JR East to Conduct Demonstration Experiment of Shared Ride Taxi Operation Using Shinkansen Reservation Data

Details of the Demonstration Experiment

• Starting in 2019, a Tsugaru Line temporary passenger train (between Kanita and Mimaya stations) will operate in conjunction with the Hayabusa No. 1 during the summer to provide convenient sightseeing on the Tsugaru Peninsula. This year, a shared cab will operate from Okutsugaru-Mamabetsu Station to Ryubisaki as alternative transportation on days when the temporary train cannot operate.
  
• Dennou Koutsu Co., Ltd. will optimize cab dispatch by utilizing data on Shinkansen reservations for the "Hayabusa No. 1" train that departs from Okutsugaru-Mamabetsu Station, and by forecasting the number of passengers who will use the cabs.
  
• This is the second experiment using data on Shinkansen reservations, etc., following the case of the Yamagata Shinkansen's Yonezawa Station in March 2021.

Details of the Demonstration Experiment

(1) Implementation period: August 1 (Sun.), 7 (Sat.) - 15 (Sun.), 2021
*Application for permission under Article 21 of the Road Transport Law is pending with the Tohoku District Transport Bureau of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.

(2) Implementation section:
Outbound: Hokkaido Shinkansen Okutsugaru Mabetsu Station stop (Tsugaru Futomata Station on the Tsugaru Line) - Tsugaru Line Mimaya Station - Ryubizaki stop between
Return: Ryubizaki stop - Hokkaido Shinkansen Okutsugaru-Mamabetsu station stop (Tsugaru Futomata station on Tsugaru line)

(3) Operation time:
Outbound: Departure from Okutsugaru-Mamabetsu Station stop at 10:20, Arrival at Tatsuhizaki stop around 11:00
　　(Connects to Hayabusa No. 1 "Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station bound for Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station" arriving at Okutsugaru-Mamabetsu Station at 10:07 a.m.)
Return: Departure from Ryubizaki stop at 14:30, Arrive at Okutsugaru-Mamabetsu station stop at around 15:00
　　(Connects to Hayabusa No. 34 "Tokyo Station-bound" departing from Okutsugaru-Mamabetsu Station at 15:35 and Tsugaru Line "Kanita Station-bound" departing from Tsugaru-Nimata Station at 15:54)

(4) Amount used500 yen per person per time
Same price for adults and children. Children under elementary school age are not charged.
Pay in cash when you board the cab.

(5) Notes:

Only customers who boarded the bus on the outward trip can use the bus on the return trip.　Numbered tickets will be distributed on the outbound trip.

On the outbound route (between Okutsugaru-Mamabetsu Station (Tsugaru-Nimata Station on the Tsugaru Line) and Mitsumaya Station and Ryubizaki), passengers may get off at any place of their choice on the route in the implementation section. (No stopovers are allowed).
Tell the driver. For safety reasons, there are places where it is not possible to get off the bus.

No stopovers are allowed on the return trip (between Ryubizaki and Okutsugaru-Imabetsu Station (Tsugaru Futomata Station on the Tsugaru Line).

No reservations are required and may be full.

Arrival time may be delayed due to road conditions.

(6) Others
After the verification of the demonstration experiment, we plan to ask users to cooperate in answering a questionnaire in order to utilize the results for further consideration of future mobility services. Those who responded will be selected by drawing to receive specialties and other prizes.

Details of this experiment can also be found on a special website.
URL:https://jrestartup.co.jp/tsugaruline/(Special website will open in July 2021)

Operation Calendar

Business Scheme

About Us

JR East Startup Co.
JR East Startup Co., Ltd. is a corporate venture capital firm that promotes co-creation between the JR East Group and startup companies.

Dennou Kotsu Co.
Dennou Kotsu Co., Ltd. is on a mission to promote DX for cabs, providing cloud-based cab dispatch systems and cloud-based dispatch centers for businesses, as well as developing new services for regional transportation with local governments and private companies. The company is a venture born out of a cab company in Tokushima. The company was selected for the JR East Startup Program 2020.

Okutsugaru Kanko Ltd.
Okutsugaru Kanko Ltd. is a cab company belonging to the Aomori Prefecture Taxi Association. The company currently operates a reservation-only shared-ride cab service between Okutsugaru-Mamabetsu Station and Tsugaru-Nakasato Station.