Jan 24 (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.
