Chiba Urban Monorail

The Chiba Urban Monorail (千葉都市モノレール, Chiba Toshi Monorēru) is a two-line suspended monorail system located in Chiba, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. It is owned and operated by Chiba Urban Monorail Co., Ltd (千葉都市モノレール株式会社, Chiba toshi monorēru kabushikigaisha), a third-sector company established on March 20, 1979. Investors include the city of Chiba.

Chiba Urban Monorail 千葉都市モノレール
Overview
Locale	Chiba, Chiba Prefecture
Transit type	Suspension railway
Number of lines	2
Number of stations	18
Daily ridership	45,430 daily boardings (2008)
Headquarters	199-1 Hagidai-chō, Inage-ku, Chiba, Chiba Prefecture
Website	chiba-monorail.co.jp
Operation
Began operation	March 28, 1988 (1988-03-28)
Operator(s)	Chiba Urban Monorail Co., Ltd.
Rolling stock	1000 series, 0 series (since 2012)
Technical
System length	15.2 km (9.44 mi)
Electrification	1,500 V DC

v t e Chiba Monorail
Legend
Chibaminato 1 2 Shiyakushomae (City Hall) National Route 357 National Route 14 Chibakōen Chiba Sakusabe Sakaecho Tendai National Route 14 Anagawa Yoshikawakōen National Route 16 Kenchōmae (Pref.Office) 1 Sports Center Dōbutsukōen (Zoological Park) Mitsuwadai Prefecture Route 64 Tsuga National Route 51 Sakuragi Oguradai Chishirodaikita 2 Chishirodai

Chiba Urban Monorail Co., Ltd

Native name	千葉都市モノレール株式会社
Romanized name	Chiba toshi monorēru kabushikigaisha
Company type	Private KK
Industry	Transportation
Founded	March 20, 1979 (1979-03-20)
Headquarters	Chiba , Japan
Key people	Hirokazu Koike (Chief Executive)
Owners	Government of Chiba City (92.97%) JFE Steel (1.57%) Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (1.12%) Chiba Bank (1.00%) TEPCO Power Grid (0.63%)
Number of employees	160
Website	chiba-monorail.co.jp

Route Map

The first segment (Line 2 from Sports Center Station to Chishirodai Station) opened on March 28, 1988, also the rest by March 24, 1999. PASMO and Suica contactless smart cards can be used to purchase fares. It is one of the only two systems in Japan that accepts only these cards and not other Mutual Usage IC cards.^[1]

It is the world's longest suspended monorail system with a track length of 15.2 kilometres (9.4 mi).^[2]

Routes

Line 1

Line 1 connects Chiba-Minato Station and Kenchō-mae Station by a 3.2 kilometres (2.0 mi) multiple-track route. Operating at 1,500 V DC, trains make four intermediate stops.

Station list

No.	Station	Japanese	Distance	Transfers
CM01	Chiba-Minato	千葉みなと	0.0 km (0 mi)	JR East: Keiyo Line
CM02	Shiyakusho-mae	市役所前	0.7 km (0.43 mi)
CM03	Chiba	千葉	1.5 km (0.93 mi)	JR East: Sōbu Line, Sotobō Line, Uchibō Line, Narita Line Chiba Urban Monorail Line 2 Keisei Electric Railway : Keisei Chiba Line, Keisei Chihara Line (Keisei Chiba Station)
CM16	Sakaechō	栄町	2.0 km (1.2 mi)
CM17	Yoshikawakōen	葭川公園	2.5 km (1.6 mi)
CM18	Kenchō-mae	県庁前	3.2 km (2.0 mi)

Line 2

Line 2 connects Chiba-Minato Station and Chishiro-dai Station. Operating at 1,500 V DC, trains make 13 intermediate stops on the 13.5-kilometre (8.4 mi) multiple-track route.

Station list

No.	Station	Japanese	Distance (km)	Transfers
CM01	Chiba-Minato	千葉	0.0 km (0 mi)	JR East: Keiyo Line
CM02	Shiyakusho-mae	市役所前	0.7 km (0.43 mi)
CM03	Chiba	千葉	1.5 km (0.93 mi)	JR East: Sōbu Line, Sotobō Line, Uchibō Line, Narita Line Chiba Urban Monorail Line 1 Keisei Electric Railway Keisei Chiba Line, Keisei Chihara Line (Keisei Chiba Station)
CM04	Chibakōen	千葉公園	2.6 km (1.6 mi)
CM05	Sakusabe	作草部	3.3 km (2.1 mi)
CM06	Tendai	天台	4.0 km (2.5 mi)
CM07	Anagawa	穴川	4.9 km (3.0 mi)
CM08	Sports Center	スポーツセンター	5.5 km (3.4 mi)
CM09	Dōbutsukōen	動物公園	6.7 km (4.2 mi)
CM10	Mitsuwadai	みつわ台	7.7 km (4.8 mi)
CM11	Tsuga	都賀	9.2 km (5.7 mi)	JR East: Sōbu Line, Narita Line
CM12	Sakuragi	桜木	10.5 km (6.5 mi)
CM13	Oguradai	小倉台	11.7 km (7.3 mi)
CM14	Chishirodai-Kita	千城台北	12.7 km (7.9 mi)
CM15	Chishirodai	千城台	13.5 km (8.4 mi)

Extension plans

Extensions of Line 1 had been proposed, notably a five-station, 3.4-kilometre (2.1 mi) extension from Kenchō-mae Station to Chiba Municipal Aoba Hospital. However, in 2004 an evaluation committee found that there was no need for the extension, and proposed closing the underused segment from Chiba Station to Kencho-mae Station. There was also a plan to extend the line from Anagawa Station to Inage and Inage-kaigan Station.

On 4 September 2019, Chiba City announced that it had decided to discontinue plans to extend the monorail hospital route, and not to introduce a monorail on the Inage route.^[2]

History

• 1979/03/20 – The company was established.^[3]
• 1988/03/28 – Line 2 between Sports Center Station and Chishirodai Station opened.^[3]
• 1990/09/18 – The total number of passengers reached 10 million.
• 1991/06/12 – Line 2 opened between Chiba Station and Sports Center Station.^[3]
• 1994/03/07 – The total number of passengers reached 50 million.
• 1995/08/01 – Line 1 between Chiba Minato Station and Chiba Station opened.
• 1997/06/17 – The total number of passengers reached 100 million.
• 1999/03/24 – Line 1 between Chiba Station and Kencho-mae Station opened. At the same time, the running time for Line 2 was shortened by about 10%, and automatic ticket machines were installed at all stations.
• 2006 – Chiba Prefecture pulls out from funding the monorail due to unsatisfactory ridership numbers.^[2]
• 2006/06/21 – A train collided with the arm of a crane truck working on a sewer line between Sakusabe Station and Chiba-Koen Station on Line 2.
• 2007/03/19 – The four-car trains that had been in service were discontinued.
• 2009/03/14 – PASMO introduced.^[3]
• 2012/07/08 – The new trains "Urban Flyer 0-type" began operating.
• 2019/02/20 – Announced the introduction of station numbering at all stations in anticipation of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.^[4]
• 2020/09/09 – A fire broke out when a contractor accidentally cut a cable during substation renewal work, temporarily disrupting service on all lines.
• 2021/05/31 – The total number of passengers reached 500 million.^[2]

Special tickets

• Holiday Free Pass (ホリデーフリーきっぷ)^[5]
  • Available: Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays.
  • Cost: Adults 630 yen, children 320 yen
  • Valid: All day on the day of purchase.
• 2-Day Free Pass (2-DAYフリーきっぷ)
  • Available: Two consecutive days. Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.
  • Cost: Adults 1050 yen, children 530 yen
  • Valid: All day on the day of purchase.
• Lunchtime Free Pass (お昼のお出かけフリーきっぷ)
  • Available: From 10AM to 6PM on weekdays.
  • Cost: Adults 620 yen, children 310 yen
  • Valid: From 10AM to 6PM on day purchased.

See also

• Monorails in Japan
• List of rapid transit systems

References

1. Toda, Takashi (July 7, 2021). "Exception to the Mutual Utilization of Traffic IC Cards". nanyanen.jp (in Japanese). Archived from the original on March 10, 2024. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
2. "千葉都市モノレール５億人達成 開業から３３年" [Chiba Urban Monorail reaches 500 million people 33 years after opening]. sankei.com (in Japanese). 5 June 2021. Archived from the original on 2021-06-05. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
3. 曽根, 悟 (2011). 歴史でめぐる鉄道全路線 公営鉄道・私鉄 [All railway lines in history Public railway, private railway] (in Japanese). Vol. 30. Tokyo: Asahi Shimbun.
4. "駅ナンバリングを導入します 2019.02.20" [Introducing station numbering 2019.02.20]. chiba-monorail.co.jp. 20 February 2019. Archived from the original on 23 February 2019. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
5. "Free Ticket". Chiba Urban Monorail Co., Ltd. Retrieved 2 December 2024.

External links

• Company website in English
• Company website in Japanese