JR East will start selling off-peak commuter passes from March 18 next year, which will be cheaper if you avoid the morning rush hour.
JR East's "off-peak commuter pass" is cheaper than a regular commuter pass in exchange for not being available during the 1.5 hour period during the morning rush hour in order to alleviate congestion on the train.
On the 27th, the country approved the application from JR East with a deadline until the end of March 2026.
Only the commuter pass will be sold, and the price will be reduced by about 10% from the current commuter pass.
Also, from March 18, regular commuter passes will be raised by about 1.4% compared to current commuter passes.
For both commuter passes, a separate fee is added to promote barrier-free facilities such as station premises.
Specifically, the three-month commuter pass between Chiba Station and Tokyo Station on the Sobu Rapid Line is 56,300 yen for off-peak commuter passes and 56,940 yen for regular commuter passes.
A three-month commuter pass between Ueno Station and Shinagawa Station on the Yamanote Line costs 16,000 yen for off-peak hours and 17,920 yen for normal.
The peak time zone is set according to the entrance time for each station. For example, Omiya Station is from 6:45 am to 8:15 am, Tokyo Station, Shinjuku Station, and Shinagawa Station is from 7:30 am to 9:00 am. increase.
At the interview, JR East Vice President Totaro Ichikawa said, "We will use various media to raise awareness and provide explanations to economic organizations and companies. By reducing congestion, even those who can only use it during peak hours will be able to commute easily. I think we will be able to do it," he said.
279 stations on 16 lines eligible for “off-peak commuter pass”
JR East's "off-peak commuter pass" covers 279 stations on 16 lines such as the Yamanote Line, Keihin Tohoku Line, and Chuo Line that pass through some stations in Tokyo, Saitama, Chiba, Kanagawa, and Ibaraki.
The time period in which it cannot be used is 1.5 hours during the morning rush hour on weekdays, and varies depending on the station.
The "off-peak commuter pass" will be reduced by about 10% from the current price, while the normal commuter pass will be raised by about 1.4%.
On the other hand, "off-peak commuter pass" will not be introduced for commuter pass.
We will take a look at the main route to see when it can be used and how much the price will be reduced.
Example 1: Omiya to Shinjuku
For example, if you commute from Omiya Station in Saitama Prefecture to Shinjuku Station in Tokyo, the current commuter pass is 67,980 yen for six months.
From March 18, next year, the regular commuter pass will be raised to 70,350 yen.
On the contrary, the "off-peak commuter pass" has been reduced in price from now to 62,600 yen.
Omiya Station's peak time on weekday mornings is one and a half hours from 6:45 am to 8:15 am. .
On the other hand, if you enter the ticket gate during peak hours, you will not be able to use it, and in this case, the revised normal fare of 483 yen between Omiya and Shinjuku will be deducted from your IC card.
Example 2: Tachikawa - Shinjuku Yokohama - Tokyo
Between Tokyo Tachikawa Station and Shinjuku Station, and between Yokohama Station and Tokyo Station, the fare setting is the same as between Omiya and Shinjuku Station, but the settings are different during peak hours on weekday mornings.
Tachikawa Station and Omiya Station have peak hours from 6:45 am to 8:15 am,
while
Yokohama Station has peak hours from 7:00 am to 8:30 am. .
Example 3: Chiba to Tokyo
In addition, the commuter pass between Chiba Station and Tokyo Station is currently 93,270 yen for six months.
The normal commuter pass after the price increase will be 95,990 yen, and the "off-peak commuter pass" will be 85,360 yen.
The peak time for Chiba station on weekday mornings is between 6:35 am and 8:05 am, an hour and a half.
If you enter the ticket gate during peak hours when the "off-peak commuter pass" cannot be used, the revised normal fare between Chiba and Tokyo, 659 yen, will be deducted from your IC card.