President Tetsuro Tomita of East Japan Railway Company hold a press conference on February 4 at Headquarters in Tokyo, revealing a plan of new rail line connecting Tokyo station and Haneda Airport. The company will make a decision based on the estimation of the construction cost and future transport demands, said President Tomita.

A 10 kilometer section from Tokyo station to halfway in Shinagawa-ku will run on unused surface freight line. The company considers building underground rails for the 5 kilometer remaining route. A feasibility study on excavation is underway since the tunnel needs to avoid buried facilities under the airport.

A new line running through Tokyo station and Ueno station connecting northbound trains will be put into operation in March 2015. If the plan is realized, Northern terminals of Kanto region such as Mito and Takasaki will be connected directly to Haneda Tokyo International Airport, said Tomita, expecting enhancement of convenience. (2014/02/05)