Skyliner

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See also Ford Skyliner.


Skyliner
Keisei AE100 series EMU on Skyliner service
Operator	Keisei Electric Railway
Line used	Keisei Main Line
Started	1972
Rolling stock	AE100 series EMUs

Skyliner (スカイライナー, sukairainā^?) 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.

1 Service
2 History
3 Stops
- 3.1 Skyliner
- 3.2 Morning Liner & Evening Liner
4 See also
5 External links

[edit] Service

Route map of Skyliner

Skyliner AE100 at Airport Terminal 2 Station

The Skyliner service operates between Keisei Ueno Station and Narita Airport Station, with stops at Nippori Station, Keisei Funabashi Station, Keisei Narita Station and Airport Terminal 2 Station. A couple of early morning Skyliner trains from Ueno run nonstop between Nippori and Airport Terminal 2.

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-Tōhoku Line and Jōban Line, whereas transferring at Ueno requires a walk at street-level from the Keisei station to the JR or Tokyo Metro station. At Funabashi station, passengers can change to the JR Sōbu Main Line and the Tōbu Noda Line.

The one-way ride between Narita Airport and Nippori takes about 55 minutes, with 5 additional minutes to reach Ueno, and costs ¥1,920 each way (¥1,000 base fare + ¥920 express surcharge). The journey to Keisei Funabashi takes about 33 minutes at a cost of ¥1220 each way (¥720 + ¥500, respectively).

Prior to 09:00 leaving Narita and from 17:55 leaving Ueno, Skyliner services are known as Morning Liner and Evening Liner, respectively. These trains make additional stops at Aoto, Yachiyodai, and Sakura on their runs to and from Ueno and either Keisei Narita Station or Narita Airport. The express surcharge is reduced to ¥400 for these trains and tickets are only sold from special Liner ticket counters at the train stations served. Morning Liner and Evening Liner trains do not stop at Keisei Funabashi station.

Only AE100 series 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 the 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).

[edit] History

The 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.

The Kaiungō 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.

Keisei AE series train on Skyliner service prior to 1990

In 1972, new AE series trains began operation as the Skyliner, while the Kaiungō became the main train running during afternoons and holidays. The Kaiungō service was taken over by AE series trains on December 30, 1973, and the 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, 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, the 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 the Skyliner.

Starting on September 1, 1979, the Skyliner began stopping at Keisei Narita Station once a day during the afternoon. This commuter-oriented service was expanded to become the Evening Liner service on December 1, 1984, and the 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 the 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.

The eight-car AE100 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: the Toei Asakusa Line has no emergency walkways along its sides, so it was necessary to allow evacuation from the ends of the train. Upon the introduction of the AE100s, the seven six-car AE series trains were rearranged to form five eight-car trains. In June 1993, these older AE series trains were withdrawn from service.

On December 10, 2006, most Keisei Skyliners began serving Keisei Funabashi Station.