JR East Unveils Haneda Airport Access Line Ahead of 2031 Opening

Nov 06, 2026 | News On Japan

TOKYO - East Japan Railway (JR East) opened its Haneda Airport Access Line construction site to the media on November 6, offering a glimpse of a major underground railway project that will connect Haneda Airport directly with central Tokyo, with services scheduled to begin in fiscal 2031.

The construction site, located in Tokyo's Shinagawa Ward, houses one of the largest types of tunnel boring machines, known as a shield machine, which will excavate a new railway tunnel approximately 20 meters below ground.

The massive machine measures 11.8 meters in external diameter and 12.7 meters in length, with the capacity to advance approximately 10 meters per day as it cuts through the ground to create the tunnel.

The Haneda Airport Access Line is designed to provide direct train services between Haneda Airport and central Tokyo and other destinations, improving rail connections for both domestic and international travelers.

Of the approximately 5 kilometers of new railway construction, JR East is responsible for excavating a roughly 2.6-kilometer section extending from Tokyo Freight Terminal along a route that passes beneath a canal.

The project represents a major expansion of Tokyo's airport rail infrastructure, creating new direct connections that will make Haneda Airport more accessible from the metropolitan railway network.

JR East is aiming to complete construction and begin operations during fiscal 2031, which runs from April 2031 through March 2032.

Source: テレ東BIZ

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