Tokyo’s Haneda Monorail Improvements Planned

Tokyo, Japan, August 21, 2014 – While most travelers enter Japan from Narita International Airport, Haneda Airport which is closer to Tokyo’s downtown and sees 60 million passengers annually, is being upgraded with improved rail links. The airport has resurfaced as an international destination since a fourth runway was added as part of the Japanese government’s program to increase tourism in the country.

The monorail that’s operated by Japan Railways East (JR East) and its subsidiary Tokyo Monorail are looking to expand the 'train to the plane' system to Shinjuku (a major tourist destination), central Tokyo and Shin-Kiba with a 3 km (about 2 miles). The project is budgeted at $1.1 billion dollars.

Currently, passengers can connect from the monorail to JR East and the Tokyo subway at the at Hamamatsucho monorail terminal. The line extension would reduce the average trip time from 24 to 18 minutes and a train transfer eliminated.