Overview
- JR East has published images and confirmed a plan to roll out larger QR-code paper tickets on conventional lines starting in spring 2027.
- The new tickets will be about three times the size of current magnetic tickets so passengers can hold the QR code to a reader instead of inserting a card into a gate.
- JR East says the change aims to reduce frequent gate jams caused by magnetic strips and to make used-ticket recycling easier by removing the magnetic layer.
- The rollout will include installation of new gate readers and used-ticket collection boxes, and eight Kanto-area rail firms plan to begin managing entry and exit data on a shared server from the end of fiscal 2026.
- Shinkansen and other mid- to long-distance tickets will remain magnetic, so commuters will face a phased shift that requires hardware upgrades at local stations but not on long-distance services.