Kitakyushu Monorail

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Kitakyushu Monorail
Overview
OwnerKitakyushu Urban Monorail Co., Ltd. (owned by the city of Kitakyushu)
LocaleKitakyushu, Japan
Stations13
Service
TypeStraddle-beam monorail (Alweg‑type)
Daily ridership32,820 (JFY23)[1]
History
Opened9 January 1985
Technical
Line length8.8 km (5.5 mi)
ElectrificationContact rails, 1,500 V DC
Route map
Legend
to
Nishi-
Kokura
•
Kagoshima & Nippō Main
Lines & Hitahikosan Line
 Kokura
Heiwadōri
Tanga
Kantake River
 Kawaraguchi Mihagino
Katano
Hitahikosan Line
 Jōno
Kitagata
Keibajōmae
Moritsune
Shii River
 Tokuriki Kōdanmae
Tokuriki Arashiyamaguchi
Shii
Shii River
 Kikugaoka
Shii-Kōen
This diagram:

The Kitakyushu Monorail[a] is a monorail system in the city of Kitakyushu in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan, operated by Kitakyushu Urban Monorail Co. Ltd.,[b] which is wholly owned by the Kitakyushu municipal government.

The Kokura Line[c] 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.[2][3] 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.[4][5] 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.[6]

Stations

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No. Station Name Distance Transfers Location
Between
stations 		Total
01 Kokura — 0.0
Kokurakita-ku
Kitakyūshū 		Fukuoka Prefecture
02 Heiwadōri 0.4 km (0.25 mi) 0.4 km (0.25 mi)
03 Tanga 0.3 km (0.19 mi) 0.7 km (0.43 mi)
04 Kawaraguchi Mihagino 0.9 km (0.56 mi) 1.6 km (0.99 mi)
05 Katano 0.8 km (0.50 mi) 2.4 km (1.5 mi)
06 Jōno 0.8 km (0.50 mi) 3.2 km (2.0 mi) Kokuraminami-ku
Kitakyūshū
07 Kitagata 1.0 km (0.62 mi) 4.2 km (2.6 mi)
08 Keibajōmae 0.7 km (0.43 mi) 4.9 km (3.0 mi)
09 Moritsune 0.8 km (0.50 mi) 5.7 km (3.5 mi)
10 Tokuriki Kōdanmae 0.9 km (0.56 mi) 6.6 km (4.1 mi)
11 Tokuriki Arashiyamaguchi 0.7 km (0.43 mi) 7.3 km (4.5 mi)
12 Shii 0.9 km (0.56 mi) 8.2 km (5.1 mi)
13 Kikugaoka 0.6 km (0.37 mi) 8.8 km (5.5 mi) JI Hitahikosan Line (Shii-Kōen: JI06)

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Japanese: 北九州モノレール, Hepburn: Kitakyūshū monorēru
  2. ^ 北九州高速鉄道株式会社, Kitakyūshū Kōsoku Tetsudō Kabushiki-gaisha; lit. 'Kitakyūshū Rapid Railway Stock Company'
  3. ^ 小倉線, Kokura-sen

References

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  1. ^ "Monorails for urban transportation" (PDF). Japan Monorail Association. November 2024. Retrieved 7 November 2025.
  2. ^ Pedersen, Kim. "Kitakyushu Monorail – a Photo Essay". The Monorail society.
  3. ^ "Metro of Kitakyushu". Mapa-Metro.
  4. ^ Pedersen, Kim. "Monorails of Japan". The Monorail Society.
  5. ^ Karisher, Richard. "Hitachi-Alweg history". The Alweg Archives. Archived from the original on 2022-01-24. Retrieved 2022-04-11.
  6. ^ "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.
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