Draft:Railway Information Systems
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Native name | 鉄道情報システム株式会社 |
|---|---|
Romanized name | Tetsudō Jōhō Shisutemu Kabushiki Gaisha lit. 'Railway Information System Share Company' |
| Company type | Public |
| Industry | Information technology |
| Predecessor | Japanese National Railways (JNR) |
| Founded | 9 December 1986 |
| Headquarters | 2-2-2 Yoyogi, Shibuya, Tokyo , Japan |
Key people | Hirotaka Honda (Chairman)[1] Takayuki Ikeda (President)[1] |
| Services | Information and communications industry, mainly JR-related |
| Revenue | ¥35,427 million (FY 2024)[2] |
| ¥1,162 million (FY 2024)[2] | |
| ¥980 million (FY 2024)[2] | |
| Total assets | ¥41,582 million (FY 2024)[2] |
| Total equity | ¥14,547 million (FY 2024)[2] |
| Owner | JR East JR Central (21.8%) JR West (24.1%) JR Hokkaido JR Shikoku JR Kyushu JR Freight |
Number of employees | 680 (as of March 2022) |
| Subsidiaries | JR System Engineering |
| Website | www |
Railway Information Systems (鉄道情報システム株式会社, Tetsudō Jōhō Shisutemu Kabushiki Gaisha) is a Japanese information and communications technology company.
It is commonly known as JR Systems (JRシステム, Jei-Āru Shisutemu). Its corporate color is maroon.
On April 1, 1987, the company succeeded the operation and management of computer systems—including the MARS ticket reservation system—from the Japanese National Railways (JNR), and became part of the Japan Railways Group (JR Group). Its head office is located in Shibuya, Tokyo, inside the JR East headquarters building.
Overview
[edit]The company was established on December 9, 1986, together with Railway Telecom (which later became SoftBank Telecom, now absorbed into SoftBank), based on the former JNR Information Systems Department, the Central Information Systems Management Center, the Tokyo Systems Development Construction Bureau, the Kunitachi Systems Construction Office, the Passenger Department Central Sales Center, and information divisions of certain railway management bureaus ranked as "A-level" bureaus. Following the division and privatization of JNR in 1987, it became one of the 12 JNR successor corporations, taking over the operation and management of computer systems such as MARS.
The reason the company was founded slightly earlier—on December 9, 1986, ahead of the six JR passenger companies and JR Freight (which were formally established on April 1, 1987)—was that prior procedures were required to transfer operations from JNR. Until its official name was announced, it was provisionally referred to as the "System Company" (システム会社, Shisutemu-gaisha).
At the time of its establishment, the company had 280 employees and inherited assets with a book value of 17 billion yen. [3] It also assumed 17 billion yen of debt in the form of private borrowings carried over from JNR. [4] In its early years, it also handled "EPOCS" (エポックス, Epokkusu), a system for managing JR Freight containers, and "FOCS" (フォックス, Fokkusu), a system for managing wagonload freight.
Because it handles information and communications systems such as MARS, the company is classified as a Registered Telecommunications Carrier (formerly classified as a Ordinary Type 2 Telecommunications Carrier).
Its shareholders are the seven JR Group railway operators—JR East, JR Central, JR West, JR Hokkaido, JR Shikoku, JR Kyushu, and JR Freight. Accordingly, its board of directors and other executives include part-time directors dispatched from these companies.
In addition to its headquarters in Shibuya, Tokyo, the company maintains branch offices in Sapporo, Sendai, Chiyoda (Tokyo), Nagoya, Osaka, Takamatsu, and Fukuoka. However, the largest facility is the Kunitachi Office (Central System Center) in Kokubunji (Tokyo), where the majority of its employees are stationed.
Business overview
[edit]The primary business of JR Systems is the development, operation, and management of computer systems. Its clientele is diverse, extending beyond the railway industry to include sectors such as trucking and logistics.
Representative examples include the following:
- MARS (Multi Access Reservation System)
- A computer system for reserving and issuing seat reservation tickets.
- JR-NET
- The core communications network for MARS, a nationwide optical fiber network.
- Staff-operated ticketing terminals
- Staff-operated terminals (e.g., MR models) used at Midori-no-Madoguchi (みどりの窓口; "The Green Counter"), ticket offices of JR Group stations, to reserve and issue tickets, including passenger tickets and seat reservations. In addition to terminals developed by JR Systems, other terminals produced by JR East Information Systems (such as MEM, MEX, and ME-4 models) are also used within the JR East area.
- Customer-operated ticketing terminals (MV models)
- Ticketing machines that allow passengers to operate them directly, similar to short-distance automatic ticket machines, to purchase tickets and seat reservations. With the reduction in the number of Midori-no-Madoguchi offices and shorter operating hours, these terminals have been increasingly installed. Variants include credit card–only models without cash acceptance functions.
Compared with staff-operated terminals, the range of tickets available for issuance is limited. However, by customizing settings, the types of tickets sold can vary by operator or region. Traditionally, ticket types requiring presentation of discount certificates could not be purchased through these machines. However, with the development of the MV50 terminal—remotely monitored and operated by staff-operated terminals (Assist MARS)—operators are now able to confirm discount certificates and issue such tickets.
- Ticketing machines that allow passengers to operate them directly, similar to short-distance automatic ticket machines, to purchase tickets and seat reservations. With the reduction in the number of Midori-no-Madoguchi offices and shorter operating hours, these terminals have been increasingly installed. Variants include credit card–only models without cash acceptance functions.
- Cyber Station (discussed below)
- IT-FRENS & TRACE System
- The core system for container freight business management at JR Freight, which handles train information, container reservation data, container location tracking, fare calculation, and related operations.
- Japan Expressway Bus Net (高速バスネット, Kōsoku-Bus Net)
- JR Bus Group's comprehensive online reservation site for express buses.
- Butsuryū Town (物流タウン; "Logistics Town")
- An internet site for disseminating and exchanging information on logistics. The service began on November 1, 1996, and was discontinued on March 31, 2007. The URL at the time was http://www.transport.or.jp/ Archived 2004-09-29 at the Wayback Machine
- Man-Saku Net (マン索ねっと; "Condo-Search Net")
- A service allowing condominium management associations to publicly invite bids online, free of charge, for large-scale construction projects or management companies. As of 2025, the site is no longer accessible, and it is presumed that the service has been discontinued. The URL was http://www.mansaku-net.jp
- Revenue Settlement System
- A system for allocating and settling passenger revenue among the JR companies. This has been in operation since the company's establishment, handling tasks such as revenue distribution for trains running across multiple JR companies.
- Raku-Tsū With (らく通with; "Easy-Communication With")
- A guest notification terminal installed at hotels. It centrally manages reservation notifications sent from travel agencies and online travel agents to the facilities.
History
[edit]- December 9, 1986 – Railway Information Systems (JR Systems) is established.
- December 12, 1986 – Designated by the Minister of Transport as a successor corporation.
- April 1, 1987 – Japanese National Railways (JNR) divided and privatized; business operations commenced.
- June 1, 1997 – Cyber Station service launched.
- October 2002 – MARS 501 placed into operation.
- February 1, 2006 – Japan Expressway Bus Net put into operation.
Cyber Station
[edit]Cyber Station (サイバーステーション) is an Internet service provider business operated by JR Systems. Its predecessor was the pre-Internet online service provider "PC-STN."
When Cyber Station was first launched, it retained a strong flavor of the pre-Internet era, centered on a dedicated software called "Cyber Express." Internet connectivity and browsing were provided only as supplementary functions. Although web browsers could be used, regular e-mail clients were not supported (Internet-based e-mail had to be accessed through Cyber Express). Users were not given personal website space; instead, there was a unique service called "Member's Square", which functioned like a bulletin board where users could upload and publish web pages.
As of 2020, however, the service no longer requires dedicated software, provides users with unique e-mail addresses, supports general e-mail clients, and offers personal website space—thus aligning with the standards of a modern Internet service provider.
There is also JR Cyber Station, a free service for checking seat reservation availability, which also served to promote Cyber Station.
Internet train reservation service
[edit]One of Cyber Station's major features was its ability to reserve designated JR train seats through online. From the PC-STN era onward, this was the only service within JR that allowed train reservations online, and it was considered a major benefit of subscribing to the provider.
However, after the JR Group companies each launched their own train seat reservation services on Internet, these new services offered clear advantages, such as:
- Immediate online payment by credit card.
- Ticket collection available up until the departure date.
- Various discount benefits.
- The ability to purchase non-reserved express tickets, and to purchase express (surcharge) tickets and basic-fare tickets together. [note 1]
In contrast, reservations made through Cyber Station essentially followed the old "push-button telephone reservation" system (which ended on January 31, 2013). As a result, it had several limitations:
- No option for online payment.
- A time limit of 8 days between reservation and ticket collection.
- Reservations and ticket collection only available up to 2 days before departure.
- No discounts or special offers.
- It only handles "reservations" for reserved seats on express trains, therefore, basic-fare tickets and non-reserved express tickets could not be purchased.
On the other hand, since each JR company's reservation service is designed primarily for passengers using trains within its own network, they also come with restrictions, such as:
- Except for limited exceptions, reservations through Internet services are restricted to the company's own operating area and its surrounding regions. Under the former telephone reservation system, all JR lines nationwide were covered, so the shift to Internet-based reservations sometimes resulted in reduced service coverage.
- Tickets may not be available for collection outside the issuing JR company's area. Even when standard (non-discounted) tickets can be picked up, connecting tickets or special promotional tickets may not be available.
- Credit card payment is typically the primary method, [note 2] and in some cases, membership in the issuing company's designated credit card program is required to use the reservation service.
Because of these restrictions, passengers should check in advance whether the train they wish to book and the station where they plan to collect the ticket are supported, and choose the most suitable reservation service accordingly. While Cyber Station required a provider subscription, it allowed reservations for virtually all regularly scheduled trains nationwide, and tickets could be collected at almost any JR ticket counter across the country. In this respect, it placed less burden on passengers.
Train reservation services by JR companies
[edit]The following are train reservation services currently or previously offered by JR companies.
Telephone reservation services:
- Push-Button Telephone Reservation (プッシュホン予約) - JNR → JR Systems – Discontinued as of January 31, 2013.
- JR Hokkaido Telephone Reservation (JR北海道電話予約) – JR Hokkaido – Discontinued as of January 31, 2017.
- View Card Tore-Tel (ビューカードとれTEL) - JR East – Exclusive to designated credit card members, discontinued as of June 30, 2010.
- JR Central Express Card Member-Only Telephone Reservation (JR東海エクスプレスカード 会員専用電話予約) - JR Central – Exclusive to designated credit card members, discontinued as of August 31, 2006.
- 5489 Service (5489サービス) – JR West – Exclusive to designated credit card members (after October 1, 2017), discontinued as of February 28, 2023.
- JR Kyushu Telephone Reservation (JR九州電話予約) – JR Kyushu – Discontinued as of March 15, 2019.
Internet reservation services:
- Cyber Station (サイバーステーション) - JR Systems – Reservations require a provider subscription contract. [1]
- JR Hokkaido Reservation Service (JR北海道予約サービス) - JR Hokkaido – Discontinued as of January 31, 2017.
- Eki-Net (えきねっと; "Station-Net") - JR East [2]
- Shinkansen e-Ticket (新幹線eチケット) - JR East [3]
- Mobile Suica Express Ticket (モバイルSuica特急券) - JR East – Ticket pickup not available (boarding via Mobile Suica), exclusive to Mobile Suica users, discontinued as of March 13, 2020.
- Express Reservation / Plus EX (エクスプレス予約/プラスEX) - JR Central - Exclusive to designated credit card members, paid membership system. [4]
- Smart EX (スマートEX) - JR Central [5]
- e5489 – JR West [6]
- JR Kyushu Train Reservation Service (JR九州列車予約サービス) – JR Kyushu [7]
Internet reservation services targeting invound tourists:
- Japan Rail Pass Reservation - JR Group – For visitors purchasing/using the Japan Rail Pass [8] Archived 2025-08-01 at the Wayback Machine
- JR-East Train Reservation - JR East [9]
- JR-West Online Train Reservation – JR West [10]
- JR-Kyushu Train Reservation – JR Kyushu [11]
Partner and affiliated companies
[edit]- JR System Engineering – wholly owned subsidiary
- Advance Traffic Systems
- Transnet
- ATRASE
- Kōtsū Tōkei Kenkyūjo (交通統計研究所; "Institute of Transportation Statistics") (General Incorporated Foundation)
Information system integrator companies within the JR Group
[edit]In addition to JR Systems, each JR Group company has its own subsidiary that serves as a system integrator:
- JR East Information Systems (JR East)
- JR East Mechatronics (JR East)
- JR Central Information Systems (JR Central)
- JR West IT Solutions (JR West)
- JR Kyushu System Solutions (JR Kyushu)
- JR Shikoku Information Systems (JR Shikoku)
- Hokkaido JR System Development (JR Hokkaido)
- JR Research Institute Information Systems (RTRI)
Notes
[edit]- ^ On the JNR and the JR Group that succeeded it, when riding limited express or Shinkansen trains, passengers are required to purchase separately: a basic-fare ticket (乗車券, jōsha-ken) based on distance, an express ticket (急行券, kyūkō-ken) for the faster service, and a reserved seat ticket (指定席券, shitei-seki-ken) if using a reserved seat. (Physically, these might be combined into a single ticket.)
- ^ As of 2024, the penetration rate of credit cards in Japan is 87%, meaning that 13% of people do not own one. [5] Because Japan is a safe country, there is little circulation of counterfeit bills, and the risk of pickpocketing or robbery is low, so people feel little resistance to carrying cash. [6] On the other hand, due to the high merchant fees for credit card payments, the penetration rate of credit cards is relatively low compared to other developed countries. [7]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Corporate information". Railway Information Systems. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
- ^ a b c d e 鉄道情報システム株式会社 第39期決算公告
- ^ "分割・民営化第1号 「鉄道通信会社」など国鉄出資の2社設立". Asahi Shimbun. 1986-12-09.
- ^ "国鉄新会社の承継実施計画、「貨物」の債務は半分に". Asahi Shimbun. 1987-03-05.
- ^ "キャッシュレスを利用している人は94％、クレジットカードの保有率は87％と高水準を維持". JCB. 2024-03-15.
- ^ "日本のキャッシュレス決済比率の現状と課題、今後の予測を解説". DG Financial Technology. 2023-01-13.
- ^ "｢現金志向が強いから｣ではない…日本でキャッシュレス決済が広がらない根本原因". President Online. 2021-11-24.
External links
[edit]
- Railway Information Systems (JR Systems)
- Japan Expressway Bus Net
- Cyber Station - JR Cyber Station
- Raku-Tsū With
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