- Kitakyūshū Monorail
Infobox Public transit
name=Kitakyushu Monorail
imagesize=250px
locale=Kitakyushu, Japan
transit_type=straddle-beammonorail
system_length=8.8 kilometres
began_operation=January 9 , 1985
lines=1
stations=13
ridership=31,700
operator=Kitakyushu Urban Monorail Co. Ltd.|The Kitakyushu monorail is amonorail inKitakyūshū, Fukuoka , Japan, run by the Kitakyushu Urban Monorail Co. Ltd. (北九州高速鉄道株式会社, "Kitakyūshū Kōsoku Tetsudō Kabushiki gaisha", literally "Kitakyūshū High Speed Railway Co. Ltd.").The Kokura Line (小倉線 "Kokura sen") is currently the only line. It runs the 8.8 km (5.5 mi) between
Kokura station and Kikugaoka station inKokura Minami ward in about 18 minutes. It was opened onJanuary 9 ,1985 between the station now called Heiwadori and Kikugaoka, and extended about 300 metres (1000 ft) to Kokura station from Heiwadori onApril 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 parties and wine parties held on the monorail, bookings made in advance.
Santa Claus boards the train onDecember 24 .There is apparently no plan to build a new line or extend the existing one at this time.
Stations
*
Kokura Station - north terminus
*Heiwadori Station
*Tanga Station
*Kawaraguchi Mihagino Station
*Katano Station
*Jono Station
*Kitagata Station
*Keibajomae Station - for Kokurarace course and theUniversity of Kitakyushu
*Moritsune Station
*Tokuriki Kodanmae Station
*Tokuriki Arashiyamaguchi Station
*Shii Station
*Kikugaoka Station - south terminusSee also
*
monorails in Japan
*Monorail
*New Kitakyushu Airport
*List of rapid transit systems External links
* [http://www.kitakyushu-monorail.co.jp/ Kitakyushu monorail] (Official page in Japanese)
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