Narita Express
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| Narita Express | |
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|---|---|
| Narita Express 253 series train | |
| Service type | Limited express |
| Operator | JR East |
| 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 (特急 tokkyū?) train 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.
In December 2004, a Narita Express service began to and from the hot-spring resort of Odawara on a seasonal basis. Every day during holiday and high-travel periods, one train is extended past Ōfuna, stopping at Fujisawa, Chigasaki and Hiratsuka before arriving at Odawara. The time between Odawara and Narita Airport is approximately 2 1/2 hours.
All seats are reserved, with both Standard and Green (first class) accommodation available.
The 253 series trains are scheduled to be phased out from autumn 2009 onward following the introduction of new E259 series EMUs.[1]
[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. Narita Express began service to the new station on March 19, 1991, and Skyliner switched its service to the new station at the same time.
Until March 2004, the Wing Express Limited Express service complemented the Narita Express with one return working a day between Ōmiya/Ikebukuro/Shinjuku and Narita Airport. This service was replaced by an additional Narita Express service.
In December 2005, smoking became prohibited on all Narita Express trains.
[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 |
As of March 28, 2007, passengers holding a non-Japanese passport can purchase a joint Narita Express-Suica card package for ¥3,500. ¥1,500 of the package covers the Narita Express one-way fare to the greater Tokyo metro area 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.[1]
[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] Gallery
 The interior of a Narita Express 253 series train |
[edit] External links
[edit] References
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