Haneda Airport Access Line Plan

The Haneda Airport Access Line is a railway service proposed by East Japan Railway Company which will consist of three branches departing from Haneda Airport. The line is expected to directly link the airport and major stations such as Tokyo, Shinjuku and Shin-Kiba Stations. This construction project is expected to be completed in 2029.

History

Due to the growing demand of air travelers using Haneda Airport, especially international travelers, East Japan Railway Company, JR East, officially announced in the “JR East Group Management Vision V” issued in 2013 that they aimed to improve the accessibility to the airport.[1] In 2014, JR East released its fundamental construction plan for the accessibility improvement.[2] According to the plan, an existing freight line running from Tamachi Station located on Yamanote Line, referring to the busiest loop line in Tokyo, is extended, connecting directly to the airport through an underwater tunnel. Making full use of the existing line, the newly-constructed section is expected about 5 km from the new station at Haneda Airport located between the Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, Haneda Airport New Station (羽田空港新駅, Haneda Kūkō Shin Eki),[3] to Tokyo Freight Terminal Station. Therefore, the construction cost is expected to be minimized, estimated to be approximately 320 billion JPY. In order to be able to be on time for the upcoming Olympic Games in 2020, JR East aims the partial inauguration of the new lines. In the JR East Group Management Vision Move Up” issued in 2018, JR East decided to construct three conventional lines departing from the airport.[4]

In 2019, JR East officially launched the environmental assessment for the new lines, and the construction for the new train link is expected to be completed around 2029.[5]

Routes and Expected Effects

East Yamanote Route

The East Yamanote Route will run from the airport station located near Terminals 1 and 2 in Haneda Airport via the Tokyo Freight Terminal Station to Tamachi Station. An unused freight line between the Tamachi Station and Tokyo Freight Terminal Station will be utilized, connecting the new underwater section to the airport. This branch is operated in conjunction with other conventional line including the Takasaki Line, the Utsunomiya Line, and the Joban Line. Since the East Yamanote Line will link directly Tokyo Station and the airport, accessibility to the airport is expected to be greatly improved. Travel times are estimated to decrease from the current 28 minutes to 18 minutes.[6]

West Yamanote Route

The West Yamanote Route connects Osaki Station on the Yamanote Loop Line with the Tokyo Freight Terminal Station via the Rinkai Line, which is owned by a third-sector company named Tokyo Waterfront Area Rapid Transit. Trains running on this route are operated in combination with the Saikyo Line, which connects major terminal stations including Shinjuku, Shibuya, and Ikebukuro. Travel times will be reduced from 43 minutes at present to 23 minutes.[6]

Coastal Area Route

By constructing a new joint line to the Rinkai Line, the Haneda Airport Access Line is planned to be connected to the Keiyo Line via the Rinkai Line. The travel time from the Shin-Kiba Station on the Keiyo Line will decrease from 41 minutes to 20 minutes.[6]

References
  1. "JR East Group Management Vision V" (PDF). Retrieved 2019-05-17.
  2. "JR East eyes new, faster access to Haneda airport from central Tokyo". Japan Times.
  3. "Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism permits Haneda Airport Access Line". Retrieved 2021-01-25.
  4. "JR East eyes new, faster access to Haneda airport from central Tokyo". The Japan Times Online. 2014-08-19. ISSN 0447-5763. Retrieved 2019-05-12.
  5. "Environmental test for new train link to Haneda to begin in spring". Kyodo News. 2019-02-10. Retrieved 2019-05-17.
  6. "JR East Group Management Vision "Move Up" 2027" (PDF). Retrieved 2019-05-17.
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