Japan's oldest monorail line to be suspended after 62-year run

Jan 24, 2019 | News On Japan

Jan 24, 2019 (Kyodo) - The operation of Japan's oldest monorail line will be suspended at a Tokyo zoo in November following a 62-year run as the current vehicles are getting old, the metropolitan government said Wednesday.

The government remained vague about whether the monorail run at Ueno Zoological Gardens would resume after a hiatus starting Nov. 1, citing high operation costs.

The zoo began to use the system, which has a 300-meter track and hanging monorail cars with arms only on one side, in December 1957 as a pilot project in which Tokyo sought an alternative to street cars in the postwar period.

The monorail has two-car runs under the track between the eastern side and western side of the zoo. The 90-second trip costs 150 yen ($1.4) and has drawn more than 1 million passengers a year, according to the metropolitan government.

The zoo will use ground transportation such as electric vehicles for free of charge after it halts the monorail system, the metropolitan government said.

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