Now that I've covered all the Shinkansen lines on my "Know Your Trains" series, I'll keep it going by shifting its focus to the many other limited express train services in Japan. And to that effect, what better to start this new phase with than the first such trains most travellers will encounter upon arrival in Japan? Narita International Airport, the entry point for many overseas visitors, has two limited express services to downtown Tokyo: the Narita Express by JR East, and the Skyliner by Keisei Electric Railway. I introduced both of these lines in my article on transportation to Narita Airport, but now that I'm bringing them into the "Know Your Trains" fold, it's time to give them a more detailed description.
The Narita Express service was introduced by JR East in 1991. From the Terminal 1 and Terminal 2/3 stations underneath the airport, it runs along the Narita Line ⬛ and Sobu Main Line (JO), with most services making no further stops until reaching Tokyo Station. A few trains in the early morning (for Tokyo) and evening (for the airport) make additional stops in Chiba prefecture, adding 15 minutes to travel time. These timetables are geared more towards commuters from Tokyo's eastern suburbs.
Upon reaching Tokyo Station, the train is separated in half. One half continues down the Yokosuka Line (JO) to Yokohama and (sometimes) Ofuna Stations, and the other diverges along the Yamanote (JY) and Saikyo (JK) lines to Shinjuku and (sometimes) Omiya Stations. On top of this, there are occasional, seasonal trains that go all the way to Kamakura and Yokosuka (via Yokohama), or via the Chuo (JC) and Fujikyu (FJ) lines to Kawaguchi-ko (via Shinjuku).
| Name (English) | Name (Japanese) | Line | Yokohama Route |
Shinjuku Route |
| Narita Airport Terminal 1 | 成田空港 | JR Narita ⬛ | X | X |
| Narita Airport Terminal 2-3 | 空港第２ビル | X | X | |
| Narita | 成田 | O | O | |
| Sakura | 佐倉 | O | O | |
| JR Sobu (JO) | ||||
| Yotsukaido | 四街道 | O | O | |
| Chiba | 千葉 | O | O | |
| Tokyo | 東京 | X | X | |
| Shinagawa | 品川 | X | X | |
| Musashi-Kosugi | 武蔵小杉 | X | I | |
| Yokohama | 横浜 | X | I | |
| Totsuka | 戸塚 | O | I | |
| Ofuna | 大船 | O | I | |
| Shibuya | 渋谷 | JR Shonan-Shinjuku (JS) | I | X |
| Shinjuku | 新宿 | I | X | |
| Ikebukuro | 池袋 | I | O | |
| Omiya | 大宮 | I | O |
Travel time is approximately 60 minutes between Narita Airport Terminal 1 and Tokyo Station, or 90 minutes to Yokohama or Ikebukuro stations. Regular one-way fares start at ¥3,070 between the airport and Tokyo Station; Green Car fares start at ¥4,640.
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| An E259-series Narita Express train at Yokosuka Station. By Rsa (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], via Wikimedia Commons |
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| A Keisei AE-series "Skyliner" train at Ueno Station. Taken on Saturday, 12 November 2016. |
The Keisei Skyliner has existed in various forms since 1972, before the airport was even built, utilising the Keisei Main Line. In 2010, the more direct Keisei Airport (KS) Line (a.k.a. the Keisei Sky Access Line) was opened, and with it, they introduced a new Skyliner service. These new trains have a top operating speed of 160 km/h (100 mph), making them the fastest non-Shinkansen trains in Japan. From the two Narita Airport stations, they make no stops except for Nippori, on the Yamanote line, and the Keisei-Ueno terminal.
| Name (English) | Name (Japanese) | Line | Skyliner |
| Narita Airport Terminal 1 | 成田空港 | Keisei Airport (KS) | X |
| Narita Airport Terminal 2-3 | 空港第２ビル | X | |
| Keisei-Takasago* | 京成高砂 | I | |
| Keisei Main (KS) | |||
| Nippori | 日暮里 | X | |
| Keisei-Ueno | 京成上野 | X |
Travel time is 40 minutes from Narita Airport Terminal 1 to Nippori Station, or 45 minutes to Keisei-Ueno Station. One-way fares are ¥2,520 between the airport and Nippori/Ueno. All Skyliner trains have eight cars, with only one seating class. As with the N'EX, all seats are reserved. The seat pitch is 105 cm (41 in), and the width is 47 cm (18.5 in). For more information on the Skyliner, visit (English) or (Japanese).
Despite their differences, both the Narita Express and the Skyliner share similar features that make the trip into Tokyo convenient and comfortable (far more so than you may have experienced on the plane in, I'd say). Seats in both trains (including Green Cars on the N'EX) are arranged 2+2 across. They all recline and come equipped with tray tables, AC power outlets, and wide windows, which even have shades you can pull down if the sun gets in your eyes. Digital displays on both trains list upcoming stations and other announcements in Japanese, English, Chinese, and Korean. Each car has luggage storage compartments that are guarded over by security cameras; on the N'EX, these also feature combination locks for extra security.
So, which train is the better option? I've been on both the N'EX and the Skyliner and personally, I prefer the Skyliner. Compared to the N'EX, you can get almost anywhere in Tokyo faster with the Skyliner and a transfer to the Yamanote line. It's cheaper, too, although the foreigner-exclusive round-trip discounts on the N'EX are cheaper than those on the Skyliner. But the N'EX has its own advantages; it stops at far more places than the Skyliner without the need to switch trains, which can be handy if you're travelling with lots of luggage, or if you need to transfer to one of the Shinkansen trains. It is also free to use with the Japan Rail Pass, unlike the Skyliner. So, they both excel in different situations, but really, you won't go wrong with either one or the other.
Tips
- The Narita Express is fully covered by the Japan Rail Pass as well as other JR East regional passes covering the Kanto area. The Skyliner, being run by a different company, is not covered under any of those passes.
- For those not using one of the above passes for the Narita Express, the N'EX Tokyo Round Trip Ticket is available for foreigners. It covers one round-trip on the N'EX, plus direct transfers within the Tokyo area. The return trip must be taken within 14 days of first use. It costs ¥4,070, a discount of over ¥2,000 compared to regular N'EX tickets. More information: (English)
- Keisei offers a similar discount to foreigners using the Skyliner. The Skyliner Discount ticket costs ¥2,250 one-way or ¥4,380 round-trip. Again, the return trip must be taken within 14 days of first use. This ticket can also be bundled with Tokyo Subway passes, good for 24, 48, or 72-hour periods. More information: (English)
- Keisei-Ueno Station is not directly connected to the main Ueno Station, serving JR and Tokyo Metro lines. They are very close together, however, requiring at least two minutes to walk between.
- As Narita International Airport was being built, there were plans to construct a high-speed Shinkansen line from Tokyo to the airport. After protests from residents who were about to lose their land, construction on the line was officially cancelled in 1983. Some of the trackage rights eventually went to the Keisei Sky Access Line, used by the Skyliner. The new stations under the airport, which would have been used by the Narita Shinkansen, were still built, and are used by both the Narita Express and Skyliner.
