You may remember my post from last year, where I mentioned that Keisei will absorb the Shin-Keisei Electric Railway in April 2025. How is the merger project progressing now? I recently visited the Shin-Keisei Line for the first time in two years, and saw the changes with my own eyes.
Let me briefly review Keisei Electric Railway and Shin-Keisei Electric Railway. Keisei is one of the major private railway companies in the Tokyo metropolitan area. Its network stretches 152.3 kilometers across eastern Tokyo and northern Chiba Prefecture. Shin-Keisei, on the other hand, is a Keisei affiliate based in Chiba Prefecture, operating a 26.5-kilometer route. Last year, Keisei made Shin-Keisei a wholly owned subsidiary through a share exchange. As the second step, Keisei will fully absorb Shin-Keisei next year to accelerate decision-making and improve business efficiency. After the merger, the Shin-Keisei Line will be renamed the Keisei Matsudo Line.
Now, onto the main topic. I found that two Shin-Keisei trainsets have recently been repainted in their original colors. They are Set N838 of the N800 series EMU and Set 8808 of the 8800 series EMU. In my memory, both sets were repainted into the newer pink-and-white livery only about two years ago. So why return them to their former colors now? It seems to be a way for Shin-Keisei to look back on its history as it approaches the end of its independent era. I fully enjoyed seeing these “déjà vu” trains running again on the Shin-Keisei Line.
