Central Japan Railway (JR Tokai) and its partners said Thursday they will launch a new service on Oct. 4 allowing passengers to book Shinkansen tickets directly through the LINE messaging app.
The service, called “LINE kara EX,” will cover the Tokaido, Sanyo and Kyushu Shinkansen routes, from Tokyo to Kagoshima-Chuo. Payments can only be made via PayPay, and tickets will be slightly cheaper than buying at machines, though slightly pricier than the existing Smart EX online system. For example, a reserved seat on the Nozomi between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka will cost ¥14,620—¥100 less than the regular fare but ¥100 more than Smart EX.
Travelers add the official Shinkansen LINE account, book tickets, and enter stations using either a registered transit IC card or a QR code. Changes require canceling and repurchasing with a fee, and seat choices are limited to window or aisle, without access to full seat maps.
by MagazineKey4532