Seven Japanese Rail Companies to Replace Magnetic Tickets with QR Codes Next Spring

Seven Japanese railway companies, including JR East, Keisei Electric Railway, Keikyu Corporation, and Tobu Railway, have announced a transition to QR code tickets, replacing magnetic tickets, beginning next spring. This change applies to short-distance tickets sold through automatic ticket machines.

The unified system will allow for consistent management of ticket information and enable the issuance of QR code tickets valid for travel across different companies. The size of the QR code tickets will increase significantly, from the previous 30x57.5mm for magnetic tickets to 57.5x85mm. Passengers will scan their QR tickets at entry gates and deposit them into collection boxes at exit gates. Stations not equipped with dedicated QR code gates will allow manual processing via ticket windows.

The shift is driven by the increasing difficulty and cost associated with maintaining magnetic ticket vending machines and fare gates. Initially, eight companies announced their intention to phase out magnetic tickets in May 2024. However, following the integration of New City Electric Railway into Keisei Electric Railway in April 2025, the number of participating companies is now seven: JR East, Keisei Electric Railway, Keikyu Corporation, Sendai Airport Railway, Tokyo Monorail, Tobu Railway, and Hokuso Railway.

The railway companies are currently negotiating details regarding operational cooperation for integrated services, with further announcements expected later.