Following the approval of the government’s application for a fare cap increase, Metropolitan Intercity Railway Company will implement a fare increase on the Tsukuba Express Line (TX) in March 2026.
Student commuter passes will be reduced to reduce the burden on commuters
As the line approaches its 20th anniversary, significant capital investment is required to address the aging of trains and railway facilities, as well as congestion. Taking into account recent price hikes, the line will implement its first fare increase since its launch, excluding those due to the consumption tax rate change. The average increase is 12.2%, with the base adult fare (IC card) increasing by 12 yen from 168 yen to 180 yen. The longest section, between Akihabara Station and Tsukuba Station, will increase by 75 yen from 1,205 yen to 1,280 yen. Commuter commuter passes will be increased by reducing the average discount rate from the current 40.6% to 37.4%.
Meanwhile, aiming to attract more parents to TX lines, the company will encourage long-distance travel by keeping regular child fares for IC card users constant for the first 13 kilometers and flattening them to ¥200 for distances beyond 14 kilometers. To reduce the burden on households, the company will also reduce student commuter pass fares across all sections, raising the average discount rate from 60.4% to 70.0%.
Continuing capital investment, including the expansion of 8-car trains
As the company faces the need to simultaneously upgrade its railway facilities, including substations, signaling equipment, and platform screen doors, which were installed at the time of its 2005 launch, the company plans to invest approximately ¥17.4 billion in safety measures over the three years beginning in fiscal 2026, including the renewal of rolling stock and related equipment. Additionally, the company will invest approximately ¥8.7 billion in the expansion of 8-car trains, a fundamental congestion relief measure, and approximately ¥2.5 billion in the associated development of a comprehensive base. In addition, the outstanding debt to the Japan Railway Construction, Transport and Technology Agency, which constructed TX’s railway facilities, is approximately 416.3 billion yen as of fiscal year 2024, and approximately 20 billion yen will need to be repaid annually over the next 20 years.
To improve convenience, a trial of a deferred payment service that allows passengers to enter and exit the ticket gates using touch payment with a credit card or other payment method will begin on August 31 (Sun), 2025, at five designated stations (Akihabara, Asakusa, Kita-Senju, Nagareyama-Otakanomori, and Tsukuba). In addition, in conjunction with the launch of a QR code-based boarding service around autumn 2026, a system will be established that allows passengers to purchase QR special tickets in advance using the TX app and other platforms. At this time, the company plans to discontinue the current magnetic tickets, and sales of children’s multi-ride tickets, which have been sold as magnetic tickets, will cease in conjunction with the fare revision.
