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).
| 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 | |
| Owner | Keisei Electric Railway |
| Locale | Tokyo, Chiba prefectures |
| Termini | |
| Stations | 8 |
| Service | |
| Type | Commuter rail |
| Operator(s) | Keisei Electric Railway |
| Rolling stock | Keisei 3000 series, Keisei 3050 series, Keisei 3100 series, Keisei 3700 series, Keisei AE series, Keikyu 600 series, Keikyu N1000 series, Toei 5500 series |
| History | |
| Opened | 17 July 2010 |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 51.4 km (31.9 mi) |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge |
| Electrification | 1,500 V DC (overhead catenary) |
| Operating speed | 160 km/h (100 mph) |
| Signalling | Automatic closed block |
| Train protection system | C-ATS |
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 (100 mph) using Keisei AE series EMUs.
Operations
editTrains utilize the Keisei Electric Railway's Main Line between Keisei Ueno and Keisei-Takasago. Trains run at a maximum speed of 160 km/h (100 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 ¥2,580 and takes 36-41 min., but the Access Express commuter fast train costs ¥1,280 and takes about 63–69 min.[1][2] Express trains also operate towards Haneda Airport from Narita Airport (in a long chain of through-service via Keisei-Takasago, Aoto, Oshiage, Sengakuji/Shinagawa, Keikyū-Kamata), connecting the two airports in 92–109 min. for a fare of ¥1,850.
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 | |||||||
- ^ Descriptions of the various categories are available at Rail transport in Japan.
Station list
editTrains stop at stations marked "●" and pass those marked "｜".[3] Some Skyliner trains stop at stations marked "▲".[4]
| 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 | ● | ● |
| ||
History
edit
Service on this line commenced on July 17, 2010.[5] 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.[6] From the timetable revision on February 26, 2022, Toei 5500 series trains began operating on the line on weekdays.[7]
Future plans
editIn 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.[8] The planned implementation date is scheduled for 26 November 2022.
References
editThis article incorporates material from the corresponding article in the Japanese Wikipedia.
- ^ "Keisei Skyliner fares". Archived from the original on 2012-06-29. Retrieved 2012-06-03.
- ^ Matsutani, Minoru, "Skyliner to get quicker but pricier Narita link", Japan Times, February 12, 2010, p. 3.
- ^ 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
- ^ "Skyliner Route Map | Skyliner". KEISEI ELECTRIC RAILWAY (in Japanese). Retrieved 2023-07-18.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Narita New Rapid Railway Development Project" (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2006-08-30. Retrieved 2006-09-11.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "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- New Skyliner (in Japanese)
- Narita Rapid Rail Access Co. Ltd. (in Japanese)