JR East (East Japan Railway Company) announced that it aims to achieve 100 percent Suica acceptance at stations across all six of its service areas by the early 2030s.
While Suica is currently accepted at approximately 60 percent of stations as of the end of fiscal year 2026, the company aims to reach 100 percent by the early 2030s through the “Anywhere Ticket Gate” (tentative name), which is currently under development. This will eliminate the hassle of purchasing tickets and the inconvenience of having to pay in cash when exiting a station where Suica is not accepted—and then having to have the previous entry record canceled before boarding again with Suica.
With the “Anywhere Ticket Gate” system, Suica cards and Mobile Suica can be tapped using tablet devices that can be flexibly installed on trains or at stations. The company is also considering installing these devices on trains operating on lines with low frequency of service. By using GPS functionality to enable a single device to serve multiple stations, the company aims to make Suica usage faster at all JR East stations.
By the mid-2030s, following the introduction of “Anywhere Ticket Gates,” the goal is to implement “Smartphone Ticket Gates” (tentative name). This new ticketing system utilizes passengers’ smartphones, enabling entry and exit at stations by leveraging smartphone features such as GPS. It will allow for the expansion of the Suica service without the need to install ticket gates or other equipment at stations.
© Source travel watch