Odakyu railway in greater Tokyo area to set children's fare at 45 cents from spring 2022

TOKYO -- Odakyu Electric Railway Co. plans to set its children's train fare for prepaid rechargeable IC cards at 50 yen (about $0.45) from spring 2022, no matter where they get on or off trains, in a bid to enhance services for families raising young children, the company announced on Nov. 8.

According to Odakyu Electric Railway, which operates trains in Tokyo and Kanagawa Prefecture to the south, it's the first railway company in Japan to permanently lower the children's fare to less than a half of adult ticket prices.

The children's fare is applied to those between 6 and 11 years old and elementary school students. If a child takes the train on the longest section between Shinjuku and Odawara stations, which currently costs 445 yen (approximately $3.90), the discount rate will be about 90%.

In addition to the permanent discount, Odakyu intends to further boost its support for families with kids by taking measures such as the full-scale introduction of stroller-sharing service to and from stations, unlimited rides for elementary school children on all routes for 100 yen (roughly $0.88) per day and events at commercial facilities operated by Odakyu group companies. It also plans to revise prices for children's commuter passes and special unlimited passes for Odakyu trains and other transportation services.

Because the population along the Odakyu lines is expected to decline in the future, the train operator intends to advance initiatives to boost the number of residents along its service lines by promoting them as child-friendly neighborhoods.

(Japanese original by Digital News Center)