The “Spring Timetable Revision” brings about significant changes to the railway landscape, reflecting the times, such as the opening of new stations and revisions to train schedules.
Among these, the biggest topic of discussion is JR East’s comprehensive fare increase, the first since privatization. Fares will increase by an average of 7.1%, with commuter pass fares rising by an average of 12%. Meanwhile, in the Kansai region, the significant expansion of JR West’s paid seating service is attracting attention.
“Ureshito,” a paid seating area created by partitioning off seats in regular carriages with curtains, has been newly installed on some sections of the Osaka Loop Line and elsewhere. With this timetable revision, the number of such services has increased by approximately 2.3 times.
What will become of railways in the future? Based on interviews with railway journalist Umehara Jun and railway commentary YouTuber Tetsubozu, MBS commentator Yonezawa Asuka , who is also a railway enthusiast, analyzes the railway landscape revealed by the spring timetable revision.
