After 23 years, the Tokaido Shinkansen, which travels between Tokyo and Osaka, will again offer private rooms to passengers come financial year 2026, bullet train operator Central Japan Railway (JR Central) announced on April 17.
The private compartments are being planned to offer a higher level of service and facilities than the current first-class Green Car seats, JR Central added.
According to Japanese news outlet Mainichi Shimbun, two such rooms will be set up in the latest N700S trains, which can accommodate around 1,300 passengers.
Each air-conditioned room will feature reclining seats with leg rests, dedicated Wi-Fi and adjustable lighting.
The new seats have been “designed for a variety of users and situations, such as business people who want to hold meetings online and customers who value privacy or want to relax without worrying about their surroundings”, JR Central said.
Details such as fares and service sections will be announced at a later time, though JR Central said private room fares are expected to exceed those of the existing first-class Green Cars.
A first-class Green Car ticket can cost between 8,750 yen (S$77) and 28,290 yen, depending on the season and duration of travel.
Japanese news outlet, the Nikkei, reported that the new private rooms will be created from existing maintenance spaces in the trains, allowing the number of reserved and Green Car seats to remain the same.
The first private shinkansen compartments were introduced in 1985 in JR Central’s 100 Series trains before being discontinued in 2003, said the train operator.
JR Central said: “We have been studying new seating arrangements for bullet trains to meet customers’ needs, which are diversifying due to changes in life and work styles.”
These include plans for seats that enhance the trains’ business environment and higher-class seats in Green Cars that offer passengers more comfort.
The four-person compartments in the Sanyo Shinkansen’s 700 Series cars, operated by Japan Rail West, are currently the closest thing to private rooms on a Japanese bullet train.
