Bullet train reservations for large luggage

Aug 30, 2019 | News On Japan

Aug 30, 2019 (NHK) - Passengers on Shinkansen trains with large pieces of luggage will be encouraged to make reservations from May of next year. The change is part of the imposition of stricter security preceding the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.

Oversized baggage tickets will be issued for the Tokaido, Sanyo, and Kyushu Shinkansen lines. They apply to bags with length, height, and width totaling over 160 centimeters.

People planning to carry large bags can reserve a spot for them at the same time they buy passenger tickets at booking offices or online. The bags will be left at a storage area in the rear of the carriage or a lockbox on the deck.

Reservations for large bags will be free. But people carrying large luggage without a reservation will be charged an extra 1,000 yen, or about 10 dollars.

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