East Japan Railway Co. and East Japan Kiosk Co., a subsidiary owned 90 percent by the railway, said Friday they will stop selling alcoholic drinks at kiosks on the platforms of 24 stations in central Tokyo from today.
The decision comes in the wake of last month's accident in which three people were killed by a train at Shin-Okubo Station on the Yamanote Line. The tragedy occurred after one of the victims, who was drunk, fell onto the tracks and two men tried to help him.
Alcoholic beverages will not be available at all platforms of the Yamanote Line, express train platforms of the Chuo Line between Tokyo and Shinjuku stations and local train platforms of the Sobu Line between Akihabara and Shinjuku stations, which all presumably have few long-distance passengers, the companies said.
They have not decided whether they will resume sales in the future, officials added.
The 67 shops at 24 stations generate sales of about 270 million yen annually, according to East Japan Kiosk. The firm's total annual sales from alcoholic beverages came to some 10 billion yen across eastern Japan.
East Japan Kiosk, however, said it will continue to sell alcoholic drinks at kiosks that are not on platforms, either those within station compounds or outside ticket gates, given the strong demand from passengers.