co.)
East Japan Railway Co. (JR East) will offer “off-peak commuter passes” from March 18 that come with a discount if users shun rides during weekday morning rush periods.
Off-peak pass users will have to pay separately for their rides during peak hours.
The passes will be about 10 percent cheaper than those currently available. Prices of regular commuter passes, in the meantime, will be raised by 1.4 percent.
The Tokyo-based railway operator said it hopes to ease congestion by providing the new passes and cut costs by reducing the number of personnel and rolling stock required to meet peak-hour demand.
JR East’s proposed revision to commuter pass fares was recently approved by the transport ministry.
The off-peak passes will be available along 16 route sections that mostly fall within the greater Tokyo area, including the Yamanote loop line in the capital, and cover 280 or so stations.
Off-peak fares will apply only to commuter passes on JR East’s “Suica” prepaid transportation IC cards. Those fares will not be available for commuter passes for students, those on magnetic cards and those on transportation IC cards other than the Suica.
Peak operating hours are defined differently for different stations.
They run, for example, from 7:30 a.m. through 9 a.m. at Tokyo, Shinjuku and Shinagawa stations, all in the capital; from 7 a.m. through 8:30 a.m. at Yokohama Station; from 6:35 a.m. through 8:05 a.m. at Chiba Station; and from 6:45 a.m. through 8:15 a.m. at Omiya Station in Saitama.
If an off-peak commuter pass user takes a ride during peak hours, the regular fare for the section traveled will be deducted from the balance of the user’s Suica card, in addition to the pass fare.
A monthly off-peak commuter pass will cost, for example, 17,760 yen ($135) for rides between Tokyo and Chiba stations, 2,220 yen cheaper than a regular pass; 13,030 yen for the Shinjuku-Tachikawa section, 1,610 yen cheaper; and 5,610 yen for the Shinagawa-Ueno section, 680 yen cheaper.
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