Measures to Prevent the Spread of COVID-19 | Customer Support

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Measures to Prevent the Spread of COVID-19

Measures to Prevent the Spread of COVID-19

We have had to make significant changes in our daily lives, but JR East's mission remains the same. Helping you to go on unforgettable journeys and enjoy your everyday life in comfort. We provide peace of mind come what may, creating new ways to live and travel. At JR East, we’re with you every step of the way.

The JR East Group is dedicated to ensuring the safety of our passengers.

In order to do so, we are implementing the following measures. These measure are based on government recommendations, such as the "Guideline for Railway Operators to Prevent the Spread of COVID-19" (Japanese only).

Preventing the Spread of COVID-19
Disinfection works and Ventilation system in Shinkansen cars

Measures in Stations and Train Cars

Measures at Stations

In addition to regular cleaning measures, stations are also cleaned with disinfectant spray.
Hand sanitizer and soap are provided at major stations, such as terminal stations on the Yamanote Line.

Masks are worn by all station employees.
Plastic dividers have been installed to protect against airborne droplets.

Measures in Train Cars

Cars are sterilized with disinfectant during regular cleaning.

Car Interior Disinfectant

When the interior of a train car is cleaned, areas that come into contact with passengers' hands are wiped-down and sterilized with sodium hypochlorite solution.
(Sodium hypochlorite is recommended by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare as an effective agent for sterilizing surfaces.)

Train cars are ventilated with air conditioning, the opening and closing of doors, and window ventilation.

Commuter Train Ventilation

Commuter train doors are opened at each station, and trains are also operated with the windows open for ventilation. Further ventilation is provided in summer by air conditioners that maintain a constant flow of fresh air.

Shinkansen and Limited Express Car Ventilation

The air conditioning and ventilation systems replace the air on Shinkansen and trunk line limited express trains every six to eight minutes.

Measures to Reduce Crowding

The JR East app provides congestion information for train cars and some stations on the Yamanote Line and other major lines in the Tokyo area.
(in Japanese only)

The JR East website provides congestion information from the past week for major lines in the Tokyo area.

Click here for details
(in Japanese only)

Measures for Reserved Seat Sales

When selling reserved seats, JR Ticket Office (Midori-no-madoguchi) employees ensure there is enough spacing between passengers.
*We may not be able to accommodate seating requests.

Passengers can use a seat map to select their own seats with a reserved seat ticket vending machine.

Even if a passenger does not select a seat, seats are sold with priority given to ensuring social distance.
*In some situations, passengers may be seated near to one another.

The floor is marked so adequate social distancing can be maintained when lining up at sales windows and ticket machines.

Recommended Services

Cashless Boarding

Get where you need to go without buying your ticket from a ticket machine.
Use your Mobile Suica or automatic charge to pay your train fare; you don't even need to charge it at a ticket vending machine.