Odakyu Electric Railway Co., Ltd., a major private railway company, has decided to reduce the child fare for all sections from next spring to 50 yen for IC card payments in order to attract child-rearing households along the railway line.

According to the announcement, Odakyu Electric Railway will reduce the fare for children under the age of 12, which is currently set at half the fare for adults, to 50 yen if settled with an IC card from next spring.



The target is all sections. For example, in the case of the section between Shinjuku Station, which has the highest fare, and Odawara Station in Odawara City, Kanagawa Prefecture, the one-way fare of 445 yen is currently 50 yen.



According to the company's estimation, this reduction in the child fare is expected to reduce sales by about 250 million yen, but it is expected that the group's commercial facilities will attract child-rearing households along the railway lines and encourage opportunities to go out. By increasing sales, the company as a whole wants to make up for the decrease in fares.



According to the company, it is the first time for railways nationwide to continuously reduce child fares to less than half the adult fares.



Odakyu Electric Railway said, "The number of residents along the railway line is expected to decrease due to the declining population, so I hope that the younger generation will settle down along the railway line." Also, it means that they are considering reviewing the child fare.

Corona-damaged railroad price cuts are unusual

While the number of passengers has dropped significantly due to the impact of the new coronavirus, railway companies are seeking to raise their fares one after another.



Of these, Tokyu Corporation in the Tokyo metropolitan area and Kintetsu Railway in the Kansai area are considering raising the fare for regular trains, and JR East will charge 20% of the fare for green cars such as the Tohoku Shinkansen from next spring. We plan to raise the price by up to 30%.



In addition to the widespread use of telecommuting, the outlook for a recovery in demand, such as the status of infection in the future, is uncertain, and as the business environment of railway companies becomes more severe, it is unusual to take steps to reduce fares like Odakyu Electric Railway this time. ..