JR East Unveils Faster Online Shinkansen Booking Service

Feb 20, 2026 | News On Japan

TOKYO - JR East announced today that it will launch a new service around autumn this year allowing passengers to reserve Shinkansen seats in as little as one minute.

The company’s current online reservation platform for Shinkansen and limited express trains, Ekinet, has drawn frequent calls for improvement. First-time users typically need around 20 minutes to complete the process from membership registration to finalizing a booking, prompting complaints about the time and complexity involved.

In response, the new Shinkansen reservation service, JRE GO, scheduled to begin around autumn, will not require membership registration and will enable seat reservations in as little as one minute.

Under the current system, when users search for a travel segment, only up to three trains are displayed. The new service will show all trains operating on the selected route, making it easier for passengers to quickly find their preferred departure.

Initially, the service will be limited to Shinkansen reservations, but JR East plans to expand it to include limited express trains by the end of fiscal 2027.

Source: TBS

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