East Japan Railway will suspend portions of Tokyo¡¯s busy Yamanote and Keihin-Tohoku lines over the weekend as it carries out track-switching work for the planned access line to Haneda Airport.
Sections of the outer loop of the Yamanote Line and the Keihin-Tohoku Line will be shut down all day Saturday, and from the start of service through around noon on Sunday.
On Saturday, the Yamanote Line will not operate between Ueno, Tokyo and Osaki stations on the outer loop. The Keihin-Tohoku Line will also be suspended between Higashi-Jujo and Shinagawa stations.
The inner loop of the Yamanote Line will run on a limited schedule and service between Osaki and Ueno stations, a stretch that includes Tokyo Station, won¡¯t begin until around 5 a.m. on Saturday.
Train frequencies will be reduced even outside the suspended sections. The Yamanote Line will operate at roughly 40% of its usual capacity on the outer loop and 70% on the inner loop on Saturday. The Keihin-Tohoku Line will run about 60% of its regular service.
On Sunday, both inner and outer loops of the Yamanote Line will again be suspended between Ueno and Osaki stations via Tokyo Station until around midday. The Keihin-Tohoku Line will also remain suspended between Higashi-Jujo and Shinagawa stations.
Service levels elsewhere will be similarly reduced, with Yamanote outer loop trains running at half capacity, the inner loop at 40%, and the Keihin-Tohoku Line at 60%.
The Keihin-Tohoku Line will also run local trains only, with no rapid services, for the entire weekend.
JR East will offer substitute transportation through Tokyo Metro, Toei subway lines and other private railway operators. Passengers must show valid tickets, commuter passes or coupon tickets for the affected sections to use these alternatives.
The suspensions come as JR East pushes ahead with its Haneda Airport Access Line project, which aims to provide direct connections from the Utsunomiya, Takasaki and Joban lines to the airport.
The company plans to launch the new service in fiscal 2031, cutting travel time between Tokyo Station and Haneda Airport to about 18 minutes.
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