By AYATERU HOSOZAWA/ Staff Writer
August 30, 2019 at 16:35 JST
Luggage space in Shinkansen that can be used by advance booking (Provided by Central Japan Railway Co.)
Passengers on the Tokaido, Sanyo or Kyushu Shinkansen will soon have the option of reserving space for cumbersome luggage in advance.
The move, which comes as an increasing number of travelers are visiting Japan, was announced by Central Japan Railway Co., West Japan Railway Co. and Kyushu Railway Co. on Aug. 29.
The service will start in mid-May 2020.
The luggage area will be situated behind the rearmost seats in reserved-seat cars. Passengers who reserve seats in the backmost row can use the oversize luggage space.
No additional fee is necessary for the service. Passengers can reserve luggage space online or through ticketing machines or offices when purchasing their train tickets.
In the cars of the N700 series Shinkansen, a luggage container that can be locked will be newly set up in areas connecting cars from fiscal 2023. Reserved-seat tickets including the right to use the space will be sold.
The sum of the length, width and height of the oversized luggage targeted for the service will be between 160 centimeters and 250 cm.
After the service starts, passengers who bring such luggage into cars without reserving a space in advance will be charged 1,000 yen ($9.40) and asked to move it to a designated area.
Regarding the change, a JR Tokai official said, "It will improve service and security."
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