On December 30th, 2023, Keisei Electric Railway celebrated the 50th anniversary of their Skyliner operation. In commemoration, Keisei is displaying memorial stickers on the train set AE3 of the EMU AE series.
Let me review the history of Keisei Skyliner. It's an airport access train, operated between the city center of Tokyo and Narita Airport. As you know, Narita is the second international airport in the metropolitan area. The first generation Skyliner was commissioned in 1978, when Narita Airport was opened. That was the EMU (old) AE series with gorgeous reclining cross seats. At the beginning, one set was composed of 6 cars, but, changed to 8 cars later. The two-toned cream and maroon-colored bodies were vivid for passengers. The second generation Skyliner, named the EMU AE 100 series, debuted in 1990 replacing the deteriorating (old) AE series. I liked the retractable lights on the front of the AE100 series. It was cool and inspiring. The AE 100 series was retired in 2016 while it was missed by rail-fans. The third generation Skyliner, namely the EMU (new) AE series, was commissioned in 2010. This model is currently operated as a sole model of Skyliner. I'm fond of this train's sharp streamlined body like a crow. It was designed by a famous fashion designer, Yamamoto Kansai. The maximum operating speed of the (new) AE series is 160 kilometers per hour, which is the fastest in Japan except the Shinkansen trains.
Congratulations on the 50th anniversary of Keisei Skyliner!
