Skyliner
Skyliner (スカイライナー) is a limited-express airport train service between Tokyo and Narita Airport. It is operated by Keisei Electric Railway and runs on the Keisei Main Line.
Contents
Service
Skyliner operates at intervals of about 40 minutes between Keisei Ueno Station and Narita Airport Station, with stops at Nippori Station, Keisei Narita Station and Airport Terminal 2 Station. Although Ueno is a larger station with more lines, many passengers transfer at Nippori, as the Keisei tracks run parallel to the JR East Yamanote Line, Keihin-Tohoku Line and Jōban Line, whereas transferring at Ueno requires a long walk from the Keisei station to the JR or Tokyo Metro station.
The one-way ride between Narita Airport and Nippori takes about 56 minutes, with 5 additional minutes to reach Ueno, and costs ¥1,920 each way (¥1,000 base fare + ¥920 express surcharge).
Prior to 9am leaving Narita and after 5.55pm leaving Tokyo, Skyliner is known as Morning Liner and Evening Liner, respectively. These trains make additional stops at Aoto Station, Yachiyodai in Yachiyo, and Sakura on their runs to and from Ueno and Narita Airport. The express surcharge is reduced to ¥400 for these trains and tickets are only sold from the station not travel agents. (Some late evening trains, however, do not run to the airport at all.)
Only Type AE100 trains run as Skyliner trains and each train is 8 cars long. Seat reservations are mandatory on Skyliner, Morning Liner, and Evening Liner. Smoking is prohibited except in the train's end cars.
The main competition for Skyliner is JR East's Narita Express, which is more expensive but serves more major train stations directly. In 2010, Skyliner services will transfer to the Narita Rapid Railway, presently under construction, which is expected to give Skyliner a speed advantage over Narita Express (36 minutes to Nippori vs. 55 minutes to Tokyo Station).
History
Skyliner's predecessor was the Kaiungō 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.
Kaiungō Express service was operated by Type 1600 trains from 1953 to 1967. Although the first trains were small, with only two cars, they had reclining chairs 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 Type 1600 trains were replaced by Type 3150 and 3200 trains, fitted with semi-cross seating in order to comply with subway specifications.
In 1972, new Type AE trains began operation as Skyliner, while Kaiungō became the main train running during afternoons and holidays. Kaiungō service was taken over by Type AE trains on December 30, 1973, and Skyliner 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, protestors staged a number of physical attacks on the airport. One arson attack caused a Type AE train in the yard to be put out of service on May 5, 1978.
Finally, on May 21, 1978, upon the opening of New Tokyo International Airport, Skyliner 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 of Higashi-Narita Station) and passengers on the Skyliner 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 Skyliner.
Starting on September 1, 1979, Skyliner began stopping at Keisei Narita Station once a day during the afternoon. This commuter-oriented service was expanded to Evening Liner service on December 1, 1984, and Morning Liner was added on October 19, 1985. Nippori was added as a stop on the new commuter services, and in 1988, all Skyliners began making stops at Nippori 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 the Narita 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 Skyliner and its new competitor, JR East's Narita Express, began service to the new station. On December 3, 1992, service began to Airport Terminal 2.
From December 10, 2006, almost all Skyliners will begin making stops at Keisei Funabashi Station.
The eight-car Type AE100 trains were introduced in 1990, and the seven six-car Type AE trains were simultaneously rearranged to form five eight-car trains. In June 1993, the older Type AE trains ceased operations.
Stops
Skyliner
- Keisei Ueno
- Nippori
- Keisei Funabashi(From December 10, 2006)
- Keisei Narita
- Narita Airport Terminal 2
- Narita Airport
Morning Liner & Evening Liner
- Keisei Ueno
- Nippori
- Aoto
- Yachyodai
- Keisei Sakura
- Keisei Narita
- Narita Airport Terminal 2
- Narita Airport
