| Tokyo Monorail Haneda Airport Line | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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A train passing throughHaneda Airport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Overview | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Native name | 東京モノレール羽田空港線 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Owner | Tokyo Monorail Co., Ltd. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Locale | Tokyo, Japan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Termini |
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| Stations | 11 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Website | www | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Service | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Type | Straddle-beammonorail (Alweg‑type) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Daily ridership | 107,871 (JFY23)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Opened | 17 September 1964 (1964-09-17) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Technical | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Line length | 17.8 km (11.1 mi) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Character | Elevated and underground[2] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Minimum radius | 120 m (390 ft) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Electrification | Contact rails,750 V DC | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operating speed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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TheTokyo Monorail,[a] officially theTokyo Monorail Haneda Airport Line,[b] is a straddle-beamAlweg-typemonorail line inTokyo, Japan. It provides a connection betweenTokyo International Airport (Haneda) and the city'sŌta,Shinagawa, andMinatowards. The 17.8-kilometre (11.1 mi) line runs predominantly elevated along the western shore ofTokyo Bay and serves 11 stations betweenHamamatsuchō andTerminal 2. The line is operated by theTokyo Monorail Co., Ltd., a joint venture ofJR East, Hitachi (the builder of the line), and ANA Holdings (the parent company ofAll Nippon Airways). It carried an average of 107,871 passengers per day inJapanese fiscal year 2023.
Plans for Japan's firstairport rail link emerged in 1959 as Tokyo prepared to host the1964 Summer Olympics. That year a company was created to build the line. Construction began in 1963, and service opened on 17 September 1964, 23 days ahead of the Olympic opening ceremony. The original line ran nonstop between Hamamatsuchō and Haneda Airport and was later expanded withinfill stations and extensions.
The Tokyo Monorail is one of two rail lines serving the airport, alongside theKeikyū Airport Line. At Hamamatsuchō, passengers may transfer to theKeihin–Tōhoku andYamanote lines ofJR East, as well as theAsakusa andOedo lines of theToei Subway via nearbyDaimon Station. The monorail also connects with Tokyo Waterfront Area Rapid Transit'sRinkai Line atTennōzu Isle Station.

By the early 1950s, Tokyo'sHaneda Airport had become Japan's primary international gateway as the nation's commercial aviation sector recovered fromWorld War II. In 1959, the airport handled roughly 910,000 passengers and expected significant increases ahead of the1964 Summer Olympics. That year, the government unveiled plans for anairport rail link to central Tokyo; a competing proposal to extend theTokyo Expressway was briefly considered but rejected over concerns that it would worsen traffic congestion.[3]: 9
In August 1959, Yamato Kankō Co., Ltd. was established to build the line; it was renamed Japan Elevated Railway Co., Ltd. the following year. The company applied for a license in January 1961 to construct a straddle-beam,Alweg-typemonorail.[4] Alweg technology was selected partly due to the long-standing friendship between company president Tetsuzō Inumaru and Alweg founderAxel Wenner-Gren, and partly becauseHitachi, responsible for building the system, was eager to develop the technology further.[3]: 9
In August 1959, Yamato Kankō Co., Ltd. was established to build the line and was renamed Japan Elevated Railway Co., Ltd. the following year. The company applied in January 1961 for permission to construct a straddle-beam,Alweg-typemonorail,[4] selecting the system partly because company president Tetsuzō Inumaru had a long-standing friendship with Alweg founderAxel Wenner-Gren and partly becauseHitachi—tasked with building the system—was eager to develop the technology further.[3]: 9 TheMinistry of Transport authorized the project in December 1961,[3]: 9 a groundbreaking ceremony followed on 1 May 1963, and construction progressed rapidly.[5]: 248
Planners originally intended to extend the line from the airport toShimbashi orTokyo Station,[6] and the license granted permitted construction to either location.[7]: 3 However, local opposition near theShibaura Canal,[8] along with government budget constraints caused by cost overruns on theTōkaidō Shinkansen, resulted in a shorter initial route terminating atHamamatsuchō Station. To reduce costs further, the alignment was routed over public waterways donated by local municipalities, avoiding private land acquisition but requiring the monorail to run overreclaimed areas ofTokyo Bay and several rivers and canals. This resulted in the removal of several fishing andaquaculture operations, including a long-established seaweed field inŌta Ward that had producedOmori no nori, a premiumnori brand dating to theEdo period.[6]
In May 1964, the company adopted its current name, Tokyo Monorail Co., Ltd.[4] The project cost¥21.1 billion (approximately US$60 million in 1964),[9] including ¥20 billion for construction and ¥1.1 billion for rolling stock.[3]: 9 Hitachi manufactured the first-generation vehicles in Japan under license from Alweg through a joint venture, and the Tokyo Monorail opened as the world's first commercial monorail and Japan's first airport rail link.[10][11]
Service commenced on 17 September 1964, 23 days before theOlympic opening ceremony on 10 October.[12][13] The initial line was 13.1 kilometres (8.1 mi) long, served only two stations, Hamamatsuchō and the airport, and ran almost entirely over open water, as most of Tokyo Bay's artificial islands had not yet been reclaimed.[14][15] A one-way fare cost was¥250 (equivalent to ¥1,134 in 2019),[16][17] making the monorail more expensive than other options; for example, a group of four could reach the airport by taxi for less than the cost of four monorail tickets. A recession following the Olympics reduced airport traffic, causing a sharp decline in ridership. In 1966, fares were lowered to¥150 (equivalent to ¥600 in 2019) in an effort to attract more passengers.[15] An overpass linking the monorail platforms with the JR lines at Hamamatsuchō opened in November 1967, improving transfers.[4]

As the area of Tokyo Bay underneath the monorail was gradually filled in and developed, new stations were added to serve these emerging districts.Ōi Keibajō Mae became the first of theseinfill stations when it opened in May 1965. However, because land reclamation had not yet reached the beamway, the station was built as a temporary platform suspended above the water and used only on event days atOhi Racecourse. It was replaced by a permanent structure two years later, and the reclaimed land around it was eventually developed into theYashio Park Town [ja] housing complex.[15] Between 1967 and 1993, four more stations were constructed along the original alignment as reclamation and development progressed: Haneda Seibijō (later renamedSeibijō) in 1967, Shin Heiwajima (later renamedRyūtsū Center) in 1969,Shōwajima in 1985, andTennōzu Isle in 1992.[7]: 3
By the 2000s, the cumulative addition of stations had extended travel time between Hamamatsuchō and Haneda to nearly 25 minutes. In response, Shōwajima was rebuilt in 2007 as a four-track station with apassing loop, allowing express services to overtake local trains and restoring faster end-to-end operations.[4]
The monorail has also been extended and modified in line with the relocation and expansion of Haneda Airport's terminals. When the line opened, the airport's sole passenger terminal was located on the west side of the airfield near the present-dayTenkūbashi station, and was the line's the southern terminus. With the opening of a new passenger terminal—now Terminal 1—in 1993, the monorail was extended to the new facility. Three new stations were constructed: the new terminal station,Shin Seibijō, serving nearby aircraft maintenance facilities,[7]: 4 and Tenkūbashi, near the location of the former Haneda Station, but on the new alignment located farther west. The original airport terminal was later demolished for a runway extension, leaving the former monorail tunnel beneath it abandoned. Although its rails were removed and the entrance sealed, the tunnel remains structurally intact beneath the Runway B extension.[18] A 0.9-kilometer (0.56 mi) extension to the then-new Terminal 2 opened on 1 December 2004, prompting the renaming of the existing Haneda Airport Station to Haneda Airport Terminal 1 Station. A new infill station serving the International Terminal opened on 21 October 2010. On 14 March 2020, all three airport stations were renamed to coincide with the redesignation of the International Terminal as Terminal 3. From north to south, the stations are nowHaneda Airport Terminal 3,Haneda Airport Terminal 1, andHaneda Airport Terminal 2.[19][20]
In June 2009, Tokyo Monorail Co., Ltd. announced plans to replace the single-track terminal at Hamamatsuchō—unchanged since the line opened in 1964—with a dual-track, dual-platform facility. The ¥26 billion project, expected to take six and a half years, was intended to increase capacity from 18 to 24 trains per hour and support a potential extension towardShimbashi Station.[21] However this terminal renovation evolved into the construction of an entirely new monorail station at Hamamatsuchō, scheduled for completion in 2027, as part of the redevelopment of theWorld Trade Center Building.[22]
In August 2014, additional plans were announced to extend the line from Hamamatsuchō to Tokyo Station, running alongside theYamanote Line between Shimbashi and Tokyo at a cost of ¥109.5 billion, with construction projected to take roughly ten years.[23][24] However, in 2021 JR East unveiled theHaneda Airport Access Line, which will connect Tokyo Station to Haneda Airport using conventional rail, placing the monorail extension in doubt.
The Tokyo Monorail is 17.8 kilometers (11.1 mi) long and runs through Tokyo'sMinato,Shinagawa, and Ōtawards.[7]: 12 From its northern terminus at Hamamatsuchō, the line travels southbound, crossing above theYamanote,Keihin–Tōhoku,Ueno–Tokyo,Tōkaidō Main, andTokaido Shinkansen lines.[25] EnteringShibaura, it follows the edge of canals surrounded by artificial islands.[26] On an artificial island withinKōnan [ja] just east of Shinagawa Station and the main campus ofTokyo University of Marine Science and Technology,[27] the monorail starts to follow theShuto ExpresswayHaneda Route alignment with a stop at Tennōzu Isle.[28]
Three service patterns operate on the line:
Trains run at an averageheadway of four minutes, with intervals as short as three minutes and 20 seconds during peak hours.[7]: 2 [29]: 33
Local trains stop at all stations and complete the line in 24 minutes. A small number of Rapid services operate each day, bypassing Shōwajima, Seibijō, Tenkūbashi, and Shin Seibijō, reducing end-to-end travel time to 21 minutes. Haneda Express trains run non-stop between Hamamatsuchō and Haneda Airport, reaching Haneda Airport Terminal 3 in 13 minutes, Terminal 1 in 16 minutes, and Terminal 2 in 18 minutes.[30] Shōwajima Station features a four-track layout, allowing Local trains to wait while Rapid and Haneda Express services overtake them.
Rapid[f] service was introduced in December 2001 for late-night departures from Haneda Airport at 11:50 pm. The service was expanded to all-day operation three years later. In March 2007, the original Rapid service was reorganized into the current Rapid and Haneda Express patterns.[4]
| ● | Stops at this station |
| | | Does not stop at this station |
| No. | Image | Name | Distance | Local | Rapid | Haneda Express | Connections and notes[30] | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MO01 | Monorail Hamamatsuchō | 0 km (0 mi) | ● | ● | ● |
| Minato | |
| MO02 | Tennōzu Isle | 4.0 km (2.5 mi) | ● | ● | | | RRinkai Line (R-05) | Shinagawa | |
| MO03 | Ōi Keibajō Mae | 7.1 km (4.4 mi) | ● | ● | | | — | ||
| MO04 | Ryūtsū Center | 8.7 km (5.4 mi) | ● | ● | | | — | Ōta | |
| MO05 | Shōwajima | 9.9 km (6.2 mi) | ● | | | | | — | ||
| MO06 | Seibijō | 11.8 km (7.3 mi) | ● | | | | | — | ||
| MO07 | Tenkūbashi | 12.6 km (7.8 mi) | ● | | | | | KKKeikyū Airport Line (KK15) | ||
| MO08 | Haneda Airport Terminal 3 | 14.0 km (8.7 mi) | ● | ● | ● | KKKeikyū Airport Line (KK16) | ||
| MO09 | Shin Seibijō | 16.1 km (10.0 mi) | ● | | | | | — | ||
| MO10 | Haneda Airport Terminal 1 | 16.9 km (10.5 mi) | ● | ● | ● | KKKeikyū Airport Line (Haneda Airport Terminal 1·2: KK17) | ||
| MO11 | Haneda Airport Terminal 2 | 17.8 km (11.1 mi) | ● | ● | ● | KKKeikyū Airport Line (Haneda Airport Terminal 1·2: KK17) |
All rolling stock operated by the Tokyo Monorail since its opening has been built byHitachi Rail using the company's proprietaryHitachi Monorail system. As of 2020[update], the fleet consists of three types: the1000 series,2000 series, and10000 series. All trainsets operate in six-car formations and can reach speeds of up to 80 kilometres per hour (50 mph).

Cars include a mix of aisle-facing bench seats, forward- and rear-facing seats, and centrally located seats. Because the line was built before the larger vehicle standards later adopted by the Japanese Monorail Association, the trains are shorter, and the lower floor—set below the diameter of the load-bearing wheels that ride on top of the beam—results in slight bogie intrusion, which is concealed by the centrally located seats. This differs from newer Japanese ALWEG-type monorails.[31] Additional space is provided for baggage, and all rolling stock is stored and maintained at adepot beside Shōwajima station.
Former rolling stock included the 100/200/300/350 series (1964–1978), 500 series (1969–1991), 600 series (1977–1997), and 700/800 series (1982–1998).
The 1000 series entered service in 1989, followed by the 2000 series in 1997. On 18 July 2014, the first 10000 series six-car train entered service, replacing older 1000 series sets.[32][33]
The Tokyo Monorail operates from around 5:00 a.m. to midnight with over 500 trains. The first departure towards the airport leaves at 04:58 and the last departure is at 00:01. Towards Hamamatsuchō, the first departure is at 05:11 and the final departure is at 00:05 (final departure serving all stations at 23:38). Passengers using the monorail to travel to the airport can take advantage of check-in facilities at Hamamatsuchō. Japan's domestic airlines (JAL,ANA,Skymark Airlines, andAir Do) have check-in counters and ticket machines right at the station. It carried its 1.5 billionth passenger on 24 January 2007.[34]
An alternative to the monorail is theKeikyu Airport Line between the airport andShinagawa Station. Both railways compete with bus services.
The monorail line is owned and operated by theTokyo Monorail Co., Ltd.[g]. In 1967, the Tokyo Monorail Co., Ltd. merged with Hitachi Transport Co., Ltd. and Western Hitachi Transport Co., Ltd. to form Hitachi Transport Tokyo Monorail Co., Ltd. after Hitachi Transport System acquired an 81-percent share of the company.[5]: 11 The company re-established as the Tokyo Monorail Co., Ltd. in 1981.[5]: 19–21 JR East acquired a 70-percent majority share of the company from Hitachi Transport System in 2002, with the remaining 30 percent going to Hitachi, Ltd.[5]: 73 As of March 2019[update], the Tokyo Monorail Co., Ltd. is divided between JR East (79 percent), Hitachi (12 percent), andAll Nippon Airways' holding company, ANA Holdings Inc. (9 percent).[5]: 74
The Shōwajima Center (昭和島車両基地,Shōwajima sharyō kichi), located next to Shōwajima Station, is the operations and maintenance center of the Tokyo Monorail. The complex houses an operations control room that controls the movement of trains, a power control room that controls the line's power supply, avehicle maintenance and storage depot where cars are inspected and serviced, a track and trolley inspection and maintenance depot, and a crew depot.

The Tokyo Monorail offers multiple fare types with varying lengths of validity and terms of use. One-way tickets, which are valid for the day of purchase, may be used to travel between two stations without making intermediate stops. Return tickets are similar but allow for a return trip; these are valid if returning to any Haneda Airport station within 10 days and to other stations within two weeks. Multiple-trip tickets are sold in books of 11 and are valid for two to three months. The purchase of "school commutate" multiple-trip tickets requires proof of astudent discount certificate with theOpen University of Japan. Groups of 15 or more can acquire discounted group tickets.[35] A special discount ticket is offered to riders needing to transfer to JR East's Yamanote Line.[36] Commuter and travel passes are also available.[35]
Tokyo Monorail began accepting thecontactless smart cardSuica on 21 April 2002,[5]: 260 and accepts otherMutual Use cards as well, such asPASMO.[37][38] In 2009, the company began selling a specialized Suica design, branded as "Monorail Suica".[39] After a suspension of sales (except for commuter passes) due to the2020–2023 global chip shortage, it was announced in January 2025 that the cards would be discontinued in March of that year.[40]
Paper tickets may be purchased fromticket vending machines at any Tokyo Monorail station.[41] As of June 2020[update], tickets can also be purchased from machines at the following airports:Fukuoka Airport,Hakodate Airport,Hiroshima Airport,Itami andKansai airports inOsaka,Kagoshima Airport,Kumamoto Airport,Nagasaki Airport,Naha Airport,New Chitose Airport inSapporo,Oita Airport,Okayama Airport,Takamatsu Airport, andToyama Airport.[42]