How to pay for Local Train Green Car with Mobile Suica
モバイルスイカで普通列車グリーン車
The Local Train Green Car 普通列車グリーン車 tickets can be purchased conveniently using the Mobile Suica app without needing to queue or issue tickets at the ticketing kiosks.
Background
The Local Train Green Car is a JR service where certain local train lines come attached with Green car carriages. This is not the same as reserved green car seats that we’d usually find in Limited Express trains, and there’s no option to make a prior seat selection.
Only certain train lines have these Green car seats: Tokaido line, Yokosuka-Sobu Rapid Line, Utsunomiya Line, Takasaki Line, Shonan-Shinjuku Line, Ueno-Tokyo Line, Joban Line 普通列車グリーン車は、東海道線、横須賀·総武快速線、宇都宮線、高崎線、湘南新宿ライン、上野東京ライン、常磐線の普通（快速）列車に連結されています.
Only certain trains come with Green car seats; this will be announced when the train is arriving. There are also signs and markings on the platform to indicate the car number of Green cars.
The ticket price vary by distance, and will be shown to you before purchasing the ticket. It’s a relatively affordable way to get some comfort and space especially during crowded periods.
The Green car seats can be used by purchasing an additional Green car ticket from either the adjustment kiosks near the platforms, or more conveniently using the Mobile Suica app. Alternatively you could make payment at the seat itself when the conductor comes checking, but that’ll cost slightly more.
Note that there is no option to choose the time or seat, nor is there a guarantee that there will a vacant Green car seat. It’s first-come-first-serve: simply board the train when it arrives, then secure a vacant seat on board.
Purchase and Use a ticket with Mobile Suica
Each passenger has to do these steps on their phone, it seems not possible to buy in groups or on-behalf.
Setup Mobile Suica app
“Mobile Suica モバイルスイカ or モバイル Suica” is an app by JR East. This is not the JRE Point app and is different from Apple wallet. Download the app, create an account and link up the Suica, such as with the Suica in Apple wallet.
Buy ticket
From the “Suica Overview Suica 一覧” page, tap on “Green ticket グリーン券”, then “New purchase 新規購入”. Enter the departure and arrival stations (for example from Ueno to Yokohama). Verify the price of the Green seat ticket and pay. After loading for a bit, the confirmation screen appears and an “unused 未使用” indicator appears on the Suica card.
That there is no need (and indeed, no option) to choose the time or seat.
Use ticket
Find and board the Green car when the train arrives. There will be ample markings on the platform sign and floor, and announcements to indicate the location of the Green car carriages.
Once aboard, look for a vacant seat. There are seat indicator lamps above the seat, Red is Vacant and Green is Taken. So look for Red seats and if nobody is already sitting there, that seat is yours!
The Suica sensor is beside the seat indicator lamps above the seats. Tap and hold the Suica card on this sensor until the seat lamp turns green. You can use the Suica in Apple wallet (as you would at a fare gate).
As further confirmation, there should be a notification from Apple wallet and in transactions history that the ticket is redeemed. The mobile Suica app should also show that the ticket has been used.
Enjoy the ride
That’s all, simply enjoy the ride! The conductor will periodically inspect the carriage but should not require you to do anything as long as the seat lamp is green. Alight as usual, there’s no additional tapping required.
Extras
I have not personally tried it but there are additional steps for these scenarios:
- If moving seats within the carriage: tap the card again at the new seat (it doesn’t mention tapping at the old seat, so don’t).
- If changing trains within the same trip that you’ve paid “Local Train Green Car” for: tap at the seat before alighting, and tap again after boarding the next train.
- For all other cases: speak with the staff.
