Tokyo Monorail

{{About|the Haneda Airport monorail|the Western Tokyo monorail|Tama Toshi Monorail Line}}

{{Infobox rail line

| name = Tokyo Monorail Haneda Airport Line

| native_name = 東京モノレール羽田空港線

| native_name_lang = ja

| color = 000080

| logo = File:Tokyo monorail.svg

| logo_width =

| image = Tokyo-Monorail-Type10000 Haneda-Airport-Line.jpg

| caption = A train passing through Haneda Airport

| type = Straddle-beam monorail (Alweg{{Nbhyph}}type)

| owner = Tokyo Monorail Co., Ltd.

| operator =

| locale = Tokyo, Japan

| website = [http://www.tokyo-monorail.co.jp/english/ Tokyo Monorail]

| linelength = {{convert|17.8|km|mi|abbr=on}}

| open = {{start date|1964|09|17|df=y}}

| stations = 11

| start = Monorail Hamamatsuchō (north)

| end = Haneda Airport Terminal 2 (south)

| daily_ridership = 140,173 (2018, average){{cite web |script-title=ja:会社概要 |trans-title=Company Profile |url=http://www.tokyo-monorail.co.jp/company/profile.html |language=ja |publisher=Tokyo Monorail Co., Ltd. |access-date=May 12, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190512175123/http://www.tokyo-monorail.co.jp/company/profile.html |archive-date=May 12, 2019}}

| speed = {{plainlist}}

{{convert|45|km/h|mph|abbr=on}} (average)
{{convert|80|km/h|mph|abbr=on}} (top)

| character = Elevated and underground{{cite web |url=https://www.hitachi-rail.com/pdf/tokyo_monorail.pdf |title=Case Study: Heavy Duty Performance, Tokyo Monorail |publisher=Hitachi Rail |date=2014 |access-date=September 4, 2019 |archive-date=December 6, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191206084102/http://www.hitachi-rail.com/pdf/tokyo_monorail.pdf |url-status=dead }}

| minradius = {{convert|120|m|ft|abbr=on}}

| map = {{Tokyo Monorail RDT}}

| map_state = hide

| map_name = Route diagram

}}

The {{Nihongo foot|Tokyo Monorail|東京モノレール|Tōkyō Monorēru|group=lower-alpha|lead=yes}}, officially the {{Nihongo foot|Tokyo Monorail Haneda Airport Line|東京モノレール羽田空港線|Tōkyō Monorēru Haneda Kūkō sen|group=lower-alpha}}, is a straddle-beam, Alweg-type monorail line in Tokyo, Japan. It is an airport rail link that connects Tokyo International Airport (Haneda) to Tokyo's Ōta, Shinagawa, and Minato wards. The {{convert|17.8|km|mi|adj=on|sp=us}} line serves 11 stations between the Monorail Hamamatsuchō and Haneda Airport Terminal 2 stations. It runs on a predominantly elevated north–south route that follows the western coast of Tokyo Bay. The monorail is operated by the Tokyo Monorail Co., Ltd., which is jointly owned by JR East, the system's rolling stock supplier Hitachi, and ANA Holdings, Inc. (the holding company of All Nippon Airways). It carried an average of 140,173 passengers per day in 2018.

Plans to build Japan's first airport rail link surfaced in 1959 as Tokyo was preparing to host the 1964 Summer Olympics. That year, the Yamato Kanko Co., Ltd.—later renamed the Tokyo Monorail Co.—was established to build the rail connection. Construction began in 1963 and completed on 17 September 1964, just 23 days ahead of the Olympic opening ceremony. Upon opening, the monorail operated between the Hamamatsuchō and Haneda stations, making no intermediate stops. It has since been expanded with infill stations and extensions, and there are plans to extend it to Tokyo Station in the future.

The Tokyo Monorail is one of two rail lines serving the airport, the other being the Keikyū Airport Line. At Hamamatsuchō Station, passengers may transfer to the Keihin–Tōhoku and Yamanote lines of JR East, as well as the Asakusa and Oedo lines of the Toei Subway via nearby Daimon Station. The monorail also connects with Tokyo Waterfront Area Rapid Transit's Rinkai Line at Tennōzu Isle Station.

Early history

File:Tokyo Airport (1).jpg

Tokyo's Haneda Airport had emerged as the country's international gateway by the time Japan's commercial aviation industry recovered from the Second World War in the early 1950s. In 1959, the airport recorded approximately 910,000 total passengers and expected many more for the coming 1964 Summer Olympics. That same year, the government unveiled a plan for a central Tokyo-to-airport rail link. Opponents of the rail line briefly countered with a proposal to extend the Tokyo Expressway instead, but fears that this would only worsen vehicular congestion led to a preference for rail.{{cite journal |last=Hirota |first=Ryosuke |journal=Japan Railway & Transport Review |volume=19 |date=March 1999 |title=Air–Rail Links in Japan: 35 Years Old and Healthier than Ever |url=http://www.ejrcf.or.jp/jrtr/jrtr19/pdf/F08_Hirota.pdf |access-date=August 22, 2019}}{{rp|9}}

In August 1959, the Yamato Kanko Co., Ltd. was established to build the rail line; it renamed to Japan Elevated Railway Co., Ltd. a year later. The company applied for a route license to build a straddle-beam, Alweg-type monorail in January 1960, which the Japanese government granted the following December.{{cite web |url=http://www.tokyo-monorail.co.jp/fun/history.html |script-title=ja:モノレールヒストリー |trans-title=Monorail History |language=ja |publisher=Tokyo Monorail Co., Ltd. |access-date=May 23, 2020}} The company selected Alweg due to two factors. First, the company's president, Tetsuzo Inumaru, was an old friend of Dr. Axel Wenner-Gren, the founder of Alweg. Second, Hitachi, which would build the line, was keen on further developing the technology.{{rp|9}}

Project planners originally intended the monorail line to extend from Haneda Airport to Shimbashi or Tokyo Station,{{cite news |last=Whiting |first=Robert |url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2014/10/24/olympics/negative-impact-1964-olympics-profound/#.VGNHKY0cR9A |title=Negative impact of 1964 Olympics profound |newspaper=The Japan Times |date=October 24, 2014 |page=14 |access-date=May 12, 2019}} and the license that had been acquired allowed building it up to either station.{{cite web |url=https://www.aecen.org/sites/default/files/tokyo_monorail.pdf |title=Tokyo Monorail, Company Profile |publisher=Tokyo Monorail Co., Ltd. |date=2010 |access-date=May 11, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190511230804/https://www.aecen.org/sites/default/files/tokyo_monorail.pdf |archive-date=May 11, 2019 |url-status=unfit }}{{rp|3}} However, opposition from residents living near the Shibaura Canal, which had been part of the proposed route,{{cite news |last=Kusamachi |first=Yoshikazu |script-title=ja:東京モノレール、なぜ浜松町発着？北への延伸は「幻」に終わるか |trans-title=Why does Tokyo Monorail end at Hamamatsuchō? Will the north extension remain a "vision"? |language=ja |newspaper=Norimono News |date=March 25, 2018 |url=https://trafficnews.jp/post/80013 |access-date=September 4, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190905054156/https://trafficnews.jp/post/80013 |archive-date=September 5, 2019}} as well as cost overruns during the construction of the Tōkaidō Shinkansen, which drained government subsidies, resulted in a shortened route from the airport to Hamamatsuchō Station. To further minimize costs, the line was routed over other public waterways donated by local municipalities, which eliminated the need to acquire expensive private land, but reclaimed parts of Tokyo Bay, as well as rivers and canals. The resulting alignment removed a number of fishing and aquatic farming operations, and local fishing cooperatives had their licences revoked by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. Among them was a seaweed harvesting field in Ōta Ward that had produced a premium brand of nori since the Edo period called Omori no nori.

The Ministry of Transport authorized the monorail project in December 1961.{{rp|9}} A groundbreaking ceremony was held on 1 May 1963, and the subsequent construction of the line progressed rapidly.{{citation |script-title=ja:東京モノレール50年史 1964-2014 |trans-title=Tokyo Monorail 50 Years History 1964-2014 |language=ja |author=Tokyo Monorail Co., Ltd. Corporate History Editorial Committee |publisher=Tokyo Monorail Co., Ltd. |date=September 2014}}{{rp|248}} In May 1964, Japan Elevated Railway Co., Ltd. again changed its name to Tokyo Monorail Co., Ltd. The line cost a total of {{Yen|21.1 billion}} (equivalent to approximately $60 million in 1964 dollars{{cite magazine |author= |title=Tokyo monorail wins its comeback fight |magazine=Business Week |year=1970 |issue=2131–2139 |publisher=McGraw Hill |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jrUiAQAAMAAJ |page=56}}), of which {{Yen|20 billion}} was spent for construction and {{Yen|1.1 billion}} on rolling stock.{{rp|9}} Hitachi built the first-generation cars in Japan under license of Alweg (through the Hitachi–Alweg joint venture). Upon its inauguration, the Tokyo Monorail became the world's first commercial monorail service and Japan's first airport rail connection.{{cite journal |author= |title=Tokyo Monorial Service Opened |journal=Railway Gazette |date=October 2, 1964 |page=793}}{{cite magazine|title=Tokyo monorail opened |magazine=The Railway Magazine |issue=763 |date=November 1964 |page=862}}

Service commenced on 17 September 1964, 23 days ahead of the Olympic opening ceremony on 10 October.{{cite book |last=Terada |first=Hirokazu |script-title=ja:データブック日本の私鉄 |trans-title=Databook: Japan's Private Railways |language=ja |publisher=Neko Publishing |date=January 19, 2013 |location=Japan |page=53 |isbn= 978-4-7770-1336-4}}The Haneda monorail Modern Railways issue 431 August 1984 page 406 At the time of opening, the Tokyo Monorail ran a total length of {{convert|13.1|km|mi|sp=us}} and served only its termini: Hamamatsuchō Station and the airport. Most of the artificial islands in Tokyo Bay had not yet been reclaimed, and the line mostly ran over water.{{cite tweet |user=JPNatArchives |number=776948949903171584 |date=September 16, 2016 |script-title=ja:昭和39年(1964)、東京モノレールが開業しました。開業当時、羽田空港・浜松町間には途中駅がなく、区間13.1kmを約15分で結んだそうです。画像は、開業時の路線図です。#モノレール |trans-title=The Tokyo Monorail opened in 1964. At the time of opening, there was no station on the way between Haneda Airport and Hamamatsucho, and the 13.1-km route took about 15 minutes. The image is a route map at the time of opening. #monorail |language=ja |link=https://twitter.com/JPNatArchives/status/776948949903171584/photo/1 |access-date=August 14, 2020}}{{cite news |author= |script-title=ja:東京モノレール50年車窓から見た湾岸開発史 |trans-title=Tokyo Monorail 50 years: Development history of the bay from the view of a train window |language=ja |newspaper=Nihon Keizai Shimbun |date=September 5, 2014 |access-date=September 4, 2019 |url=https://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXMZO76335490Z20C14A8000000/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190905050338/https://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXMZO76335490Z20C14A8000000/ |archive-date=September 5, 2019}} The price for a one-way ticket was {{Yen|250}},{{cite news |last=Kamizawa |first=Hiroyuki |script-title=ja:(東京五輪物語)浜松町-羽田モノレール開通空港まで15分、突貫工事 |trans-title=(Tokyo Olympics Story) Hamamatsucho–Haneda Monorail opens, airport in 15 minutes, construction rushed |language=ja |newspaper=Asahi Shimbun |date=14 February 2015 |url=https://www.asahi.com/articles/DA3S11602539.html |access-date=12 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150214200507/http://www.asahi.com/articles/DA3S11602539.html |archive-date=14 February 2015 |url-status=unfit |url-access=subscription}}{{cite news |author= |script-title=ja:東京モノレール開業 |trans-title=Tokyo Monorail Opens |language=ja |newspaper=Mainichi Shimbun |date=September 17, 1964 |url=http://showa.mainichi.jp/news/1964/09/post-f35f.html |access-date=September 4, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140607043912/http://showa.mainichi.jp/news/1964/09/post-f35f.html |archive-date=June 7, 2014 |url-status=unfit}} which was relatively more expensive than other available options at the time. It was notably cheaper to take a taxi with four people to the airport than to ride the monorail. A recession following the Olympics resulted in a decrease in airport arrivals, which severely affected ridership. In 1966, the Tokyo Monorail was forced to reduce the price of its fare to {{Yen|150}} to attract more passengers.

Infill stations and later expansions

File:Tokyo monorail international bld sta.jpg

Ōi Keibajō Mae became the monorail's first infill station upon its completion in May 1965. It was originally built as a temporary station above the water along the coast and only operated on days when an event was taking place at Ohi Racecourse. Its permanent replacement opened two years later. The city government subsequently reclaimed the area around this station and developed a housing complex known as {{ill|Yashio Park Town|ja|八潮 (品川区)}}. In November 1967, an overpass connecting the monorail platform to the JR platforms of Hamamatsuchō Station was completed. Between 1967 and 1993, four more stations were built along the original alignment; these were Haneda Seibijō, later renamed Seibijō (1967); Shin Heiwajima, later renamed Ryūtsū Center (1969); Shōwajima (1985); and Tennōzu Isle (1992).{{rp|3}}

When the monorail began operating, the passenger terminal at Haneda Airport was located on the west side of the airfield, south of Seibijō, and this was the southern end of the line. Upon the opening of a new passenger terminal—now Terminal 1—in 1993, the monorail was extended to a new platform and another station, Shin Seibijō, was built for the employees of nearby maintenance facilities.{{rp|4}} Meanwhile, the former airport passenger terminal was razed and the monorail tunnel beneath it abandoned to make room for an extension of Runway B.{{cite web |last=Imoto |first=Keisuke |script-title=ja:羽田空港の歴史 |trans-title=Haneda Airport History |language=ja |url=https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jjca/48/4/48_4_4_7/_pdf |publisher=地図 |pages=11–13 |date=December 16, 2010 |access-date=November 28, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180829035008/https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jjca/48/4/48_4_4_7/_pdf |archive-date=August 29, 2018}} The original Haneda Station, which was abandoned along with the tunnel, was rebuilt farther west along the new section of tracks and renamed Tenkūbashi Station in November 1998.{{cite news |last=Okuyama |first=Seijiro |script-title=ja:東京モノレール５０周年消えた「羽田駅」・実は小さい「天空橋」 |trans-title=Tokyo Monorail 50th Anniversary: Vanished "Haneda Station", actually small "Tenkubashi" |language=ja |url=https://withnews.jp/article/f0140917002qq000000000000000W0080201qq000010851A |newspaper={{ill|withnews|ja|withnews}} |date=September 17, 2014 |access-date=March 5, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200306031743/https://withnews.jp/article/f0140917002qq000000000000000W0080201qq000010851A |archive-date=March 6, 2020}} Although the rails were removed and its entrance walled off, the now-unused tunnel remains otherwise intact today below the Runway B extension.

The monorail has continued to adapt and expand with the terminal changes and expansions of Haneda Airport. A single-station, {{convert|0.9|km|mi|adj=on|sp=us}} extension to the airport's then new Terminal 2 opened on 1 December 2004, and resulted in the renaming of the existing Haneda Airport Station to Haneda Airport Terminal 1 Station. The opening of a passing loop at Shōwajima allowed for the operation of express services from 18 March 2007. A new infill station to serve the airport's new International Terminal opened on 21 October 2010. On 14 March 2020, the three stations serving Haneda Airport were renamed to coincide with the renaming of the International Terminal to Terminal 3. In Japanese, the word {{Nihongo|"building"|ビル|biru}} in the station names was modified to {{Nihongo|"terminal"|ターミナル|tāminaru}}. From north–south, the stations are {{Nihongo foot|Haneda Airport Terminal 3 Station|羽田空港第3ターミナル駅|group=lower-alpha}}, {{Nihongo foot|Haneda Airport Terminal 1 Station|羽田空港第1ターミナル駅|group=lower-alpha}}, and {{Nihongo foot|Haneda Airport Terminal 2 Station|羽田空港第2ターミナル駅|group=lower-alpha}}.{{cite press release |url=http://www.tokyo-monorail.co.jp/news/pdf/press_20191216.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191216085717/http://www.tokyo-monorail.co.jp/news/pdf/press_20191216.pdf |script-title=ja:羽田空港にある3つの駅（羽田空港国際線ビル駅・羽田空港第1ビル駅・羽田空港第2ビル駅）の名称が変わります |trans-title=Three stations at Haneda Airport (Haneda Airport International Terminal Building Station, Haneda Airport Building 1 Station, Haneda Airport Building 1 Station) change names |language=ja |publisher=Tokyo Monorail |date=December 16, 2019 |archive-date=December 16, 2019 |access-date=March 5, 2020}}{{cite news |url=https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20200314/k10012331121000.html |author= |script-title=ja:東京モノレール羽田空港の３つの駅名変更 |trans-title=Tokyo Monorail Haneda Airport changes 3 station names |language=ja |publisher=NHK |date=March 14, 2020 |access-date=March 15, 2020}}

=Planned extension to Tokyo Station=

In June 2009, Tokyo Monorail Co., Ltd., formally notified the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport of its intent to convert the present single-track terminal at Hamamatsucho, which has remained unchanged since 1964, into a dual-track, dual-platform structure. To be built in six and a half years at an estimated cost of {{Yen|26 billion}}, this would increase the line's capacity from 18 to 24 trains per hour and lay the groundwork for a long-mooted extension to Shimbashi Station.{{cite news |script-title=ja:東京モノレール／浜松町駅を複線化／事業費２６０億円、東京駅延伸も視野 |trans-title=Tokyo Monorail: Double-tracking of Hamamatsucho Station - Project cost 26 billion yen, extension to Tokyo also eyed |language=ja |work=The Daily Engineering & Construction News |publisher = The Nikkan Kensetsu Kogyo Shinbun | date=24 June 2009}} In August 2014, plans were revealed to extend the line from Hamamatsucho to Tokyo Station, running alongside the Yamanote Line tracks between Shimbashi and Tokyo at a cost of {{Yen|109.5 billion}} with construction taking approximately ten years.{{cite web |url=http://www.news24.jp/articles/2014/08/20/07257561.html |script-title=ja:東京モノレールが「終点・東京駅」構想 |trans-title=Plans for Tokyo Monorail to terminate at Tokyo Station |date= 20 August 2014 |work=News 24 |publisher=Nippon Television Network Corporation |location= Japan|language= ja|access-date= 20 August 2014}}{{cite news |url=https://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/tokyo-monorail-plans-to-extend.html |author= |title=Tokyo Monorail plans to extend |journal=Railway Gazette International |date=22 August 2014 |access-date=22 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140826224402/https://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/tokyo-monorail-plans-to-extend.html|archive-date=2014-08-26}}

However, in 2021 JR East has announced the construction of the Haneda Airport Access Line which will connect Tokyo Station with conventional rail.

=New terminus at Hamamatsucho Station=

As part of a redevelopment of World Trade Center Building, a new monorail station will be built at Hamamatsucho Station. It is scheduled to be completed by 2027.{{cite news |title=浜松町駅｢世界貿易センター｣再開発で何が変わる |url=https://toyokeizai.net/articles/-/441296 |access-date=2021-08-04 |publisher=toyokeiza |date=18 July 2021}}

File:Tokyo-monorail-japan-march-28-2016.webm

Route

The Tokyo Monorail is {{convert|17.8|km|mi|sp=us}} long and traverses Tokyo's Minato, Shinagawa, and Ōta wards.{{rp|12}} From its northern terminus at Monorail Hamamatsuchō Station, the line travels southbound as it crosses over the Yamanote, Keihin–Tōhoku, Ueno–Tokyo, Tōkaidō Main, and Tokaido Shinkansen lines.{{Google maps |url=https://www.google.com/maps/place/Hamamatsuch%C5%8D+Station/@35.6553852,139.7549402,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x60188bc60592772b:0xe8f68e642f2dcbb1!8m2!3d35.6553809!4d139.7571289 |title=Hamamatsuchō Station |access-date=January 6, 2020}} Upon entering Shibaura, it follows the edge of canals surrounded by artificial islands.{{Google maps |url=https://www.google.com/maps/place/Shibaura,+Minato+City,+Tokyo,+Japan/@35.6398548,139.7497402,15.5z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x60188bb51e9c07bd:0xad368c5378bedf50!8m2!3d35.643223!4d139.7497416 |title=Shibaura |access-date=August 22, 2020}} On an artificial island within {{ill|Kōnan, Minato, Tokyo|lt=Kōnan|ja|港南 (東京都港区)}} just east of Shinagawa Station and the main campus of Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology,{{Google maps |url=https://www.google.com/maps/place/Tokyo+University+of+Marine+Science+and+Technology+Shinagawa+Campus/@35.6262655,139.748757,15.75z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x60188a43e00b81c1:0x5fe937a0ec90bc76!8m2!3d35.627002!4d139.7483334 |title=Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology Shinagawa Campus |access-date=August 22, 2020}} the monorail starts to follow the Shuto Expressway Haneda Route alignment with a stop at Tennōzu Isle.{{Google maps |url=https://www.google.com/maps/place/Tennozu+Isle+Station/@35.6172607,139.7499327,15.75z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x60188a6aef859b51:0xb0e6d107cfce2b86!8m2!3d35.622986!4d139.7506374 |title=Tennozu Isle Station |access-date=August 22, 2020}}

=Service patterns=

The following three service types operate on the line:

{{Color box|#2ca739}} {{Nihongo|Local|普通|Futsū}}
{{Color box|#f39700}} {{Nihongo|Rapid|区間快速|Kukan Kaisoku}}
{{Color box|#e60013}} {{Nihongo|Haneda Express|空港快速|Kūkō Kaisoku}}

Tokyo Monorail trains operate on an average headway of four minutes. This can be as short as three minutes and 20 seconds during peak hours.{{rp|2}}{{cite journal |url=http://www.hitachi.com/rev/pdf/2014/r2014_10_104.pdf |last1=Yamaguchi |first1=Takuma |last2=Nishino |first2=Toru |last3=Ueki |first3=Naoji |last4=Hirano |first4=Syuji |title=Development of 10000 Series Rolling Stock for Tokyo Monorail |date=2014 |journal=Hitachi Review |volume=63 |issue=10 |pages=33–37 |access-date=11 May 2019}}{{rp|33}} "Local" trains stop at every station, with end-to-end travel taking 24 minutes. "Rapid" trains bypass the Shōwajima, Seibijō, Tenkūbashi, Shin Seibijō stations, and take 21 minutes to travel across the line. "Haneda Express" trains make non-stop runs between Monorail Hamamatsuchō Station and Haneda Airport; these trains arrive at Haneda Airport Terminal 3 in 13 minutes, Haneda Airport Terminal 1 in 16 minutes, and Haneda Airport Terminal 2 in 18 minutes.{{cite web |url=http://www.tokyo-monorail.co.jp/english/guidance/index.html |title=Timetables / Fares / Access Information |publisher=Tokyo Monorail Co., Ltd. |access-date=11 May 2019}} The Tokyo Monorail started operating {{Nihongo|"Rapid"|快速|Kaisoku}} trains in December 2001, which departed from Haneda Airport at 11:50 pm; these trains began running all day three years later. In March 2007, the monorail replaced its original "Rapid" service with the two current "Haneda Express" and "Rapid" service patterns.

=Stations=

class="wikitable"

|+ Key

●

|Stops at this station

{{n/a

} |

|Skips this station

class=wikitable

! No.

! Image

! Name

! Japanese

! Distance

! style="background-color:#2ca739; color:#ffffff;"| Local

! style="background-color:#f39700; color:#ffffff;"| Rapid

! style="background-color:#e60013; color:#ffffff;"| Haneda{{br}}Express

! Connections and notes

! Location

| File:Monorail-Hamamatsucho-Sta-Platform.JPG

| Monorail Hamamatsuchō

| モノレール浜松町

| align="right" | {{convert|0.0|km|abbr=on}}

| align="center" | ●

| {{JRLS|JK}} Keihin–Tōhoku Line{{br}}{{JRLS|JY}} Yamanote Line{{br}}{{TSLS|A}} Asakusa Line (via Daimon Station){{br}}{{TSLS|E}} Oedo Line (via Daimon Station)

| align="center" | Minato

| File:Tennozu isle sta south.jpg

| {{STN|Tennōzu Isle|x}}

| 天王洲アイル

| align="right" | {{convert|4.0|km|abbr=on}}

| align="center" | ●

| align="center" {{n/a

} |

| {{RKLS}} Rinkai Line

| rowspan="2" align="center" | Shinagawa

| {{JRSN|MO|03|size=40}}

| File:Oikeibajo-mae sta.jpg

| {{STN|Ōi Keibajō Mae|x}}

| 大井競馬場前

| align="right" | {{convert|7.1|km|abbr=on}}

| align="center" | ●

| align="center" {{n/a|}} |

| —

| {{JRSN|MO|04|size=40}}

| File:Tokyo Monorail Ryūtsū Center sta 001.jpg

| {{STN|Ryūtsū Center|x}}

| 流通センター

| align="right" | {{convert|8.7|km|abbr=on}}

| align="center" | ●

| align="center" {{n/a|}} |

| —

| rowspan="8" align="center" | Ōta

| {{JRSN|MO|05|size=40}}

| File:Tokyo Monorail Showajima sta 001.jpg

| {{STN|Shōwajima|x}}

| 昭和島

| align="right" | {{convert|9.9|km|abbr=on}}

| align="center" | ●

| align="center" {{n/a|}} |

| —

| {{JRSN|MO|06|size=40}}

| File:Tokyo Monorail Seibijo sta 001.jpg

| {{STN|Seibijō|x}}

| 整備場

| align="right" | {{convert|11.8|km|abbr=on}}

| align="center" | ●

| align="center" {{n/a|}} |

| —

| {{JRSN|MO|07|size=40}}

| File:Tokyo-monorail-MO07-Tenkubashi-station-entrance-20191103-153531.jpg

| {{STN|Tenkūbashi|x}}

| 天空橋

| align="right" | {{convert|12.6|km|abbr=on}}

| align="center" | ●

| align="center" {{n/a|}} |

| {{KQLS}} Keikyū Airport Line

| {{JRSN|MO|08|size=40}}

| File:Haneda airport International station monorail no3.JPG

| {{STN|Haneda Airport Terminal 3|x}}

| 羽田空港第3ターミナル

| align="right" | {{convert|14.0|km|abbr=on}}

| align="center" | ●

| {{KQLS}} Keikyū Airport Line

| {{JRSN|MO|09|size=40}}

| File:Tokyo-monorail-MO09-Shin-seibijo-station-entrance-20191103-151846.jpg

| {{STN|Shin Seibijō|x}}

| 新整備場

| align="right" | {{convert|16.1|km|abbr=on}}

| align="center" | ●

| align="center" {{n/a|}} |

| —

| {{JRSN|MO|10|size=40}}

| File:Haneda airport terminal 1 Station - Nov 23 2019.jpeg

| {{STN|Haneda Airport Terminal 1|x}}

| 羽田空港第1ターミナル

| align="right" | {{convert|16.9|km|abbr=on}}

| align="center" | ●

| {{KQLS}} Keikyū Airport Line (via Haneda Airport Terminal 1·2 Station)

| {{JRSN|MO|11|size=40}}

| File:Haneda Airport Terminal 2 Station 001.JPG

| {{STN|Haneda Airport Terminal 2|x}}

| 羽田空港第2ターミナル

| align="right" | {{convert|17.8|km|abbr=on}}

| align="center" | ●

| {{KQLS}} Keikyū Airport Line (via Haneda Airport Terminal 1·2 Station)

Rolling stock

All rolling stock that has ever been operated in the Tokyo Monorail since inauguration are built by Hitachi Rail. {{As of|2020}}, the Tokyo Monorail operates three train types: 1000 series, 2000 series, and most recently, 10000 series. All trainsets run in a six-car configuration and are capable of running at speeds of up to {{convert|80|km/h|mph|round=5|abbr=on}}. Each car has a combination of aisle-facing bench seats, forward and rear-facing seats, and seats in the center of the aisle. The latter is because the train floor is lower than the diameter of the load bearing wheels above the top of the beam, unlike trains built for newer Japanese Alweg monorails. The trains also feature extra space for hand luggage, as a convenience for air travelers. These trains are stored and maintained at Shōwajima Depot beside Shōwajima Station during off-service hours. The 1000 series trains were introduced from 1989, and the 2000 series trains were introduced from 1997.{{cite web|url= http://sankei.jp.msn.com/life/news/130910/trd13091020170006-n1.htm |script-title= ja:東京モノレール開業５０年新型車両、車内は「和風」２６年導入|date= 10 September 2013|work= MSN Sankei News|publisher= The Sankei Shimbun & Sankei Digital|location= Japan|language= ja|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130912000809/http://sankei.jp.msn.com/life/news/130910/trd13091020170006-n1.htm|archive-date= 2013-09-12|access-date= 11 September 2013|url-status= dead}}

From 18 July 2014, the first of a fleet of new 10000 series 6-car trains was introduced, replacing the older 1000 series trains.{{cite web |url=http://www.sponichi.co.jp/entertainment/news/2014/07/18/kiji/K20140718008585140.html |script-title=ja:指原莉乃が出発進行！東京モノレールに新型車両、「和」デザイン |trans-title=New Tokyo Monorail train with "Wa" design seen off by Rino Sashihara |date=18 July 2014 |work=Sponichi Annex |publisher= Sports Nippon Newspapers |location= Japan|language= ja|access-date=18 July 2014}}

{{Gallery

| title=Current fleet

| width= 160

| height= 170

| align= center

| footer=

| File:Monorail1000n-wiki.jpg

| alt1=

| 1000 series

| File:Monorail2000n-wiki.jpg

| alt2=

| 2000 series

| File:東京モノレール10000形.jpg

| alt3=

| 10000 series

}}

=Former rolling stock=

Former rolling stock once used on Tokyo Monorail include the 100/200/300/350 series (from 1964 until 1978), 500 series (from 1969 until 1991), 600 series (from 1977 until 1997), and 700/800 series (from 1982 until 1998).

Service

The Tokyo Monorail operates from around 5:00 a.m. to midnight with over 500 trains. The first departure towards the airport leaves at 04:58 and the last departure is at 00:01. Towards Hamamatsuchō, the first departure is at 05:11 and the final departure is at 00:05 (final departure serving all stations at 23:38). Passengers using the monorail to travel to the airport can take advantage of check-in facilities at Hamamatsuchō. Japan's domestic airlines (JAL, ANA, Skymark Airlines, and Air Do) have check-in counters and ticket machines right at the station. It carried its 1.5 billionth passenger on January 24, 2007.{{cite news | title = 1.5 billionth rides monorail to Haneda | work =The Japan Times | publisher = The Japan Times Ltd. |date = 2007-01-24 | url = http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nb20070125a2.html | access-date = 2007-01-24}}

An alternative to the monorail is the Keikyu Airport Line between the airport and Shinagawa Station. Both railways compete with bus services.

=Ownership=

The monorail line is owned and operated by the {{Nihongo foot|Tokyo Monorail Co., Ltd.|東京モノレール株式会社|Tōkyō Monorēru Kabushiki-gaisha|group=lower-alpha}}. In 1967, the Tokyo Monorail Co., Ltd. merged with Hitachi Transport Co., Ltd. and Western Hitachi Transport Co., Ltd. to form Hitachi Transport Tokyo Monorail Co., Ltd. after Hitachi Transport System acquired an 81-percent share of the company.{{rp|11}} The company re-established as the Tokyo Monorail Co., Ltd. in 1981.{{rp|19–21}} JR East acquired a 70-percent majority share of the company from Hitachi Transport System in 2002, with the remaining 30 percent going to Hitachi, Ltd.{{rp|73}} {{As of|March 2019}}, the Tokyo Monorail Co., Ltd. is divided between JR East (79 percent), Hitachi (12 percent), and All Nippon Airways' holding company, ANA Holdings Inc. (9 percent).{{rp|74}}

=Operation and maintenance=

The {{Nihongo|Shōwajima Center|昭和島車両基地|Shōwajima sharyō kichi}}, located next to Shōwajima Station, is the operations and maintenance center of the Tokyo Monorail. The complex houses an operations control room that controls the movement of trains, a power control room that controls the line's power supply, a vehicle maintenance and storage depot where cars are inspected and serviced, a track and trolley inspection and maintenance depot, and a crew depot.

=Fares=

File:Tokyo Monorail Seibijo sta 002.jpg

The Tokyo Monorail offers multiple fare types with varying lengths of validity and terms of use. One-way tickets, which are valid for the day of purchase, may be used to travel between two stations without making intermediate stops. Return tickets are similar but allow for a return trip; these are valid if returning to any Haneda Airport station within 10 days and to other stations within two weeks. Multiple-trip tickets are sold in books of 11 and are valid for two to three months. The purchase of "school commutate" multiple-trip tickets requires proof of a student discount certificate with the Open University of Japan. Groups of 15 or more can acquire discounted group tickets.{{cite web |url=http://www.tokyo-monorail.co.jp/english/tickets/type.html |title=About Tickets |publisher=Tokyo Monorail Co., Ltd. |access-date=June 6, 2020}} A special discount ticket is offered to riders needing to transfer to JR East's Yamanote Line.{{cite web |url=http://www.tokyo-monorail.co.jp/english/tickets/value/yamanote.html |title=Monorail and Yamanote Line Discount Ticket |publisher=Tokyo Monorail Co., Ltd. |access-date=June 6, 2020}} Commuter and travel passes are also available.

Tokyo Monorail began accepting the contactless smart card Suica on 21 April 2002,{{rp|260}} and accepts other Mutual Use cards as well, such as PASMO.{{cite web |script-title=ja:モノレールSuicaとは |trans-title=What is Monorail Suica |url=http://www.tokyo-monorail.co.jp/tickets/suica/outline.html |access-date=June 6, 2020 |publisher=Tokyo Monorail Co., Ltd. |language=ja}}{{cite web |date=5 March 2018 |title=The Tokyo Monorail: Haneda Airport to Tokyo |url=https://www.jrailpass.com/blog/tokyo-monorail |access-date=February 28, 2024 |publisher=Japan Railways Group}} In 2009, the company began selling a specialized Suica design, branded as "Monorail Suica".{{cite web |url=http://www.tokyo-monorail.co.jp/news/pdf/press_2009newmonorailsuica.pdf |script-title=ja:新モノレールＳｕｉｃａ発売開始について |trans-title=About the launching of the new Monorail Suica |language=ja |publisher=Tokyo Monorail Co., Ltd. |date=April 6, 2009 |access-date=April 19, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090419100236/http://www.tokyo-monorail.co.jp/news/pdf/press_2009newmonorailsuica.pdf |archive-date=April 19, 2009 |url-status=unfit}} After a suspension of sales (except for commuter passes) due to the 2020–2023 global chip shortage, it was announced in January 2025 that the cards would be discontinued in March of that year.{{Cite web |date=2025-01-28 |title=東京モノレール、「モノレールSuica」の発売を終了 3月15日以降は「Suica」を発行 |url=https://www.tetsudo.com/news/3340/ |access-date=2025-01-28 |website=鉄道コム |language=ja}}

Paper tickets may be purchased from ticket vending machines at any Tokyo Monorail station.{{cite web |url=http://www.tokyo-monorail.co.jp/english/tickets/purchase.html |title=Purchasing tickets |publisher=Tokyo Monorail Co., Ltd. |access-date=June 6, 2020}} {{As of|June 2020}}, tickets can also be purchased from machines at the following airports: Fukuoka Airport, Hakodate Airport, Hiroshima Airport, Itami and Kansai airports in Osaka, Kagoshima Airport, Kumamoto Airport, Nagasaki Airport, Naha Airport, New Chitose Airport in Sapporo, Oita Airport, Okayama Airport, Takamatsu Airport, and Toyama Airport.{{cite web |url=http://www.tokyo-monorail.co.jp/tickets/type.html |script-title=ja:きっぷのご案内 |trans-title=Ticket Information |language=ja |publisher=Tokyo Monorail Co., Ltd. |access-date=May 23, 2020}}