Consult Japan Railways’ train classes and line classifications~

The Shinkansen is Japan’s high-speed rail

Japan’s railways are very developed, with railway lines crisscrossing the country like a big network. There are so many trains running that it's easy to buy tickets at any time. Now, focusing on the differences between railways in other countries, we will briefly introduce the types of Japanese railways, fare calculations and ticket purchase methods.

■JR (Japan Railways) and private railways

Japanese railways can be roughly divided into two types: "JR" and "private railways".

"JR" was originally Japan's state-owned railway. In 1987, it was divided into six private railway companies: "Hokkaido", "East Japan", "Tokai", "West Japan", "JR" "Shikoku" and "Kyushu". However, the ticket prices of the six companies are still basically the same so far, and the trains can go directly to the connecting areas of each company, so JR is actually still operating as a whole. The "Japan Rail Pass" exclusively for foreign travelers is also valid on all JR 6 lines.

Unlike JR, "private railways" are originally privately operated. There are hundreds of private railway companies across the country, ranging in size. These range from those that only operate within a few kilometers to those that have a railway network of more than 500 kilometers. Some private railways are partially connected to JR lines or other private railway lines, but they basically have independent operations and ticket price systems. Generally speaking, when private railways and JR lines run in parallel, the service fees of private railways are usually lower in big cities and higher in local cities.

■"Fare" (ticket) and "Service Charge" (service fee ticket)

The biggest feature of Japan Railways' fare calculation is: in the basic fee "fare" On top of that, there are also "service fees" related to expediting fees, seat assignments and facilities.

The types of trains in Japan include: "regular" which stops at every station, "express" which is slightly faster than "regular", and faster "express", "limited express", etc. (these are faster than ordinary trains Fast trains are collectively called "high-quality trains"). Although the types of trains are different, they use the same ticket price system: first buy a ticket that represents the basic fee "fare", and then buy corresponding "express tickets", "limited express tickets" and other service fee tickets based on speed, facilities, etc.

In Japan, vehicles are not classified into "1st class" and "2nd class" based on facilities (such as "soft seats" and "hard seats" in China). When riding a "green car" equivalent to "first class" or a sleeper car with sleeper facilities, you must purchase additional service fee tickets such as "green ticket" and "sleeper ticket". (However, "limited express tickets", "green tickets", and "sleeper tickets" are usually issued in one package. Sometimes tickets are also included and issued in one package.)

All high-class trains have It travels faster than regular trains, but does not necessarily require an additional service fee. Neither JR nor private railways charge "express" service fees, and most private railways do not charge "express" or "express" service fees. In addition, since "express fares" and "express fares" are fees for speed service delivery, if the train is delayed for some reason, the fees are generally returned to the customer, and the specific regulations vary from company to company. On all JR companies, if the train is delayed for more than two hours, the "express fare" will be refunded in full. Equipment and service fees such as "green luxury fee" and "sleeper berth fee" are not included in the refund.

Note: The systems for express fares and express fares have always been different, so the regulations for refunds when trains are delayed are also different. Express trains will refund a corresponding proportion of the seat fee for the designated number; express trains will not include the seat fee for the designated number as a refund object. However, the number of express trains with reserved seats is very small, so we will not introduce them further.

■Reserved seats and individual seats

Generally speaking, foreign high-class trains have reserved seats, but in Japan, except for the "Kibo" of the Tokaido Sanyo Shinkansen, In addition to some trains such as the "Narita Express" operated by the Airport Express, limited express and express trains are connected by individual-seat cars without assigned seats. In many cases, single-seat vehicles account for one-third of the total vehicle fleet. Seats are not guaranteed when riding on a single-seat bus, and the service fee is correspondingly cheaper by about 500 yen. You can get on the train with just your ticket, and then buy an "Express Ticket" from the conductor on the train. Although you may not be able to get a seat, except during the most crowded periods such as the beginning of the year and the end of the year, the probability of getting a seat is still relatively high, but as long as you buy a ticket, you can ride at any time. This is a free-seat train.

In addition, under normal circumstances, the first-class trains on private railways that are exempt from special service charges (Keihankyu in Tokyo, Hankyu Electric Railway in Osaka, etc.) are all seats. On the contrary, the first-class trains that charge service fees All trains (Keisei Skybus, Kintetsu Limited Express, etc.) have the same number of seats.

■How to purchase tickets

JR line short-distance tickets (within 100 kilometers) and nearly all private railway tickets cannot be purchased in advance in principle. Tickets are automatically sold at the station on the day of travel. Machine purchase. When taking short-distance high-class trains, you can usually buy service fee tickets at the same time at the automatic ticket machines.

JR's medium- and long-distance tickets (more than 101 kilometers) can be reserved for all sections at all "green windows" (windows with clerks at JR stations) in the country one month in advance. Usually, private railways also start selling tickets and premium train seat tickets at their company windows one month in advance. In addition to railway stations, you can also reserve tickets for any section at major travel agencies one month in advance. If you want to purchase JR tickets and private rail tickets at the same time, it is more convenient to use a travel agency.