East Japan Railway Co., or JR East, started trialing Monday a "Shinkansen office," which allows passengers to telework while on board Tohoku Shinkansen trains. Passengers in the designated car can make phone calls or hold video conferences.
The railway operator hopes to increase Shinkansen passengers as numbers have been sluggish due to the coronavirus pandemic.
On weekdays until Feb. 26, four to five trains each way will have a car allocated to the trial every day. Usually, passengers have to go into the vestibule to talk on the phone, in principle, but passengers in the designated cars are allowed to do so without going elsewhere. No extra charge is required to use the car.
Equipment to connect to the internet is also provided free of charge. To protect passengers' privacy, music is played in the teleworking cars to make it difficult to hear surrounding sounds. The company will consider future services based on how passengers use the cars during the trial.
"I sometimes work on the Shinkansen when I'm on a busy business trip," said a 34-year-old company employee from Tokyo. "I'd like to see if I can make clear phone calls without being bothered by noises around me."
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