The confusion among railway operators shows no sign of abating.
West Japan Railway Co. (JR West) joined seven other major operators Friday by announcing it has mistakenly displayed incorrect fare tables at several stations over the last 31/2 years.
JR West said it has found that 203 entrances at 122 stations did not display the correct fares.
Of these, 71 entrances have overcharged passengers because tickets were sold through vending machines, which customers used in conjunction with incorrect tables.
As of Thursday, seven firms had reported mistakes in 718 entrances at 326 stations across the country -- excluding those of JR West -- according to the Transport Ministry.
Among them are East Japan Railway Co., with 598 incorrect price lists displayed at 279 stations; Central Japan Railway Co. with 66 lists at 17 stations; Hokkaido Railway Co. with 11 wrong display boards at 2 stations; Toei Subway Lines of Tokyo with 9 display boards at 9 stations; and Nagoya Railroad Co. with 10 lists at 7 stations.
Most of the wrong display boards were put in place during operators' revisions to tables when the consumption tax rate was raised in April 1997, or when they expanded or changed their own railway networks.
All the operators have apologized and said they are willing to accept refund demands.