East Japan Railway (JR East) will raise its standard fares as early as March 2026 to secure funds for capital investment, at a time when riders are decreasing due to a shrinking population.
Prices of commuter and student passes are also expected to go up in the first full-fledged fare hike by the railroad operator since its creation through the Japanese National Railways' privatization in 1987, it was learned on Wednesday.
According to people familiar with the matter, the Yamanote Line's base fare will be raised from ¥150 to ¥160.
JR East plans to file its fare hike application with the transport ministry in the near future. The company will be able to carry out the markup upon approval by the Transport Council.
Among JR Group companies, Hokkaido Railway and Kyushu Railway are scheduled to increase their standard fares by 8% and 15% on average, respectively, in April next year.
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