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The operators of Nozomi bullet train services connecting Tokyo and Hakata in southwestern Japan are considering reducing the number of nonreserved seats from next spring, sources close to the matter said Thursday.
The move comes as the growing use of online reservation systems has increased demand for reserved seats for the super-express services linking Tokyo with major western Japanese cities including Osaka and Kyoto.
Central Japan Railway Co and West Japan Railway Co are considering cutting 85 of the 250 nonreserved seats currently allocated to three train cars by making one of them solely for reserved seats, the sources said.
Currently, Nozomi bullet trains operate with 16 cars, accommodating around 1,320 passengers. The fare for nonreserved seats for the service linking Tokyo and Shin-Osaka stations is set at 13,870 yen, 850 yen cheaper than reserved seats.
"We are studying how to offer optimal seating arrangements based on how reserved seats are used," said an official of JR Central.
The Nozomi bullet trains launched operations in 1992 with all reserved seats, but started offering nonreserved seats from October 2003.
Since the year-end and New Year holiday period of fiscal 2023, the trains have operated with all reserved seats during the busy seasons of the year, while allocating three cars for nonreserved passengers except for such periods.
© KYODO
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factchecker
Tightwads.
Newgirlintown
Anyone noticed how they’ve also changed the seishun juuhachi kippu so that it’s now totally impractical. Come on JR, you can do better.
diagonalslip
NewgirlintownToday 07:21 am JST
indeed....
diagonalslip
the 'fast' train to Tokyo from out here on the Sotobo, formerly mostly non-reserved cars, recently became reservation-only (and fewer trains). you don't have to book on ekinet but, for busy times, advisable. it also allows you a whopping Y100 discount, though you can opt out of this ( ・◇・)？
a trend on JR East as other businesses.... more hype, less customer convenience.
kohakuebisu
Can you stand on an all reserved train? It's been so long I can't remember.
The trains are for transporting as many people as need them, not for providing a certain number of people with a certain experience.
divinda
The demand for more Nozomi reserved seats is probably from a few factors.
For one, way fewer foreign tourists now get a Rail Pass since they jacked up the price last year. Previously with the Rail Pass, the Nozomi was not allowed, but since foreigners don't use the Rail Pass nearly as much and need to buy the individual tickets, they just opt for the faster Nozomi since its the same price as the other shinkansen trains, and paying a few hundred yen more for a guarenteed seat is nothing for most people. And for those who do get the Rail Pass, it is now possible to use the Nozomi (with an extra fee).
Also, many foreign tourists (particularly first-timers) methodically plan every part of their trip and get reserved seats because they think it is required to book their train tickets well in advance or else they can't somehow get on a train if buying their tickets on the day of travel and going with unreserved.
And anyone using a travel agent usually has their tickets and seats pre-booked for their whole trip.
And there is also the fact that anyone (foreign or Japanese) bringing onboard the increasingly ubiquitous massive suitcases must now have a reserved seat in order to be allowed to take their behemoth baggage on any shinkansen (or else pay an extra 1000 yen baggage fee, which is usually more than the reserved seat fee).
DanteKH
Another veey bad decision by JR.
Personally, for me, I find very convenient the unreserved seats, not for the price, but for the flexibility they provide by choosing my own time of departure. I don't have to be on a fixed schedule and make my plans based on when is the train leaving.
This measure is another one, taken by old geezers from JR, without thinking about the inconvenience and hassle they create to some of their passengers.
factchecker
This measure is another one, taken by old geezers from JR, without thinking about the inconvenience and hassle they create to some of their passengers.
Privatised monopolies don't give a toss about what the passenger wants. Every step forward since JNR was privatised has been met with a service downgrade at the passengers expense. And they know can get away with it
daito_hak
What a grotesque hypocrite corporate salad of words. What they actually want to do is to increase the prices since more people will have to pay more for a seat.