Eight railway companies in the Greater Tokyo Area are planning to successively replace magnetic tickets with QR code-based tickets from the end of fiscal year 2026.
The companies involved are JR East, Keisei Electric Railway, Keikyu Corporation, Shin-Keisei Electric Railway, Seibu Railway, Tokyo Monorail, Tobu Railway, and Hokuso Railway. They aim to replace ordinary fare tickets (short-distance tickets) issued from ticket vending machines.
While prioritizing transportation IC cards and various ticketless services to improve and expand usage, replacing magnetic tickets with QR code tickets enables the sustainable provision of railway services.
The complexity and specialization of mechanisms for magnetic tickets and equipment such as automatic ticket gates and ticket vending machines necessitate a transition to a sustainable system for long-term maintenance. Also, the paper used for magnetic tickets contains metal, requiring separation and disposal of the magnetic layer for recycling, posing certain environmental impacts. However, QR code tickets are expected to be more recyclable.
Ride information and entry/exit data will be managed through a shared QR code ticket management server. By using the same system across different companies, it becomes possible to issue tickets across companies.
In addition to the eight companies, discussions are ongoing with other railway operators regarding the reduction of magnetic tickets and the transition to a sustainable system.
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