West Japan Railway Company

At a press conference on the 22nd, JR West President Shoji Kurasaka said the company will strive to realize the extension to Shin-Osaka Station as soon as possible, following the selection of the Katsura River plan for the Obama-Kyoto route as the extension route for the unbuilt section of the Hokuriku Shinkansen.

JR West President Shoji Kurasaka stressed that the company will first aim to acquire 500,000 accounts for the banking service it plans to launch next fiscal year in partnership with Resona Holdings Group, and revealed a target of contributing 10 billion yen in profit by fiscal 2030. JR West will acquire a 20% stake in Kansai Mirai Bank within this fiscal year, and plans to invest 80% by fiscal 2028 to establish a joint venture with Resona Holdings, gradually transferring payment operations and other functions. In addition to deposits and home loans, the company intends to handle corporate payment agency services and corporate card businesses, with President Kurasaka stating, "We want to provide customers with better payment methods." He expressed enthusiasm for nurturing this into a growth business that boosts profit by around 10 billion yen, including dividends from Kansai Mirai Bank shares, and linking it to revitalizing the Kansai regional economy.

Central Japan Railway Company and West Japan Railway Company will begin offering top-class private rooms called 'Supreme Class' on the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen lines starting in October. This marks the first introduction of private rooms on the Tokaido Shinkansen since the retirement of the 100 Series trains 23 years ago, aiming to provide a premium service that surpasses Green Car. Two-person private rooms will be installed in Car 7, featuring reclining seats and a sofa, with a space equivalent to three Green Car seats. A one-way fare between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka will be 60,790 yen per adult, which is 41,400 yen more than Green Car. Fully private single rooms will be set up in Car 10, equipped with an electronic lock door and offering drinks and snacks from along the railway line. The former 100 Series private rooms lacked adjustable lighting and air conditioning, but as travel demand diversifies in the wake of the pandemic, semi-private rooms are also planned for the next fiscal year. Senior researcher Kazuhiro Fukushima of the private think tank Sompo Institute Plus analyzes that this is an experiment to explore new roles for the Shinkansen as high-speed customers shift to the maglev Chuo Shinkansen after its opening. East Japan Railway Company is also moving to propose travel where the journey itself is the purpose, with plans to operate the limited express train 'Luna Azure' including nighttime runs from the next fiscal year.