The is a

monorail A monorail (from "mono", meaning "one", and " rail") is a railway in which the track consists of a single rail or a beam. Colloquially, the term "monorail" is often used to describe any form of elevated rail or people mover. More accurat ...

people mover A people mover or automated people mover (APM) is a type of small scale automated guideway transit system. The term is generally used only to describe systems serving relatively small areas such as airports, downtown districts or theme parks. ...

line operated by Skyrail Service. The line runs between Midoriguchi and Midori-Chūō, all within the new town called ''Skyrail Town Midorizaka'', Aki, Hiroshima, Hiroshima, Japan. The line is officially called . The line is also known as the first Japanese

public transport Public transport (also known as public transportation, public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) is a system of transport for passengers by group travel systems available for use by the general public unlike private transport, typi ...

to introduce a smart card, simply called , from the time the line itself opened on August 28, 1998.

History

The line opened on 28 August 1998, with a total construction cost of approximately ¥6.2 billion. The operators of the line announced on 5 November 2022 that the line would be closed by the end of 2023 due to profitability concerns, with it being replaced by electric buses.

Technology

The line uses a new "Skyrail"

rail transport Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a p ...

system developed mainly by

Kobe Steel Kobe Steel, Ltd. (株式会社神戸製鋼所, ''Kabushiki gaisha Kōbe Seikō-sho''), is a major Japanese steel manufacturer headquartered in Chūō-ku, Kobe. KOBELCO is the unified brand name of the Kobe Steel Group. Kobe Steel has the low ...

and

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is a Japanese multinational engineering, electrical equipment and electronics corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. MHI is one of the core companies of the Mitsubishi Group and its automobile division is the predecessor of Mitsubishi Mo ...

. It is a fusion between a suspended monorail and an

aerial lift An aerial lift, also known as a cable car or ropeway, is a means of cable transport in which ''cabins'', ''cars'', ''gondolas'', or open chairs are hauled above the ground by means of one or more cables. Aerial lift systems are frequently employe ...

. Driverless gondola-sized cars, suspended from a single steel track, are moved by an attached cable. Inside each station, cars release the cable and move by linear motors. The technology allows the line to climb steep slopes of up to 14 degrees, while also being able to navigate curves of up to 30m radius.

Rolling stock

The entire line uses 200 series vehicles, which hold up to 25 people. The operating speed is 15 km/h.

Services

The line operates from around 630am to 10pm, with cars running every 15 minutes during the midday, and every 5-10 minutes at other times. A night taxi runs afterwards until midnight. It takes five minutes to travel the whole length of the line. The fare is ¥170 for adults.

Stations

All the stations on the line are elevated, with two side platforms serving two tracks. MIDORIGUCHI Station.jpg, Midoriguchi station MIDORI-NAKAMACHI_Station2.jpg, Midori-Nakamachi station MIDORI-CHUO_Station_north_entrance.jpg, Midori-Chūō station

References

External links

*
Intra-city transport system: Skyrail
from Kobe Steel official website. {{Automated trains and fixed-guideway transit Driverless suspended monorails Monorails in Japan 1998 establishments in Japan