The long-awaited Tsukuba Express line, which will cross through Saitama and Chiba prefectures to connect Tokyo's Akihabara district with Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture, will begin operations Aug. 24 amid high -- and low -- expectations.
Covering a northeastern part of greater Tokyo that has long been void of a rail network, the new Metropolitan Intercity Railway Co. link will allow passengers to make the 58.3-km trip in 45 minutes on a rapid-service train for 1,150 yen.
This compares with 65 minutes by expressway bus from JR Tokyo Station for 1,250 yen, and 73 minutes from Akihabara via the JR Joban Line and bus for a combined 1,550 yen.