This move is especially welcomed as railway companies across Japan have recently raised prices to adjust to the 2 percent hike in consumption tax on October 1.
Yet the decrease in prices is likely to blow a 4 billion-yen (USD36.7 million) hole in the company's revenue. Keikyu already has quite a comfortable top share of 32 percent of the passenger traffic on the airport route. Yet the company believes that the risk of taking short-term losses will be compensated by future opportunities.
It is not common to offer such huge reductions in railway sector globally hence the move drew a lot of attention to the company's service. Currently, Keikyu charges 300 yen (USD2.75) for a ride from Shinagawa Station to the airport, down from its previous 410-yen fare. The closest rival, Tokyo Monorail, an elevated line that runs along the western coast of Tokyo Bay, sells tickets from Haneda to Hamamatsucho for 500 yen. A limousine bus operated by Airport Transport Service will set you back more than twice as much as Keikyu's train ride – about 730 yen for a ride to Shinagawa Prince Hotel.
Reportedly, the lower prices are already attracting to Keikyu a larger flow of passengers who previously preferred to use other means of trasnportation e.g. monorail to travel between the city and the airport.
Haneda Airport–Central Tokyo Train Ticket Prices Drop
News in Asia
Keikyu railway operator announced fare reduction on train tickets between Haneda Airport and destinations in central Tokyo by about 30%.