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 Keisei AE series EMU on aSkyliner service, July 2021 | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Service type | Airport rail link (Limited express) |
| Locale | Kanto region, Japan |
| First service | 1972 |
| Current operator(s) | Keisei Electric Railway |
| Route | |
| Termini | Keisei Ueno Narita Airport Terminal 1 |
| Average journey time | 36 minutes (fastest) |
| Line(s) used | Narita Sky Access Line andKeisei Main Line |
| On-board services | |
| Class(es) | Monoclass |
| Seating arrangements | Forward facing 2+2 |
| Technical | |
| Rolling stock | Keisei AE series EMUs |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) |
| Electrification | 1,500 V DC overhead |
| Operating speed | 160 km/h (100 mph) |
TheSkyliner (スカイライナー,sukairainā) is an airport limited express train service betweenTokyo andNarita Airport in Japan. It is operated byKeisei Electric Railway and runs on theNarita Sky Access route.This article also covers theMorningliner (モーニングライナー,mōningurainā) andEveningliner (イブニングライナー,ibuningurainā) services.
TheSkyliner limited express service operates betweenKeisei Ueno Station andNarita Airport Terminal 1 Station, with stops atNippori Station andNarita Airport Terminal 2·3 Station. Certain trains also stop atAoto andShin-Kamagaya stations.[1][2]
The one-way ride between Nippori and Narita Airport Terminal 2·3 takes about 36 minutes and costs ¥2,520 in 2019, making it the fastest and cheapest limited express train option between the airport and downtown Tokyo.[3]
The main competitor for theSkyliner is JR East'sNarita Express.
| No. | Station | Stop | Location | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KS01 | Keisei Ueno | ● | Taitō-ku | Tokyo |
| KS02 | Nippori | ● | Arakawa-ku | |
| KS09 | Aoto | △ | Katsushika-ku | |
| HS08 | Shin-Kamagaya | △ | Kamagaya-shi | Chiba-ken |
| KS41 | Narita Airport Terminal 2·3 | ● | Narita-shi | |
| KS42 | Narita Airport Terminal 1 | ● | ||
TheSkyliner's predecessor was theKaiungō express service, which began operation non-stop from Keisei Ueno to Keisei Narita on May 1, 1952, 26 years before the opening of Narita Airport. Seat reservations were mandatory.
TheKaiungō Express service was operated by 1600 series trains from 1953 to 1967. Although the first trains were small, with only two cars, they had reclining seats and televisions, making them luxurious trains for their time. The trains were lengthened to three cars in 1957 (although only one of those cars was an actual Type 1600 car). In 1967, the 1600 series trains were replaced by 3150 and 3200 series trains, fitted with semi-transverse seating in order to comply with subway specifications.
In 1972, newAE series trains began operation as theSkyliner, while theKaiungō became the main train running during afternoons and holidays. TheKaiungō service was taken over by AE series trains on December 30, 1973, and theSkyliner became a nonstop Ueno-Narita service. Although the Skyliner's name was chosen, it wasn't announced soon enough and thus the first trains were shipped with the inscription "Express".
In the final months preceding Narita Airport's opening, there were a number of violent protests at the airport. One arson attack caused an AE series train in a yard to be put out of service on May 5, 1978.
Finally, on May 21, 1978, upon the opening of New Tokyo International Airport, theSkyliner began nonstop runs from Keisei Ueno to Narita Airport Station. At the time, Narita Airport Station was located far from the passenger terminal (at the present-day location ofHigashi-Narita Station), and passengers on theSkyliner had to get off and take a bus from the station to the airport. This inconvenience caused many passengers to use direct city-to-terminal limousine buses rather than theSkyliner.
Starting on September 1, 1979, theSkyliner began stopping at Keisei Narita Station once a day during the afternoon. This commuter-oriented service was expanded to become theEvening Liner service on December 1, 1984, and theMorning Liner was added on October 19, 1985. Nippori was added as a stop on the new commuter services, and in 1988, allSkyliner services began making stops atNippori Station.
Growing criticism of Narita ground transportation in the late 1980s led the Ministry of Transport to open up underground platforms and track initially intended for theNarita Shinkansen (a high-speed rail link between the city and the airport that was never built) for service by regular local and express trains. On March 19, 1991, the new Narita Airport Station opened directly underneath Terminal 1. Both theSkyliner and its new competitor,JR East'sNarita Express, began service to the new station. On December 3, 1992, services began to Airport Terminal 2.
Eight-carAE100 series trains were introduced in 1990. These trains were designed with emergency exits at each end, under the assumption that the trains would eventually be used for limited express service between Narita Airport and Haneda Airport: theToei Asakusa Line has no emergency walkways along its sides, so it was necessary to allow evacuation from the ends of the train. Following the introduction of the AE100s, the seven six-car AE series trains were rearranged to form five eight-car trains. In June 1993, the older AE series trains were withdrawn from service.
From December 10, 2006, mostSkyliner services began stopping at Keisei Funabashi Station.
From July 17, 2010, theSkyliner services were transferred from the Keisei Main Line to theNarita Sky Access route, with the introduction of newAE series EMUs. NewCityliner services using the older AE100 series trains replaced the formerSkyliner on the Keisei Main Line.
The newSkyliner service allows a transfer from Central Tokyo to Narita Airport in 36 minutes, 15 minutes faster than the old route via the Keisei Main Line, making it the fastest and cheapest limited express train option connecting Narita Airport with Central Tokyo.
SomeSky Liner services were suspended following theGreat East Japan earthquake and tsunami of 11 March 2011 and subsequent energy restrictions implemented in the Tokyo area. Full service was however restored from 10 September 2011, following the lifting of energy restrictions.[4]
On 6 April 2020, Keisei announced that certainSkyliner trains would begin servingAoto Station in order to facilitate easier connections to and from trains serving theKeisei Oshiage Line,Toei Asakusa Line andKeikyu Main Line. The new service began on 11 April 2020.[1] As of September 2022, Narita-boundSkyliner services stop at Aoto once per hour between 7:35 and 16:33. Ueno-bound trains stop at Aoto once per hour between 10:50 and 18:50, followed by all trains after 21:00.
In October 2022, Keisei announced that certainSkyliner trains would begin servingShin-Kamagaya Station with the intent of improving access toKashiwa andMatsudo inChiba Prefecture.[5] The planned implementation date is scheduled for 26 November 2022. All trains that stop at Aoto also stop at Shin-Kamagaya.
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Service type | Limited express |
| Locale | Kanto region, Japan |
| Current operator(s) | Keisei Electric Railway |
| Route | |
| Termini | Keisei Ueno Keisei Narita orNarita Airport Terminal 1 |
| Distance travelled | 69.3 km |
| Average journey time | 72 minutes (fastest) |
| Line(s) used | Keisei Main Line |
| On-board services | |
| Class(es) | Monoclass |
| Seating arrangements | Forward facing 2+2 |
| Technical | |
| Rolling stock | Keisei AE series EMUs |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) |
| Electrification | 1,500 V DC overhead |
| Operating speed | 110 km/h (70 mph) |
TheMorningliner (モーニングライナー,mōningurainā) andEveningliner (イブニングライナー,ibuningurainā) are limited-express train services for commuters on theKeisei Main Line operated byKeisei Electric Railway.Morningliner operates toward Tokyo in the morning, andEveningliner operates away from Tokyo in the evening. All seats are reserved with a supplement of 420 yen.[6] A single trip from Narita Airport to Nippori Station costs ¥1,462.TheMorning Pass is a monthly reserved pass priced at ¥8,150 a month.[7]
| Station No. | Station | M | E |
|---|---|---|---|
| KS01 | Keisei Ueno | △ | ▼ |
| KS02 | Nippori | △ | ▼ |
| KS09 | Aoto | △ | ▼ |
| KS22 | Keisei Funabashi | △▲ | ▽▼ |
| KS29 | Yachiyodai | ▲ | ▽ |
| KS35 | Keisei Sakura | ▲ | ▽ |
| KS40 | Keisei Narita | ▲ | ▽ |
| KS41 | Narita Airport Terminal 2·3 | ▲[Note 1] | ▽[Note 2] |
| KS42 | Narita Airport Terminal 1 | ▲[Note 1] | ▽[Note 2] |