Kitakyushu Monorail

The Kitakyushu Monorail (北九州モノレール, Kitakyūshū monorēru) is a monorail system in the city of Kitakyushu in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan, operated by Kitakyushu Urban Monorail Co. Ltd. (北九州高速鉄道株式会社, Kitakyūshū Kōsoku Tetsudō Kabushiki-gaisha, literally "Kitakyūshū Rapid Railway Stock Company"), which is wholly owned by the Kitakyushu municipal government.

Kitakyushu Monorail
Overview
LocaleKitakyushu, Japan
Stations13
Service
TypeStraddle-beam monorail
Services1
Operator(s)Kitakyushu Urban Monorail Co. Ltd.
Daily ridership31,700
History
Opened9 January 1985
Technical
Line length8.8 km (5.5 mi)
Route map

The Kokura Line (小倉線, Kokura-sen) is the only line. It runs the 8.8 km (5.5 mi) between Kokura station and Kikugaoka station in Kokura Minami ward in about 18 minutes. It was opened on January 9, 1985, between the station now called Heiwadori and Kikugaoka, and at the time was the first monorail in the world with high level platforms and trains with floors entirely above the bogies.[1][2] This increased available floor space and now all but one of Japan's surviving Alweg monorails have high level platforms and employ podium-free trains.[3][4] This line was extended about 300 metres (1000 ft) to Kokura station from Heiwadori on April 1, 1998.

The monorail is owned by the city of Kitakyushu, and did not begin to make a profit until the extension to Kokura station was completed. This had been resisted by the businesses in Uomachi shopping district who feared they would lose customers, but that did not happen.

Once a year, there are beer parties and wine parties held on the monorail, bookings made in advance. Santa Claus boards the train on December 24.

Stations

No. Station Name Japanese Distance (km) Transfers Location
Between
Station
Total
Distance
01 Kokura 小倉 - 0.0 Kokurakita-ku
Kitakyūshū
Fukuoka Prefecture
02 Heiwadōri 平和通 0.4 0.4
03 Tanga 旦過 0.3 0.7
04 Kawaraguchi Mihagino 香春口三萩野 0.9 1.6
05 Katano 片野 0.8 2.4
06 Jōno 城野 0.8 3.2 Kokuraminami-ku
Kitakyūshū
07 Kitagata 北方 1.0 4.2
08 Keibajōmae

(University of Kitakyushu)
(Kokura Racecourse)

競馬場前

(北九州市立大学前)
(小倉競馬場)

0.7 4.9
09 Moritsune 守恒 0.8 5.7
10 Tokuriki Kōdanmae 徳力公団前 0.9 6.6
11 Tokuriki Arashiyamaguchi 徳力嵐山口 0.7 7.3
12 Shii 志井 0.9 8.2
13 Kikugaoka 企救丘 0.6 8.8 JI Hitahikosan Line (Shiikōen)

See also

References

  1. Pedersen, Kim. "Kitakyushu Monorail - a Photo Essay". The Monorail society.
  2. "Metro of Kitakyushu". Mapa-Metro.
  3. Pedersen, Kim. "Monorails of Japan". The Monorail Society.
  4. Karisher, Richard. "Hitachi-Alweg history". The Alweg Archives.
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