Narita Station Keisei main line question

Hi

I�fm going back to Japan in mid-March next year & I have a complicated question about trains that travel along the Keisei main line near Narita Airport.

I�fve spend a few days working out some quick routes to take (mostly by train) from the airport to Tokyo station using http://www.ekitan.com/ amounts the other route planning sites. One such route involves traveling along the Keisei main line (not the sky access line) & changing trains at Funabashi for the JR Sobu line. As part of the journey, I would need to take a local train on the Keisei main line to Narita station (the station after Narita Airport Terminal 2) & then change at Narita for a rapid express to Funabashi. I�fve noticed that the rapid express departs Narita station at 6:58am; just one minute after the local train arrives from the airport (arrived at Narita at 6:57am). I did some further research into Narita station & found out that Narita station has 3 tracks with express trains using the middle track (please correct me if I�fm wrong).

My questions would be directed for Japanese residents who have travelled along the Keisei main line. Is it normal for a rapid express to wait for the arrival for local train so people can change onto the rapid express at Narita (especially if the local train is late or cancel.)?

Thank you

This is the usual pattern early in the morning on weekdays. It is not usual during the rest of the day, when usually you can ride a direct train from the airport all the way to Keisei-Funabashi.

I was not able to figure out what platforms the trains arrive and depart from, but I am pretty sure that you will arrive at the track opposite of the rapid train, i.e. you will just have to make a couple of steps across the platform to transfer train.

Looking at the station map, my guess is that your train arrives on track 2 and the rapid train departs from track 1:
http://www.keisei.co.jp/keisei/tetudou/stationmap/pdf/us/138.pdf