Monorails
Wind-driven monorail, invented by Henry Palmer (around 1820)

Future of Urban Travel

Japan Monorail Association
Nishi-Tech Building, 2-12-10 Uchi-kanda, Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo 101-0047, JapanTEL 03-3258-6471 FAX 03-3258-6472

http://www.nihon-monorail.or.jp
2019.03.

Japan Monorail Association

Monorails in Japan
Since the emergence of the Wuppertal Monorail in 1901, attempts were made to install monorails at
various sites in Japan, the first successful example being at Toshimaen Amusement Park in 1951.
Since the 1950’s, monorails have been considered a major mode of future urban transportation. The firstmonorail system introduced as urban transport in Japan was the suspended-type monorail built at Ueno
Park, developed by the Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation in 1957 with the purpose to conduct
a feasibility study for monorail as a means for future urban transportation. In the 1960’s, thanks toimported techniques such as ALWEG and SAFEGE systems, in addition to unique technicaldevelopments pursued by Japanese enterprises, monorails were installed in various locations around
Japan. Among them, Tokyo Monorail, which commenced operation in 1964, has performed a crucial rolein the city’s public transportation. Japan Monorail Association was established the same year to conduct
research from technical and administrative perspectives, so as to ensure the adoption of the monorail asa means of urban transportation, and to promote their practical application. This research yielded resultsin the use of the straddle-type monorail as the transportation system for the 1970 Osaka World
Exposition. Another successful example was the suspended-type Shonan Monorail, which commenced
operation the same year.

Urban Beauty
andEnvironment
History of the Monorail

The Installation of Urban Monorails in Japan was boosted up by the government’s guidance forpromotion promulgated in 1972 backed by Japanese Infrastructure Subsidy System established in 1974,
which enables to subsidize the construction cost of monorail infrastructure. This actually advanced theinstallation of Urban Monorail System in the areas of Kitakyushu, Chiba, Osaka, Tama, and Naha.

Global Monorails
The patent for the monorail can be traced back to UK patent No.
461 by Henry Palmer in the year 1821, who molded his invention
into shape at London Wharf in 1824 to transport cargo. The rails
were made of wood instead of iron at the time, and horse-drawn
cars straddled the rail.

In the 21st century, Japanese-made monorail system made an advance into global market and have
evolved into successful system operations in Chongqing in China, Singapore, Dubai in the United ArabEmirates, and Daegu in Republic of Korea.

In 1888, a straddle-type monorail powered by a steam locomotive
was installed in Ireland over a line approximately 15km long and wasused to transport cargo for 36 years until 1924. In 1901, a
suspended-type monorail with iron wheels was constructed in
Wuppertal, Germany over a length of 13.3km, and still serves as theoldest monorail in operation as a major transportation system.

1820

History of global monorails

Research and development of the renovated monorail was actively
pursued after World War II, and an experimental straddle-type(ALWEG type) monorail was constructed in 1957 in a suburb of
Cologne, Germany. Then, in 1960, an experimental suspended-type(SAFEGE type) monorail was installed in a suburb of Orleans,
France. These two systems marked the beginning of thedevelopment of the modern monorail.
The world’s first ALWEG type monorail was put into practicaloperation in 1959 at Disneyland in Los Angeles, followed by Turin(1961), Seattle (1962), and Disneyworld in Florida (1971).

2-3

Location of Monorail Systems in Japan

Types of Monorail Systems

4-5

Practical Use of Monorail Systems

Features of the Monorail

6

Track Record of Monorails in Japan

10-14

Significance of Urban Monorails

7

Track Record of Monorail Exports

15-16

Construction and Operation of Urban Monorails

8

Development of Compact Monorails

17-18

Monorail Systems Currently in Operation

Outline of Japan Monorail Association

9

19

History of Japanese monorails

Contents

History of the Monorail

1840

1860

1880

1900

1920

1940

1960

1980

2000

2020

1821
Monorail invented by Henry R. Palmer
1824
Installation of a monorail in London wharf for transporting cargo (the world’s first monorail)
1888
Installation of a monorail in Ireland
1901 Wuppertal in Germany(L=13.3km)
1957
Installation of an experimental ALWEG-type monorail in Cologne, West Germany
1959
Disneyland
1960
Installation of an experimental SAFEGE-type monorail in suburban Orleans, France
1962
Seattle1971
Disneyworld
1984
University of Dortmund
1987
Alton Towers in the U.K
1991
Tampa International Airport in Florida
1993
Daedeok Science Town
1995
Newark International Airport
1996
Barra Shopping Center in Brazil
1997
Jacksonville
2003
Kuala Lumpur
2004
Las Vegas
2005
Moscow
2014
Mumbai2014
Sao Paulo
1957
Ueno Zoo Monorail
1964
Tokyo Monorail
1970
Shonan Monorail
1985
Kita-kyushu Urban Monorail
1988
Chiba Urban Monorail
1990
Osaka Monorail
1998
Hiroshima Sky Rail1998
Tama Monorail
2001
Maihama Resort Line
2003
Okinawa Urban Monorail
2005
Chongqing Monorail, China
2007
Sentosa Monorail, Singapore
2009
Dubai Monorail
2015
Daegu MonorailTypes of Monorail Systems

Large, Medium, and Compact Monorail Systems

Train length

Monorails developed in Japan are classified into large, medium, and compact
systems, depending on the size of the cars and the overall system scale.

Facilities for passenger or cargo transport either straddling a
track or suspended from one, are generally called monorails.
Monorails are used widely, not only as urban transportation
systems but also for amusement, sightseeing, and agricultural
purposes.

Monorails are classified into straddle and suspended-typesystems. Since the straddle-type travels by straddling the track,its center of gravity is situated above the track. The
suspended-type, on the other hand, is configured suspending
from the track, with its center of gravity under the track.

The large and medium-size monorail systems meet the high ridership demandsof large metropolitan areas, especially effective during peak-hour situations fordaily commuting. Such systems have been deployed around Japan and have a
proven track record of creating a profitable operation model for public transit, asseen in the cities of Tokyo, Osaka and Kitakyushu. Such systems are mostsuitable for ridership demands of over 20,000pphpd (passengers per hour per
direction), and can carry over 125,000 passengers daily.

11 tNominal riding capacity (0.3 m /person)

415 Persons

Planned passenger volume (0.14 m2/person)

693 Persons

Full capacity (0.1 m2/person)

966 Persons

2

57 m

Train length

10 t

Shaft weight

MediumStraddle-type and Suspended-type Monorail Systems

Shaft weight

Large

The Urban Monorail

61 mNominal riding capacity (0.3 m /person)

348 Persons

Planned passenger volume (0.14 m /person)

580 Persons

Full capacity (0.1 m /person)

858 Persons

2

2

2

In order to meet the demands for a low-cost, highly versatile urban transit
system especially common in regional cities around Japan, the compact monorailsystem was developed as a simplified version of its larger counterpart, with asignificant reduction in size and weight of not only the rail cars, but also groundfacilities, such as tracks, columns, and stations, to account for the need to alignroutes in accordance with the complicated road configurations of narrowpassages (minimum width 18m) and sharp curve radiuses (minimum radius 35m).

Flash Signal
Train radio antenna
CoolerAutomatic Train
Protection (ATP)Compact

To establish the monorail as a form of urban transportation,
the Law Concerning the Promotion of the Installation of Urban
Monorails in Japan was enacted in 1972. Article 2 of this law
defines “urban monorails" as the following: “Passenger or
cargo transporting systems for general traffic, whose carriers
are suspended from, or ride on, a track constructed over aroad in principle, and most of which are installed within an
urban planning area.”

Train length

40 m

Shaft weight

9 t (Average)

Nominal riding capacity (0.3 m2/person)

170 Persons

Planned passenger volume (0.14 m2/person)

280 Persons

Full capacity (0.1 m /person)

380 Persons

2

Unit: mm

Large

Signal loop
cable

Circuit breaker
Main control
Traction motor
PantographStabilizer wheel
Brake
Guide wheel
Drive wheel

CouplerTrolley rail

3,740

Straddle-type Monorail System

5,200

2,980

Cross-sectional view
850W X 1,500H

3,050

9,600

2,150

700

2,150

9,600

14,8002,150

350

13,900Track beam
Unit: mm

Medium

3,735

Cross-sectional view
800W X 1,400H

Track girder

2,700

9,000

2,000

700

2,000

13,7009,000

350

Unit: mm

Compact
2,710

Cross-sectional view
700W X 1,300H

2,000

13,0003,450

Main control
Guide wheel

4,805

Suspended-type Monorail System

Signal loop cable
Cooler
Negative trolley cable

5,100

2,980

Positive trolley cable
Automatic Train Protection (ATP)Track
Guide rail
Traction motor
Drive wheel
Swing bolster
Coupler

4,280

7,400
11,330

7,900
700

7,200

350

Features of the Monorail

Safe and Comfortable Ridership
Since monorails travel along an exclusive elevated track,
comfortable, safe, and punctual operation is ensured with noconcerns of traffic jams. Furthermore, since they travel over athin single track or within a box-type track, they are resistant
to severe natural conditions, such as strong winds,
rainstorms, and snowfall.

Flexible Route Alignment and Train Configuration
As a result of the capacity to operate through sharp curves
and large longitudinal gradients, flexible route settings (suchas double, single, and loop tracks) can be applied according
to the physical conditions of the urban area. In addition,
various systems can be configured according to ridershipdemand, with the variation of car size available from compact
to large, and the number of cars comprising a train from two
cars to six and over.

Significance of Urban Monorails

Quiet, Clean, and Minimum Sunlight Obstruction(low pollution and environmental impact)

Establishing an Urban Public Transportation
System while Ensuring Smooth Road Traffic

Rubber tires and air springs minimize noise and vibration,and eliminate concerns over exhaust gasses. The single-track
structure also ensures sufficient access to sunlight evendirectly under the tracks, reducing its impact on theenvironment and ensuring adaptation with urban settings.

The law concerning urban monorails in Japan was enacted
to establish the monorail as a real means of urban transit,
capable of satisfying part of the urban traffic demand
alongside automobiles, thus increasing traffic capacity,
alleviating traffic jams, and ensuring operational punctuality.

Comparison of CO2 emissions among passenger transport measures

PrivateAutomobile

133

0

50

100

150

200

g-CO2 /passenger-kilometer (Y2014)
Reference: MLIT homepage

Monorail is environmentally friendly as CO2 emission frommonorail is almost equal to that of railway.

Large monorail

Values in parentheses:
Minimum values

Values in parentheses:
Maximum values

Minimum curve radius

Maximum gradient

Main line

Recommended value:
100m(60m)

Recommended value:
600/00(1000/00)

Yard

Recommended value:
50m(50m)

Recommended value:
600/00(1000/00)

Urban monorails have become an indispensable means ofsupporting business activities and daily communications inurban areas as well as providing mobility for impaired users inan aging society.

If a compact monorail system consisting of four cars is
operated at 10-minute intervals, its one-way carrying capacity
per hour will be 2,000 passengers, and if operated at
2.5-minute intervals, the capacity increases to 7,000
passengers. This carrying capacity is approximately half of thatof a large monorail system, 1.6 times of LRT, and about fourtimes of buses.

The installment of a monorail system in company with theconstruction of urban facilities such as shopping centers,
hospitals, cultural buildings, and general playgrounds can act as
an integral part of urban development/renewal projects to help
resolve various urban issues such as reactivation of downtown
areas and enlivenment of cities, while efficiently reorganizing
urban traffic systems.

Monorails are also superior in respect of project costs, withconstruction being only a third of what is required for subway.

Alongside its smart structure and minimal obstruction ofoverhead space has low impact on the surrounding environment
Smart appearance with slim track beam and columns
Slab type

Monorail typeCommunity renovation witha monorail in Okinawa

Operation interval (min.)
5,000
2,000

Shuri

Kenchou-mae
Naha Airport
terminal
Tsubogawa
LegendMonorail route and stations
Border between cities
Land readjustment project area
Urban renewal project

Unit carrying capacity (passengers/train)

Omoromachi

Oroku

Flexible Route Alignment

10

6

2.5

(10 cars)

Rubber tires and bogie trucks
enable stable operation on
steep inclines and at sharp
curves.
Highly adaptable to urban
landscapes and fit to become atransportation symbol of thecity.

The carrying capacity of the urban monorail varies dependingon size and operational interval. Its one-way carrying capacity
per hour ranges from approximately 2,000 to 33,000
passengers.

Contribution to Community Renovation

22

Railway

The urban monorail is an ideal means of transportation,
adaptable to intermediate distances and capable of satisfying
moderate transportation demands.

Monorails can be constructed over existing roads, parks,
squares, rivers, railroad tracks, etc., exploiting the potential for
flexible alignment. Less requirement of acquiring new land
plays a significant role in efficient installation of monorails.

53

Bus

Roles of Urban Monorails

Effective Utilization of Urban Space99

Airplaneand scenery, new attractive urban spaces can be introduced byplanting trees and adopting creative design. Urban monorails area new means of transportation, allowing citizens to rediscover
the charm of urban settings.

Subway(8 cars)

1,000(4 cars)(8 cars)500

Large monorailCompact monorail
New transportation system(4 cars)200

LRT(2cars)

100
50
20
400

Bus

1,000 2,000

5,000 10,000 20,000

50,000 100,000

Carrying capacity (passengers/hour/one-way)Construction and Operation of Urban Monorails

Location of Monorail Systems in Japan●The operator of the urban monorail must be a local
municipal government or equivalent body (joint public- private venture).

In Japan, the basic infrastructure of urban monorail, such as
the track beams, columns, and stations, is regarded as part ofa road, meaning the road administrator (the government or a
local municipal entity) is capable of constructing monorails as
part of road improvement projects.

●The urban monorail system shall be constructed inconformance to the "Law Concerning the Promotion of
the Installation of Urban Monorails."

On the other hand, the operating body of an urban monorail iscommonly a local municipal entity or joint public-private
venture. After undergoing licensing procedures according to theTrack Law, they construct facilities related to railcars, electricity,
operation and management, etc. before commencing
operation.

Although the government abolished “Special Account forRoad Improvement” in 2009, it still continues to make agovernment subsidy available for the construction of monorails
in a similar way.

Due to this nature, the Japanese Ministry of Land,
Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism grants a government
subsidy from its special account for road improvement to bearpart of the construction cost.

Ueno Zoo Monorail
Tama Monorail

Disney Resort Line

Chiba Urban Monorail

Shonan MonorailTokyo Monorail

Infrastructure unit

General section

Unit other than infrastructure

Car

Sky Rail

Wear layer of the track beam

The following must be satisfied to be accepted as a recipientof the grant:

Trolley rails anddistribution lines mounted
onto the track beam

Track beam, plate, thegirder supporting them,and track switch●The operator of the urban monorail system must haveobtained authorization in accordance with the Track
Law, or it must be certain that the operator will obtain such
authorization.

Kita-kyushu Urban Monorail
Osaka Monorail

Base and foundation
supporting columns

Column supporting the
track beam and plate

Okinawa Urban Monorail

Monorail Systems Currently in Operation

Practical Use of Monorail Systems

as of the end of February, 2019

Name

Operating body

Length(Unit: km)

Passenger
traffic volume(persons/day)

Date of start ofoperation

Type

The number of cars The number ofcomprising a train
owned cars

1964.09

Straddle-type

134,8146126

FY2017

Tokyo MonorailTokyo Monorail Co., Ltd.

17.8

Tama MonorailTokyo Tama Intercity Monorail Co.,Ltd.

16.0

1998.11Straddle-type

142,498

4

64

Osaka Monorail

Osaka Monorail Co., Ltd.

28.0

1990.06

Straddle-type

131,505

4

88

Kita-kyushu Urban Monorail

Kitakyushu Urban Monorail Co., Ltd.

8.8

1985.01

Straddle-type

33,9294

36

Okinawa Urban Monorail

Okinawa Urban Monorail Co., Ltd.

12.9

2003.08

Straddle-type

49,7162

38

Chiba Urban Monorail Co., Ltd.

15.2

1988.03

Suspended-type

51,3772

32

Shonan Monorail

Shonan Monorail Co., Ltd.

6.6

1970.03

Suspended-type

28,825

3

21

Sky Rail

Sky Rail Service Co., Ltd.

1.3

1998.08

Suspended-type

1,555

1

6

Ueno Zoo MonorailTokyo Metropolitan Government

0.3

1957.12Suspended-type

3,530

2

2

Disney Resort Line

Maihama Resort Line Co., Ltd

5.0

2001.07

Straddle-type

59,067630

Chiba Urban Monorail

Total

.

111.9

636,816

Monorails play an important role as a majormeans of public transportation in major cities
throughout Japan.
Their roles include: (1) Access to airports, (2)Major public transit, (3) Circular public transit toconnect radial trunk lines, (4) Public transit to
support trunk railway networks, and (5) Access tohousing complexes, parks, shopping centers, andso on.
In certain mid-sized cities, they also serve as acore public transportation system.

Access to airport ●Tokyo Monorail
Tama Monorail

Major public transportation ●Osaka Monorail
Kita-kyushu Urban Monorail

Major circular public
transportation ●Okinawa Urban Monorail
Chiba Urban Monorail

Public transportation supporting
trunk rail lines ●Shonan Monorail
Sky Rail

Access to housing complexes, parks,
shopping centers and so on ●Ueno Zoo Monorail
Disney Resort Line

Others ●Track Record of Monorails in Japan

多摩
TAMA

Tokyo Tama Intercity Monorail Co., Ltd
Tama Monorail Line
Kamikitadai
Tamagawa Josui

Chuo Line

Tachikawa-kita
Tachikawa-minami

Takahatafudo

Tama Center

The Tama Monorail is a new transportation system in
the Tama District of Tokyo that opened full commercial
operations along its entire line on January 10, 2000.
It travels the distance of 16.0km from Tama Center
Station to Kamikitadai Station in 36 minutes.
The 4-car train, with a carrying capacity of 412
passengers, is operated by a single driver.

東京

大阪

TOKYO

OSAKA

Tokyo Monorail Co., Ltd
Tokyo Monorail Haneda Airport Line

Osaka Monorail Co., Ltd
Osaka Monorail Line(Main Line),Saito Line
Saito-nishi

Monorail Hamamatsucho
Hamamatsucho
Osaka
AirportTennozu Isle

Tokaido Shinkansen(bullet train)

Osaka International Airport

Senri-chuoBampakukinen-koen
TokaidoLine

Minami-ibaraki
TokaidoShinkansen(bullet train)
DainichiKadoma-shi

TokaidoLine

Kadoma-minami (tentative name)HanedaTokyo International Airport
AirportTerminal 1
Haneda Airport Terminal 2
Haneda Airport International Terminal

The Tokyo Monorail started operations on September
17, 1964.
It travels the distance of 17.8km
betweenHamamatsucho and Haneda Airport Terminal 2 in 18
minutes and 55 seconds (by Haneda Express).
The total passengers of Tokyo Monorail exceeded 2,000
million in 2017.

Konoike-shinden (tentative name)
Aramoto (tentative name)Uriudo (tentative name)

The Osaka Monorail consists of the Main Line, whichruns 21.2km between Osaka Airport and Kadoma-shi
Stations, and the Saito Line, which runs 6.8km between
Bampaku-kinen-koen and Saito-nishi Stations, covering a
total line length of 28.0km.
The Saito Line has become a major form of access to
Saito (International Culture Park) under development
along the Hokusetsu Hillside.
Line extention project from Kadoma-shi to Uryudo (9kms)
is progressing.

千葉

北九州

CHIBA

KITAKYUSYU

Chiba Urban Monorail Co., Ltd
Line Nos. 1 and 2

Kitakyushu Urban Monorail Co., Ltd
Kitakyushu Urban Monorail (Kokura Line)Sports Center
KokuraTsuga

Heiwa-dori

Sanyo Shinkansen(bullet train)

Sobu Line
Chishiro-dai
Chiba
MinatoChiba

Kencho-mae

Kikugaoka

Sotobo LineThe Kitakyushu Urban Monorail, which started operations on
January 9, 1985 as Japan's first urban monorail system, travels
8.8km from Kokura to Kikugaoka in 19 minutes. It is operated
as a safe and efficient transportation system for Kitakyushu
City residents.

The Chiba Urban Monorail began operations in March
1988 for the 8.1km distance from Sports Center Station
to Chishiro-dai Station. After undergoing threeextensions, it has become the world's longest (15.2 km)
suspended-type monorail system.

On April 1, 1998, the line was extended from Heiwadori
Station to Kokura Station. It is used as a major means of public
transit by approximately 11.0 million passengers annually.

沖縄

湘南

SHONAN

OKINAWA
Okinawa Urban Monorail Co., Ltd.
Okinawa Urban Monorail (Yui Rail)

Shonan Monorail Co., Ltd
Enoshima Line
Ofuna
TedakoUranishi

Tokaido Line
Shuri Castle

Shuri

Kenchou-mae
Naha
AirportNaha Kuko
Nishi-kamakura

Shonan Enoshima

The Okinawa Urban Monorail is a long-awaited tracktransportation system in Okinawa that started operatingon August 10, 2003. It travels 12.9km from Naha Kuko
Station to Shuri Station in 27 minutes.
The extension section from Shuri to Tedako Uranishiwith 4.1km is currently under construction.

Enjoy “Flying Train to Enoshima in Fujisawa City from
Ofuna in Kamakura City.”
The Shonan Monorail was first operated in March 1970
for the 4.7km distance and now extends the entire distanceof 6.6km from Ofuna to Shonan-Enoshima for nearby
residents commuting to offices and schools, in addition toproviding an attractive access like a roller coaster to a lot of
tourist spots along the line.
Global web site: http://kamakura-enoshima-monorail.jp/

Track Record of Monorail Exports
China (Chongqing)

広島

Chongqing Monorail, China
Midori-chuo

HIROSHIMASky Rail Service Co., Ltd
Hiroshima Short DistanceTransit Seno Line

Midoriguchi
Sanyo Line

Chongqing is the largest industrial city in Southwest
China. With the spurt of economic activity in recent years,
traffic jams have been worsening in the urban areas aroundthe city. However, due to the geographic conditions ofcentral Chongqing, located at the hilly intersection of the
Chang Jiang and Jialing Rivers, it is extremely difficult toconstruct new roads to alleviate traffic congestion.
Under such circumstances, the Chinese government
requested Japan to investigate the feasibility of the
Chongqing Rapid Railway Transit Construction Project. As aresult of the investigation, the Chinese government decided
to construct a monorail system with the use of a loan
provided by the Japan Bank for International Cooperation.

上野

Joban LineUENO

Ueno Zoo East GardenTokyo Metropolitan Government
Ueno Zoo Monorail

Ueno Park

Ueno Zoo West Garden

Ueno

Yamanote Line

Official Development Assistance (ODA)

舞浜

Keiyo Line

MAIHAMATokyo Disneyland
StationResortGateway
Station

Maihama Resort Line Co., Ltd.
Disney Resort Line

Developing countries through the course of rapid
urbanization are faced with problems such as the functional
decline of urban activities due to traffic jams anddegradation of the urban environment.
It is essential to establish a base for public transportationsuch as subways and monorails to thoroughly solve these
problems. However, since developing countries face bothtechnical and financial challenges in their capacities to doso, the Japanese government provides such support toestablish public urban transportation systems as part of
Official Development Assistance (ODA).

c Disney
After Chongqing monorail started operation in 2005,
Chongqing government has promoted the monorail line
extension project with its own finance. Chongqing monorailat present consists of 2 lines with total length of about
98.5km.

14 Japan Monorail Association Guide

Japan Monorail Association Guide

15

Singapore (Sentosa) · United Arab Emirates (Dubai) · Republic of Korea (Daegu)

Development of Compact Monorails

Sentosa Monorail, Singapore
Due to their highly adaptable characteristics as urban
transport, monorail systems are being constructed in various
places around the world.
In 2002, Japan won the international competition for
supplying the monorail system for Sentosa Development
Corporation of Sentosa Island, one of the most popular
tourist attractions in Singapore.

Compact Straddle-type Monorail System
There are currently 10 urban monorail systems in Japan,
with a total line distance of 112 km.
There are three major tasks to be accomplished in order for
urban monorail systems to meet the expectations ofsemi-large or local hub cities as the ideal transportation
system, and for this purpose, the Japanese monorail industry
has developed a compact straddle-type monorail called“SMARTRAN.”

Sentosa Monorail, the first compact-type monorail systemdeveloped under the leadership of Japan Monorail
Association, began its operation in January 2007 and runs
the route of 2.1km and four stations with 2-car trains.

The Palm Jumeirah Monorail, Dubai
The Palm Jumeirah Monorail was built with Japanesemonorail technology as the first such system in the Middle
East.
The Monorail travels 5.4km from Palm Jumeirah, an
artificial island developed off the coast of Dubai, to themainland with four stations along the line. The Palm
Jumeirah Monorail, a fully automatic and driverless system,
began commercial operations in April, 2009. It is currently
capable of carrying up to 2,400pphpd in four sets ofthree-car trains, while the system can be enhanced to thefull capacity of 6,000pphpd.

SMARTRAN
Reduction in Construction Costs
The construction costs of building a major urban transit system can be a burden for some regional
municipalities with limited resources for public infrastructure. To further promote the introduction of urbanmonorail systems in such circumstances, it is essential to minimize these costs.
●Developing compact cars proportionate to demand enables a significant reduction in costs. We propose a compact
monorail system with a construction cost as low as ¥5.0 billion/km.
●In addition to the reduction in car size, the following items were also considered:・ Downsizing of infrastructure
・ Simplification and downsizing of stations
・ Overall simplification of E&M systems

Reduction of Required SpaceIn the past, several plans have unfortunately been abandoned due to lack of land required for building alarge-scale urban transport system.

Daegu Monorail, Republic of Korea
Daegu Metropolitan City is the fourth largest city in the
Republic of Korea with a population of 2.5 million. The
monorail system was applied for the urban railroad line No.3
following two conventional subway lines.
The monorail has started operation in April 2015 with a 24

The compact monorail system has been developed with the purpose of installing public transport in aminimized setting by trimming down the entire system, including the cars themselves.
●Downsizing of cars reduces required space, allowing the system to be introduced to roads as narrow as 18m.
●The improved car structure allows flexible compatibility with various road alignments, minimizing interruption withresidential areas, especially when turning at crossings.

Improved Profitability

km line and 30 stations. Thanks to its unique infrastructure

To ensure business profitability, reduction of both maintenance and construction costs is essential

design and harmonization with urban environments, it has●A reduction in construction costs decreases the load on operators and improves profitability.
●Simplification of the total system and downsizing of station facilities reduces maintenance costs.

become the symbol of the city and promoter of urban
tourism.

●The minimum curve radius is 35m, and the maximum
longitudinal gradient is 60‰

Compact

3,740

3,450

850

1.500

4,805

1,300

1.500
4,500

5,150

Unit: mm

Compact
SMARTRAN

Unit: mm

Large

Shaft weight

7,200

Unit: mmEstablishment and History

Purpose and Tasks

Around 1960, when the move to introduce modern monorails
became increasingly apparent in Japan, the “Monorail Study
Group” was established by those concerned to develop monorail
toward the realization of practical implementation as early as
possible.

The purpose of Japan Monorail Association is defined asfollows:

After several years of research and investigation, the group was
reorganized in 1964 as Japan Monorail Association to further
develop and strengthen the dissemination activity of monorails.

Compact

Large

9 t(Average)

11 t

Number of cars

4 cars4 carsCarrying capacity

170 passengers/train

415 passengers/train

Seating
capacity

66 passengers/train

177 passengers/train

Standing
capacity

104 passengers/train

238 passengers/train

Planned passenger
volume280 passengers/train

693 passengers/train

Full capacity

380 passengers/train

966 passengers/train

The Japan Monorail Association was formally established on
August 10, 1964, as a special public institution with agovernmental permission, after the inaugural General Meetingwith the initial membership of 92 companies on June 8, 1964.

Performing investigation and research into monorails andLlM-trains (collectively referred to as “monorails”) as well as
diffusing knowledge on monorails for the improvement andprogress of monorails.
The tasks vigorously pursued by the Association to achievethese goals are determined as follows:●Investigation and research of various issues concerningmonorail●Trusted research and design of monorails●Cooperation with municipalities constructing or planning for
future monorail systems●Data and information collection regarding monorails●Statement of official opinions on monorails●Publication of related documents, organization andexecution of workshops, and others

CharterLarge

59,50014,800

Unit: mm

700

Outline of Japan Monorail Association

2,980

SMARTRAN
39,16011,330

3,700

1,300

●Bogies are placed under the connecting portion of cars.

7,530（Clearance limit）

3,250
2,710

●The width of a conventional large monorail car is
2.98m. By reducing the width to 2.71m, the clearance
limit of a double-track line can be reduced to 90% of
its original size.
●The car length can also be reduced from 15m to 11m(front car).

6,690（Clearance limit）

5,200

Size Comparison with Conventional
Large Monorails

13,900

The transportation conditions in our country have changed drastically in recent years. The commuting populationin major cities has increased significantly, and their transportation demand can no longer be satisfied by existingrailroads and ground transportation systems alone, which are facing plummeting efficiency due to the extraordinary
increase in the number of automobiles. Appropriate measures must be taken immediately to fight this problem.
To solve the transportation problem in urban areas, the authorities concerned have been focusing on forming
substantial subway networks, constructing automobile expressways, extending suburban private railways into
urban areas, and forming grade separations, all of which are gradually paying off.
However, these conventional measures have come to grips with surging construction cost, the difficulty ofprocuring sites, and many other challenges, which is why the establishment of an innovative transportation system
has been long awaited.
Under such circumstances, monorails are attracting considerable attention as the third means of transportation.
Monorails are an effective and ideal means of urban transportation, capable of relieving traffic jams, and featuring
a lower construction cost and shorter construction period compared with subways. Research and development onmonorails have been pursued vigorously in recent years in various countries worldwide. Monorails can also serve asa passenger transport system in leisure venues and a means of transportation in areas prone to heavy snowfall.
The construction of monorails can thus be expected to grow as a promising business in future.
From this perspective, we shall collaborate to establish "Japan Monorail Association" and carry out various
activities and research to develop monorails that are ideal for urban transportation conditions, landscapes, andclimate unique to our country, and spread the use of monorails, thus contributing to develop the transportation
business in our country.
May 8, 1964