Narita Express
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| Narita Express | |
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|---|---|
| Narita Express 253 series train | |
| Service type | Limited express |
| Operator | JR East |
| Maximum speed | 130 km/[1] |
| Started | 1991 |
| Rolling stock | 253 series EMUs |
Narita Express (成田エクスプレス Narita ekusupuresu), abbreviated as N'EX, is a limited express train service operated since 1991 by East Japan Railway Company (JR East), serving Narita International Airport from various Greater Tokyo Area stations. Services are approximately half-hourly in the mornings and evenings, and hourly through the middle of the day. The main competition for the Narita Express is Keisei Electric Railway's Skyliner.
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[edit] Trains and destinations
| Narita Express route map
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Narita Express trains serve various stations in the Greater Tokyo metropolitan area. Trains are formed of dedicated 253 series 3- and 6-car EMU sets, with all trains passing through Tokyo Station, where services are coupled or uncoupled. Usually, a train from Ōfuna or Yokohama will be coupled with a train from Shinjuku, Ikebukuro or Ōmiya to form one train set for the remainder of the journey to Narita Airport (via the Sōbu Main Line and Narita Line). On the return journey, the reverse is true.
The majority of Narita Express services do not stop between Tokyo and Airport Terminal 2 Station. In the morning and evening rush hours, however, the Narita Express serves as a commuter express, stopping at Chiba, Yotsukaidō and Narita. The average time between Tokyo and Narita Airport is between 55 minutes and an hour.
All seats are reserved, with both Standard and Green (first class) accommodation available.
The 253 series trains are scheduled to be phased out from October 2009 following the introduction of new E259 series EMUs, with all services operated by E259 series equipment by June 2010.[2]
[edit] History
Until 1991, rail service to Narita Airport was limited to the Keisei Skyliner, which at the time used a station separated from the terminal complex. JR had initially planned to run a high-speed line, the Narita Shinkansen, to a station underneath the main airport terminal. This plan was abandoned in the 1980s, and the space originally slated for the underground station and Shinkansen tracks was used to connect both the JR Narita Line and Keisei Main Line directly to the terminal. The Narita Express began service to the new station on 19 March 1991, and Skyliner switched its service to the new station at the same time.
Until March 2004, the Wing Express limited express service was introduced to complement the Narita Express with one return working a day between Ōmiya/Ikebukuro/Shinjuku and Narita Airport. This service was subsequently replaced by an additional Narita Express service.
From the start of the revised timetable on 10 December 2005, Narita Express services were made entirely no-smoking.[3]
[edit] Fares to major destinations
[edit] Standard Class
From Narita Airport / Airport Terminal 2 to/from:
| Destination | Fare | Surcharge |
|---|---|---|
| Chiba | ¥650 | ¥1,240 |
| Tokyo | ¥1,280 | ¥1,660 |
| Shinjuku / Ikebukuro / Shibuya | ¥1,450 | |
| Ōmiya | ¥1,450 | ¥2,290 |
| Yokohama | ¥1,890 | |
| Ōfuna / Totsuka / Hachiōji / Takao | ¥2,210 |
[edit] Green Car (First Class)
- An individual Green Car seat can be reserved at a cost of ¥1,490, regardless of destination, in addition to the standard class fare.
- A Green Car compartment, which seats up to 4 people, can be reserved at a cost of ¥6,000 for the compartment, regardless of destination, in addition to the standard class fares.
[edit] Discounted fares for foreigners
Passengers holding a non-Japanese passport can purchase a joint Narita Express-Suica card package for ¥3,500 (standard class) or ¥5,000 (green class). ¥1,500 of the package covers a discounted Narita Express one-way fare to the greater Tokyo metro area (¥3,000 for green class) while ¥1,500 yen is put on the Suica card. The other ¥500 is a refundable deposit for the card. The Suica card can be used for train and bus fares in virtually all of the Tokyo metro area, as well as for certain establishments that welcome the card as a form of payment.[4]
The discounts only cover travel from Narita Airport. Return travel on the Narita Express to the airport requires the normal fare to be paid.
[edit] See also
Media related to Narita Express at Wikimedia Commons
[edit] References
- JR Timetable, December 2008
- ^ ＪＲ新幹線＆特急列車ファイル (JR Shinkansen & Limited Express Train File). Japan: Kōtsū Shimbun. 2008. ISBN 978-4-330-00608-6.
- ^ "JR東日本 E259系特急型直流電車 (JR East E259 series limited express DC EMU)". Tetsudō Daiya Jōhō (Japan: Kōtsū Shimbun) 38 (303): p70-71. July 2009.
- ^ JR East press release: "２００５年１２月ダイヤ改正について" (30 September 2005). Retrieved on 6 February 2009. (Japanese)
- ^ "JR-EAST: Suica & N'EX". East Japan Railway Company. March 2009. http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/suica-nex/index.html. Retrieved on 27 May 2009.
[edit] External links
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