JR East to launch walk-through ticket gates at 40 stations in 2028

TOKYO – Major Japanese train operator East Japan Railway said on Nov 10 it will launch touchless walk-through ticket gates at 40 stations in the Tokyo area in the spring of 2028.Passengers using the gates will need the Mobile Suica electronic payment app on their smartphones.The initial roll-out will cover all stations on the Yamanote loop line and those at Narita and Haneda airports as well as several others in Tokyo.Antennas will be fitted to existing gates to run the new system using ultra-wideband wireless communication technology, eliminating the need for passengers to hold their smartphone next to a reader.A trial service will start in April 2027 at 14 stations including Tokyo, Shinjuku and Shibuya.The company plans to make the walk-through gates available at all of its roughly 550 stations with electronic scanner gates within its service area by March 2032. KYODO NEWS