Travel

JR East to Increase Discount on Off-Peak Commuter Passes

TOKYO, Mar 06 (News On Japan) - JR East has announced that starting October, the discount rate for off-peak commuter passes, which are approximately 10% cheaper when avoiding morning rush hours, will be increased to around 15%.

For example, the discount for a six-month commuter pass between Shinjuku and Yokohama will increase from the current 9,190 yen to 13,220 yen.

The background for this move is the stagnation in user growth. A year after its introduction, the number of users as of the end of January this year has remained at around 200,000, below initial expectations.

JR East aims to encourage the use of off-peak commuter passes to alleviate congestion, which in turn would lead to cost reductions, such as reducing the number of trains in operation.

Source: ANN

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