East Japan Railway Co., or JR East, said Tuesday it will discontinue magnetic short-distance tickets sold at all stations on its conventional lines and replace them with QR code tickets in spring 2027.
The change will apply to tickets for trips of up to 100 kilometers. JR East said removing the nonrecyclable magnetic layer on the back of the conventional tickets will help reduce environmental impact.
While the current tickets are inserted into fare gates, the new tickets will require passengers to present QR codes on them at readers at the gates.
The ticket size will increase from the current magnetic format’s 30 millimeters by 57.5 millimeters to 57.5 millimeters by 85 millimeters.
The switch to the QR code tickets will eliminate ticket jams inside automated gates, according to JR East.
The company is coordinating with other railway operators that run direct train services on its network to ensure the transition does not inconvenience passengers.
Eight rail operators in the Tokyo metropolitan area, including JR East, have already announced plans to phase out magnetic tickets in a shift to QR code tickets at the end of fiscal 2026 onward.
