Photo/Illutration A notice at JR Yotsuya Station in Tokyo on Feb. 13 explains East Japan Railway Co.’s revised fare table from this spring. (Takashi Ogawa)

Fourteen of 22 leading train operators, including many Japan Railways companies, plan to raise their starting fares by 10 yen (8 cents) to 20 yen for major conventional lines from spring.

Many said the price hikes are needed to cover the costs of installing platform edge doors and other safety measures at their stations.

But some will raise fares to make up for the drop in revenue resulting from declining passenger numbers during the novel coronavirus pandemic.

East Japan Railway Co. (JR East) will add 10 yen to the initial fare on 16 lines in the Tokyo metropolitan area, such as the Yamanote Line and Chuo Line, from March 18, when its revised timetable kicks off.

The hike will allow the company to increase the number of platforms with edge doors to 758, up from the original 660, according to JR East.

The company plans to spend about 300 billion yen gained through the fare hike by fiscal 2035 for installation and maintenance of the safety gates.

West Japan Railway Co. (JR West) will increase the initial fare by 10 yen on key rail services from April 1, also to install more safety devices.

JR West estimates the hike will bring in 32.3 billion yen of additional funds over five years from fiscal 2023.

From spring 2025, JR West plans to set up edge doors on platforms beyond the initial target. By fiscal 2032, the company hopes all of its targeted 211 train stations will have platform edge doors or warning systems that sound alarms when they detect someone has fallen on the railway tracks.

Railway companies are investing in safety through a system set up by the transportation ministry in 2021 to make train stations barrier-free.

Under the program, the government approves of fare increases if the extra revenue is used to improve safety and access for passengers.

Each fiscal year, railway operators are obliged to publish a report on how they used the additional funds they earned through fare hikes.

According to the transportation ministry, 11 of the 22 major railways will use the program, along with Yokohama Minatomirai Railway Co. and Osaka Metro Co.

Central Japan Railway Co. (JR Tokai) will raise its initial fare from April 2024 on conventional lines through the setup.

Other railway companies are set to hike fares to compensate for declines in revenue.

Tokyu Corp., citing a decrease in passenger numbers and higher spending on safety, will raise its starting fare by 10 yen in March.

The Tokyo-based company said its project to install platform edge doors at targeted stations has been completed.

Osaka-based Kintetsu Railway Co. will increase the fare by 20 yen from April.

The size of the hike for Shikoku Railway Co. (JR Shikoku) will be 20 yen from May.

“Sustaining our business in the long term would be extremely difficult under the existing fare table,” the company said.

(This article was written by Takashi Ogawa and Eishi Kado.)

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