Daily ridership 31,700 Began operation January 9, 1985 Number of stations 13 | System length 8.8 km (5.5 mi) Founded 1985 Number of lines 1 | |
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Operator(s) Kitakyushu Urban Monorail Co. Ltd. | ||
Kitakyushu monorail
The Kitakyushu Monorail (北九州モノレール, Kitakyūshū monorēru) is a monorail system in the city of Kitakyushu in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan, operated by Kitakyushu Urban Monorail Co. Ltd. (北九州高速鉄道株式会社, Kitakyūshū Kōsoku Tetsudō Kabushiki-gaisha, literally "Kitakyūshū Rapid Transit Co. Ltd.").
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The Kokura Line (小倉線, Kokura-sen) is the only line. It runs the 8.8 km (5.5 mi) between Kokura station and Kikugaoka station in Kokura Minami ward in about 18 minutes. It was opened on January 9, 1985, between the station now called Heiwadori and Kikugaoka, and extended about 300 metres (1000 ft) to Kokura station from Heiwadori on April 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 on December 24.