TOKYO: Japan’s limited express ticket fares between Tokyo and Hakata for Nozomi trains on the Tokaido Shinkansen line and Mizuho trains on the Sanyo Shinkansen line will be raised starting in July 2027.
Central Japan Railway and West Japan Railway announced plans for the increase on Friday (Oct 16).
With this move, the fare for Nozomi trains from Tokyo to Shin-Osaka, for instance, will increase by ¥700 (S$5).
A move to increase fares has been spreading among JR companies to secure the funds to manage ageing Shinkansen line infrastructure, with the oldest sections of the nationwide network having been built in the 1960s.
The Nozomi, the fastest train connecting Tokyo and Hakata stations, entered service in March 1992. The Mizuho connects Shin-Osaka and Kagoshima-Chuo stations.
The fare increase on the Tokaido Shinkansen section will be its first since the Nozomi was introduced, excluding periods when the consumption tax was raised. The Sanyo Shinkansen section will have its first increase since 2023.
With the increase, the fare between Tokyo and Nagoya will be raised by ¥580 to ¥11,880, and the fare between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka will rise by ¥700 to ¥15,420.
Just as with basic fare ticket fares, there are upper limits on limited express ticket fares for Nozomi, and any increase exceeding the cap requires government approval.
Since the upcoming increase is within the cap, the firm only needs to report to the authorities about the raise.
However, since the fares will be brought to the upper limit with the upcoming increase, any further raises will require government approval.
Green Car (first-class) ticket prices, adjustment of which only requires reporting to the authorities, will also be raised for trips beginning Dec 15, 2027.
The fare between Tokyo and Nagoya will increase by ¥3,090 to ¥18,050, and that between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka will rise by ¥3,700 to ¥23,290.
The revenue from these increases will be used to expand free Wi-Fi services and improve seating comfort.
Waiting rooms for Green Car passengers and users of private compartments — which began to be offered earlier in October — will also be installed inside ticket gates at major stations where Nozomi trains stop. - The Japan News/ANN
