Keisei Narita Airport Line

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Narita Airport Line
(Narita Sky Access Line)
KS
A Keisei AE series EMU on a Skyliner limited express service on the Keisei Narita Airport Line in July 2021
Overview
OwnerKeisei Electric Railway
LocaleTokyo, Chiba prefectures
Termini
Stations8
Service
TypeCommuter rail
Operator(s)Keisei Electric Railway
Rolling stockKeisei 3000 series, Keisei 3050 series, Keisei 3100 series, Keisei 3700 series, Keisei AE series, Keikyu 600 series, Keikyu N1000 series, Toei 5500 series
History
Opened17 July 2010; 13 years ago (2010-07-17)
Technical
Line length51.4 km (31.9 mi)
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in) standard gauge
Electrification1,500 V DC (overhead catenary)
Operating speed160 km/h (99 mph)
SignallingAutomatic closed block
Train protection systemC-ATS

The Keisei Narita Airport Line (京成成田空港線, Keisei-Narita-Kūkō-sen) is a Japanese railway line connecting Keisei-Takasago Station and Narita Airport Terminal 1 Station. The entire route from Keisei Ueno Station, including the Keisei Main Line as far as Keisei-Takasago, is branded Narita Sky Access (成田スカイアクセス, Narita-sukai-akusesu).

The Keisei Electric Railway operates over the entire line, while other companies operate over certain sections of it, such as Hokuso Railway. The new line is used by Skyliner limited express services operating at up to 160 km/h (99 mph) using Keisei AE series EMUs.

Operations[edit]

Trains utilize the Keisei Electric Railway's Main Line between Keisei Ueno and Keisei-Takasago. Trains run at a maximum speed of 160 km/h (99 mph), thus completing the run from Nippori to Narita Airport Terminal 2·3 in a minimum of 36 minutes, 15 minutes faster than the previous Skyliner route, which took 51 minutes. The reserved-seat Keisei Skyliner limited express fare for the route between Narita airport and either Nippori or Ueno stations is ¥2,400 and takes 36-41 min., but the Access Express commuter fast train costs ¥1,270 and takes about 60 min.[1][2] Express trains also operate to Haneda Airport from Narita Airport via Keisei-Takasago and Aoto then via the Keisei Oshiage Line to Oshiage, and on the Toei Asakusa Line via Shimbashi to Sengakuji, the Keikyu Main Line and via Shinagawa to the Keikyu Airport Line. This makes it possible to connect the two airports in a minimum of around 90 minutes, compared to the previous minimum of 106 minutes.[3] Many Express trains separate (or connect) at Aoto or Takasago station and continue to the Keikyu Haneda International Airport station (¥1,630, about 90-100 min.) or one can transfer at Shinagawa or Keikyū Kamata (on the way to Haneda) to stay on the Keikyu Main Line for Yokohama (¥1,630, about 101 min.).

There are also plans to build a spur from the Toei Asakusa Line to Tōkyō Station, opening a (potentially) faster route to the airport via the Keisei Oshiage Line.

Basic data[edit]

  • Total length: 51.4 km (31.9 mi)
  • Service operators and track owners:[* 1]
Station Keisei-Takasago Komuro Inba-Nihon-Idai (Tsuchiya) Narita Airport Terminal 2·3 Narita Airport Terminal 1
Operating carrier Keisei Electric Railway
(Category 2)
Hokusō Railway
(Category 1)
Hokusō Railway
(Category 2)
  East Japan Railway Company (JR East)
(Category 2)
Owner Chiba New Town Railway
(Category 3)
Narita Rapid Rail Access
(Category 3)
Narita Airport Rapid Railway
(Category 3)
Tracks Existing New Section Existing
  1. ^ Descriptions of the various categories are available at Rail transport in Japan.

Station list[edit]

Trains stop at stations marked "●" and pass those marked "|".[4] Some Skyliner trains stop at stations marked "▲".[5]

No. Station Japanese Access
Express
Skyliner Transfers Location
Through-running via the KS Keisei Main Line and KS Keisei Oshiage Line to/from

Keisei Ueno via the KS Keisei Main Line

Nishi-Magome via the A Toei Asakusa Line

Yokohama via the A Toei Asakusa Line and KK Keikyū Main Line, and Misakiguchi via the KK Keikyū Kurihama Line

To/from Haneda Airport Terminal 1·2 and Terminal 3 via the A Toei Asakusa Line, KK Keikyū Main Line and KK Keikyū Airport Line

KS10 Keisei-Takasago 京成高砂 Katsushika, Tokyo
HS05 Higashi-Matsudo 東松戸
Matsudo Chiba
HS08 Shin-Kamagaya 新鎌ヶ谷
Kamagaya
HS12 Chiba New Town Chūō 千葉ニュータウン中央 HS Hokusō Line Inzai
HS14 Imba Nihon-idai 印旛日本医大 HS Hokusō Line
KS43 Narita Yukawa 成田湯川 Narita
KS41 Narita Airport Terminal 2·3 空港第2ビル
KS42 Narita Airport Terminal 1 成田空港
  • KS Keisei Main Line
  • Narita Line (Airport branch) (JO37)

History[edit]

The Keisei Narita Airport Line in relation to existing tracks

Service on this line commenced on July 17, 2010.[6] The line involved the refurbishment of 32.3 km (20.1 mi) of existing track on the Hokusō Line, as well as the construction of 19.1 km (11.9 mi) of new dual track to Narita Airport, partly using disused rights-of-way originally planned for the cancelled Narita Shinkansen project. The total cost, according to the Narita Rapid Rail Access website, was estimated to be ¥126 billion, or about US$1.3 billion.[7] From the timetable revision on February 26, 2022, Toei 5500 series trains began operating on the line on weekdays.[8]

Future plans[edit]

In October 2022, Keisei announced that certain Skyliner trains would begin serving Shin-Kamagaya Station with the intent of improving access to Kashiwa and Matsudo in Chiba Prefecture.[9] The planned implementation date is scheduled for 26 November 2022.

References[edit]

This article incorporates material from the corresponding article in the Japanese Wikipedia.

  1. ^ "Keisei Skyliner fares". Archived from the original on 2012-06-29. Retrieved 2012-06-03.
  2. ^ Matsutani, Minoru, "Skyliner to get quicker but pricier Narita link", Japan Times, February 12, 2010, p. 3.
  3. ^ "時事ドットコム:". Archived from the original on 2013-01-26. Retrieved 2008-08-15.
  4. ^ 京成電鉄プレスリリース(2009年12月16日) Archived 2011-09-27 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ "Skyliner Route Map | Skyliner". KEISEI ELECTRIC RAILWAY (in Japanese). Retrieved 2023-07-18.
  6. ^ "京成電鉄「成田スカイアクセス」開業にともない7月17日にダイヤ改正を実施" [Timetable Revisions to take place on Keisei Railway on 17 July for Opening of the Narita Airport Line]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). 28 May 2010. Archived from the original on 3 February 2023. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  7. ^ "Narita New Rapid Railway Development Project" (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2006-08-30. Retrieved 2006-09-11.
  8. ^ "都営浅草線などでダイヤ改正 〜都交5500形がアクセス特急に〜" [Toei Asakusa Line timetable revision]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. 2022-02-28. Archived from the original on 2022-03-01. Retrieved 2022-03-01.
  9. ^ "京成,11月26日にダイヤ改正を実施" [Keisei implements timetable revision on November 26]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). 24 October 2022. Archived from the original on 25 October 2022. Retrieved 25 October 2022.

External links[edit]