JAPAN: Central Japan Railway Company is to revamp its offering for business travellers using Tokaido Shinkansen services, in response to changing travel patterns and working practices driven by the coronavirus pandemic.
On August 26 JR Central announced the launch of a suite of onboard and station services intended to help business travellers between Tokyo Station, Nagoya and Shin-Osaka to use their time more productively. One of these is the launch of the ‘S work car’. The ’S’ refers both to ‘Seamless’ and ‘Shinkansen’; the objective is to provide passengers with a suitable working environment from the moment they enter a train through to the end of their rail journey.
From the start of October, standard class Car 7 on all the trainsets used on Nozomi services will feature an S Work zone as part of a trial. Passengers using Car 7 will be asked to accept the various background sounds of a working environment. Laptop support cushions, privacy screens, AC adaptors and USB chargers will be among a range of work-focused items available for rent during the journey in Car 7 on the N700S trainsets only. Customers using the EX and Smart EX reservation systems will be able to use the new rental facilities free of charge. These reservations will be available until just 4 min before boarding time.
The rental service is to be offered initially only between Shin-Yokohama and Kyoto on the Tokaido Shinkansen, although JR West is also understood to be looking at a similar service for through Nozomi services to and from Hakata.
In Car 7 and Green Class Car 8 of some of the N700S trainsets, free enhanced wi-fi is to be offered, branded S Wi-Fi for Biz. This is expected to offer double the speed of the current onboard wi-fi. Elsewhere, the smoking compartment of the N700S trainset is to be remodelled as a small meeting room. This will be available for use after spring 2022.
At Tokyo, Nagoya and Shin-Osaka stations, some of the waiting rooms are to be refurbished to provide semi-private working space for business travellers. In the original Marunouchi Chuo building at Tokyo Station, private offices and meeting rooms will be available for hire. Two fully-enclosed Express Work Booths will also be provided at Tokyo Station, Nagoya Station, Kyoto Station and Shin-Osaka Station, plus four more in the JR Central Towers building. These will be available from early December 2021.
