Travel Keisei Railway to introduce direct express linking Haneda and Narita

[thomas]

Keisei Electric Railway is drawing up plans for the first surcharge-based reserved-seat limited express service linking Narita and Haneda airports in the 2030s. The move is intended to make transfers between the Tokyo area's two main international airports easier while also encouraging more overseas visitors to travel on to regional parts of Japan. The company plans to introduce a new premium limited express service between Narita Airport Station, east of Tokyo, and Oshiage Station, beside Tokyo Skytree, in fiscal 2028. The route would then be extended in stages during the 2030s. Through services are expected to reach Shinagawa Station and eventually Haneda Airport.

Currently, Keisei operates its Access Express service between Narita and Haneda via the Toei Asakusa Line and Keikyu Airport Line, with the journey taking about 100 minutes and requiring no surcharge. The premium express is expected to shorten travel times while offering a faster, higher-quality connection. Improving access from Narita -- Japan's primary international gateway -- to Shinagawa Station, a major interchange served by the Tokaido Shinkansen bullet train, as well as to Haneda -- the country's largest domestic aviation hub -- is expected to make it easier for overseas visitors to travel onward to regional destinations.

The government also plans to study whether the service could operate on the Haneda Airport Access Line, a new railway under construction by JR East to connect Haneda Airport with central Tokyo. Demand from overseas visitors using Narita Airport has continued to grow. According to Narita International Airport Corporation, the number of foreign passengers on international flights rose 6% from the previous year to a record 24.1 million in fiscal 2025.

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asia.nikkei.com