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 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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| Overview | |||
| Locale | Kitakyushu, Japan | ||
| Stations | 13 | ||
| Service | |||
| Type | Straddle-beam monorail | ||
| Services | 1 | ||
| Operator(s) | Kitakyushu Urban Monorail Co. Ltd. | ||
| Daily ridership | 31,700 | ||
| History | |||
| Opened | 9 January 1985 | ||
| Technical | |||
| Line length | 8.8 km (5.5 mi) | ||
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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 and wine parties held on the monorail, with bookings made in advance. Santa Claus boards the train on December 24.[5]
Stations
edit| 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 |
競馬場前 (北九州市立大学前) |
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
editReferences
edit- ^ Pedersen, Kim. "Kitakyushu Monorail - a Photo Essay". The Monorail society.
- ^ "Metro of Kitakyushu". Mapa-Metro.
- ^ Pedersen, Kim. "Monorails of Japan". The Monorail Society.
- ^ Karisher, Richard. "Hitachi-Alweg history". The Alweg Archives.
- ^ "サンタ列車に笑顔 北九州モノレール 子どもたちにプレゼント". Nishinippon Shimbun. December 25, 2018. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
External links
edit
- Kitakyushu monorail (Official page in Japanese)
- Map of the Kitakyushu Monorail