Rail access is also considering facility improvements to increase flights. After reviewing the current situation, the issues facing each type of access were explained. With the future increase in airline demand (500,000 departures and arrivals per year), the enhancement of access is an urgent issue. As for railroads, we would like to respond by increasing the number of flights, but there are many issues to be addressed. In addition, both the JR East and Keisei Sky Access lines have single-track sections in the vicinity of Narita Airport, which means that passengers must wait to cross between the two lines. In addition, both lines have overcrowded schedules on the city center side, which makes it difficult to increase the number of trains. In addition, some of the platforms are narrow, causing congestion, a problem that is especially noticeable during disasters. In July 2022, the “Expert Panel on Narita Airport Rail Access Improvement,” including Chairman Yamauchi, identified the following six recommendations to resolve these issues (1) In order to cope with future increases in air and rail demand, it is first necessary to improve the transportation capacity of current rail facilities by increasing the length of trains and the number of trains in operation. (2) The number of annual departures and arrivals should be increased from 500,000 to 500,000. 2. In order to reach the goal of 500,000 departures and arrivals per year, there is a limit to the transportation capacity of current rail facilities, and it is necessary to improve the transportation capacity of rail access by eliminating single-track sections around the airport, improving transportation capacity in the city center, and improving rail facilities within the airport in a consistent manner, including a time line. 3. There are four feasible line extension proposals for eliminating the single-track section around the airport, either by adding a line to the north or to the south, and all four proposals are technically feasible. On the other hand, the details of these line extension proposals, including the structural form and construction method, have not yet been finalized, and the construction period and estimated construction cost for the new line construction are estimates based on certain assumptions. In addition to the technical aspects, it is necessary to conduct deeper demand forecasting, income and expenditure analysis, and cost-benefit analysis, as well as to discuss among the parties concerned the time frame, the nature of the project entity, and the cost burden. (4) Measures to improve transportation capacity in the city center should be discussed among NAA, railroad operators, and other related parties to utilize the existing stock as much as possible. (5) For on-airport rail facilities, it is necessary to consider the following With regard to the airport rail facilities, it is necessary to deepen the study on the expansion of the airport station platforms and the double-tracking of the railroad lines, including the time frame and the burden to be borne, mainly by NAA, with a view to the reconstruction of the passenger terminal under the “New Narita Airport” concept. In doing so, it is necessary to consider the role and function of the airport station as “an airport station suitable for the gateway to Japan’s skies. 6. It should be noted that it will take a long time to complete the construction of railroad facilities, and it will be too late to start considering the feasibility of such a project when the issue is imminent. It is hoped that NAA will take the lead in developing an overall picture of the improvement of railroad access, and that further studies will be conducted with the participation of stakeholders, including railroad operators, related local governments, and the national government, in order to realize improvement measures.
The bus access is currently provided via Terminal 3, Terminal 2, and Terminal 1, and the level of service, such as boarding and alighting times and seating opportunities, differs between terminals. The bus boarding and disembarking areas are located right in front of the terminal, which is constrained by the terminal structure and lacks expandability (the capacity of the bus pool is also almost at its limit at 120 buses). The following four directions were explained as possible solutions to these problems. 1. (1) Collaboration with bus operators and other related parties and the establishment of incentive fees for the use of bus poles (boarding and alighting areas) to encourage new routes, new entrants, and increased service, as well as the sharing of facilities to improve operational efficiency, improve information displays, diversify means of payment, and introduce MaaS. In conjunction with the construction of the new passenger terminal, bus boarding and alighting areas and bus pools will be expanded, and measures to further improve passenger convenience by integrating access functions will also be extensively studied. 3) In conjunction with the construction of airport roads, study the feasibility of BRT and other measures to improve the convenience of bus operations between the airport and surrounding areas. 4) Consideration will be given to park-and-bus-ride bus access, mainly for airport employees, to reduce congestion and improve environmental friendliness and convenience. Park-and-bus-ride is envisioned as a way to park your car in a parking lot near the airport after leaving your home and take a bus on the way to the terminal or other workplaces in the airport. The company claims that this method offers time and cost advantages because it eases traffic congestion. As an overseas example, the official airport park-and-ride service introduced at Auckland Airport in New Zealand was introduced.
As for the cab and car hire business, nearly 60% of customers in a survey conducted by NAA had the impression that cabs and car hire services are “expensive,” and there are few medium- to large-sized vehicles, which may not be able to accommodate groups and families. This is a problem that NAA is trying to solve. In order to solve these problems, the following four points were raised. 1. (1) Introduce shared-ride cabs and taxi/hire car dispatch services in cooperation with taxi/hire car operators to reduce fares for users. 2. promote the introduction of medium and large-sized cab and hired car vehicles that can accommodate groups and families 3) In cooperation with MaaS operators, consider combining cab and car hire services with other access services to provide low-cost services, thereby increasing the number of options for access to Narita Airport and improving convenience. In conjunction with the construction of the new passenger terminal, expand the taxi/hire car loading and unloading areas and waiting areas, and extensively study ways to further improve passenger convenience by consolidating access functions.
As for roads, he would like to improve connectivity to the region by making major improvements to roads within the airport. Regarding road access issues, he explained the connection to wide-area roads, roads around the airport, roads within the airport, and boarding and parking areas. Regarding wide-area roads, the completion of the Ushiogi IC to Hokota IC of the Higashi-Kanseki Expressway (scheduled to open in FY2025-2026), the Daiei JCT to Matsuo Yokoshiba IC of the Ken-O Expressway (scheduled to open in FY2024), and the Route 464 North Chiba Road between Ichikawa City and Kamagaya City and between Oshihata and Daisen, Narita City will improve access to the northern Kanto and southern prefectures, as well as the access to the airport. As redundancy is expected to be secured, it is necessary to study efficient connection with the airport roads in order to increase traffic volume and improve disaster response in the future. To this end, he explained that it is desirable to reorganize the airport roads into circumferential, easy-to-understand, and fast-track roads. As for the roads around the airport, the committee will cooperate and collaborate with related parties to create a network of roads around the airport that will accommodate the increasing traffic volume and contribute to the regional network by easing congestion on surrounding roads, and has raised the following six points (1) Improvement of connectivity between the extensive highway network and the airport/region. (2) Contribution to the regional network through the restructuring of roads within the airport and the future development of roads around the airport. 3. steady improvement and effectiveness of replacement roads in conjunction with further enhancement of functions (4) Achieve a road network that supports the development of the airport and the region and can accommodate future traffic volumes, including on existing roads, in cooperation and collaboration with related parties. 5. improvement and enhancement of the living road environment by minimizing the impact of airport-related road traffic, including passenger cars and trucks using the airport and the road network that supports the development of the airport and the region 6. ensuring parking for regional and inter-airport traffic. Regarding the airport roads, he explained that they are difficult to understand due to the mix of passenger, cargo, and employee traffic lines and the many branches, as well as the many flat intersections, which impair express delivery. Again, he reiterated that the airport roads will be reorganized into circumferential and easy-to-understand roads, and connected to the Higashi-Kanseki Expressway and Ken-O Expressway by roads with high express delivery capability to improve accessibility and ensure redundancy. Regarding boarding and parking lots, he explained that the issues are that they are not scalable, and that the level of service differs due to the mix of flat and multi-level parking lots. Therefore, the company will consider highly convenient boarding and parking facilities that are close to and directly connected to the terminal, taking full advantage of the merits of a single terminal that can reliably accommodate peak hours. He also explained that long-term parking and employee parking will be considered based on securing sufficient necessary capacity, improving convenience and ES, easing road congestion, and reducing environmental impact.
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