JR East will expand the service area for its ticketless boarding service, “Ekinet Q-Ticket,” to the Joshinetsu area (Joetsu and Hokuriku Shinkansen lines) and the entire Greater Tokyo Area, effective for trips beginning November 1.
With preparations now complete—including the installation of QR code-compatible automatic ticket gates—the rollout, originally scheduled for the end of fiscal year 2026, has been moved up. With this expansion, the service will be fully available across all JR East service areas.
This service enables ticketless travel across both conventional lines and the Shinkansen even “outside the Suica area.” After launching in the Tohoku region in October 2024, its coverage was expanded to include the Tohoku Shinkansen and the Tokyo metropolitan area in October 2025. Starting with trips on or after November 1, 2026, passengers will be able to board trains ticketlessly using a QR code without having to pick up a paper ticket in all JR East service areas, with the exception of the JR East BRT, the Kesennuma Line (between Maeyachi and Yanagizawa), and sections served by substitute bus services.
Tickets can be reserved starting at 10:00 a.m. one month prior to the travel date, and the “Ekinet Advance Reservation” service is also available. Please note that “Ekinet Q-Ticket” cannot be used in conjunction with other types of tickets, such as IC cards, commuter passes, or paper tickets. Therefore, when boarding a JR East Shinkansen train from within the Suica-eligible area, passengers are advised to use Suica on conventional lines and the “Shinkansen e-Ticket Service” on the Shinkansen.
© Source travel watch