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New Guided Urban Transit Systems in Japan: Tokyo Monorail
New Guided Urban Transit Systems in Japan: Tokyo Monorail
Except for the metropolitan areas surrounding Tokyo and Osaka, large cities in Japan have lacked dense urban and suburban rail
networks. However, many cities have built subways, monorails, AGTs, etc., in recent years to fill the gap. Some examples are shown
on this page and pp. 6465.
Tokyo Monorail
The 17-km Tokyo Monorail was opened in 1964 to link Tokyo International Airport at Haneda to Hamamatsu-cho Station close to the city centre.
Because air transport was not as popular as today and the Tokyo Bay area along the line was still empty, the first few years saw financial difficulties
with only around 3 million passengers annually (left). However, thanks to the growth of air transport and construction of a new terminal building
(centre), Tokyo Monorail now carries more than 60 million passengers annually. Redevelopment of the Bay area (right) also generated new
passengers.
LRT in Kumamoto
Many Japanese cities closed their tramways through the 1960s and 70s in the face of growing motor transport. However, some cities (mostly in
western Japan) kept their trams running; Kumamoto was the first among them to introduce a newly designed low-floor car. The city is proud of the
attractive look (left), improved riding comfort (centre), and easier access for wheel-chair passengers (right).
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(EJRCF)
Hiroshimas AGT
Hiroshima recovered quickly from the A-bomb damage, and the expanding population worsened the transport problems. The city is known for its
surviving tram network run by a private company, but a number of small rivers running through the built-up areas has hindered subway construction.
A 18-km AGT nicknamed ASTRAM Line was opened in 1994 from the city centre, forming a semi-circle covering the northern and western suburbs.
Most parts of ASTRAM were built over trunk roads (left). A 6-car driver-only train carries 286 passengers at 150-second intervals during peak hours
(centre). The interior design was awarded the Good Design Prize by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (right).
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(CTSStrasbourg)
(RATPAudiovisuel)
SkyTrain in Vancouver
Vancouvers SkyTrain is one of the earliest fully automated unmanned guided transport systems in the world. Twenty stations along the 29-km
guideway are served by frequent four- or six-car trains. See main article on pp. 4445.
(Photos: BCRT)
(Photos: R. A. Smith)
(H. Clark)
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