View source for Tokyo Monorail

{{Short description|Monorail line in Tokyo, Japan}}
{{About|the Haneda Airport monorail|the Western Tokyo monorail|Tama Toshi Monorail Line}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2025}}
{{Infobox rail line
| name                            = Tokyo Monorail Haneda Airport Line
| color                           = 000080
| logo                            = Tokyo monorail.svg{{!}}class=skin-invert
| logo_width                      = 250
| image                           = Tokyo-Monorail-Type10000 Haneda-Airport-Line.jpg
| caption                         = A train passing through [[Haneda Airport]]
| native_name                     = 東京モノレール羽田空港線
| native_name_lang                = ja
| owner                           = Tokyo Monorail Co., Ltd.
| operator                        = <!--as above-->
| locale                          = [[Tokyo]], Japan
| start                           = [[Hamamatsuchō Station|Monorail Hamamatsuchō]] (north)
| end                             = [[Haneda Airport Terminal 2 Station|Haneda Airport Terminal 2]] (south)
| stations                        = 11
| website                         = {{URL|www.tokyo-monorail.co.jp/english}}
| type                            = Straddle-beam [[monorail]] ([[Alweg]]{{Nbhyph}}type)
| daily_ridership                 = 107,871 ([[Japanese fiscal year|JFY]]23)<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 2024 |title=Monorails for urban transportation |url=https://www.nihon-monorail.or.jp/wp-content/themes/nihon_monorail/assets/pdf/2024english.pdf |access-date=7 November 2025 |website=Japan Monorail Association}}</ref>
| open                            = {{start date|1964|09|17|df=y}}
| linelength                      = {{cvt|17.8|km}}
| character                       = Elevated and underground<ref name="case-study-heavy-duty">{{cite web |date=2014 |title=Case Study: Heavy Duty Performance, Tokyo Monorail |url=https://www.hitachi-rail.com/pdf/tokyo_monorail.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191206084102/http://www.hitachi-rail.com/pdf/tokyo_monorail.pdf |archive-date=6 December 2019 |access-date=4 September 2019 |publisher=[[Hitachi Rail]]}}</ref>
| minradius                       = {{cvt|120|m}}
| electrification                 = [[Third rail|Contact rails]], {{750 V DC}}
| speed                           = {{Unbulleted list
  | {{Abbr|Avg.|Average speed (including stops)}}: {{Convert|45|km/h|abbr=on}}
  | {{Abbr|Top|Top speed}}: {{Convert|80|km/h|abbr=on}}
  }}
| map                             = {{switcher
  | [[File:Tokyo Monorail.png|275px]]
  | Show static map
  | {{Tokyo Monorail RDT}}
  | Show route diagram
  }}
}}

The {{Nihongo foot|'''Tokyo Monorail''',|東京モノレール|Tōkyō Monorēru|group=lower-alpha|lead=yes}} officially the {{Nihongo foot|'''Tokyo Monorail Haneda Airport Line''',|東京モノレール羽田空港線|Tōkyō Monorēru Haneda Kūkō sen|group=lower-alpha}} is a straddle-beam [[Alweg]]-type [[monorail]] line in [[Tokyo]], Japan. It provides a connection between [[Haneda Airport|Tokyo International Airport]] (Haneda) and the city's [[Ōta, Tokyo|Ōta]], [[Shinagawa]], and [[Minato, Tokyo|Minato]] [[Special wards of Tokyo|wards]]. The {{convert|17.8|km|adj=on}} line runs predominantly elevated along the western shore of [[Tokyo Bay]] and serves 11 stations between [[Hamamatsuchō Station|Hamamatsuchō]] and [[Haneda Airport Terminal 2 Station|Terminal 2]]. The line is operated by the ''Tokyo Monorail Co., Ltd.'', a joint venture of [[East Japan Railway Company|JR East]], Hitachi (the builder of the line), and ANA Holdings (the parent company of [[All Nippon Airways]]). It carried an average of 107,871 passengers per day in [[Japanese fiscal year]] 2023.

Plans for Japan's first [[airport rail link]] emerged in 1959 as Tokyo prepared to host the [[1964 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 with [[infill station]]s and extensions.

The Tokyo Monorail is one of two rail lines serving the airport, alongside the [[Keikyū Airport Line]]. At Hamamatsuchō, passengers may transfer to the [[Keihin–Tōhoku Line|Keihin–Tōhoku]] and [[Yamanote Line|Yamanote]] lines of [[East Japan Railway Company|JR East]], as well as the [[Asakusa Line|Asakusa]] and [[Oedo Line|Oedo]] lines of the [[Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation|Toei Subway]] via nearby [[Daimon Station (Tokyo)|Daimon Station]]. The monorail also connects with Tokyo Waterfront Area Rapid Transit's [[Rinkai Line]] at [[Tennōzu Isle Station]].

==Early history==
[[File:Tokyo Airport (1).jpg|thumb|left|Haneda Airport in the 1950s]]

By the early 1950s, Tokyo's [[Haneda Airport]] had become Japan's primary international gateway as the nation's commercial aviation sector recovered from [[World War II]].   In 1959, the airport handled roughly 910,000 passengers and expected significant increases ahead of the [[1964 Summer Olympics]]. That year, the government unveiled plans for an [[airport rail link]] to central Tokyo; a competing proposal to extend the [[Tokyo Expressway]] was briefly considered but rejected over concerns that it would worsen traffic congestion.<ref name="Hirota 1999">{{cite journal |last=Hirota |first=Ryosuke |date=March 1999 |title=Air–Rail Links in Japan: 35 Years Old and Healthier than Ever |url=http://www.ejrcf.or.jp/jrtr/jrtr19/pdf/F08_Hirota.pdf |journal=Japan Railway & Transport Review |volume=19 |access-date=22 August 2019}}</ref>{{rp|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]]-type [[monorail]].<ref name="モノレールヒストリー">{{cite web |script-title=ja:モノレールヒストリー |trans-title=Monorail History |url=http://www.tokyo-monorail.co.jp/fun/history.html |access-date=23 May 2020 |publisher=Tokyo Monorail Co., Ltd. |language=ja}}</ref> Alweg technology was selected partly due to the long-standing friendship between company president Tetsuzō Inumaru and Alweg founder [[Axel Wenner-Gren]], and partly because [[Hitachi]], responsible for building the system, was eager to develop the technology further.<ref name="Hirota 1999" />{{rp|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]]-type [[monorail]],<ref name="モノレールヒストリー" /> selecting the system partly because company president Tetsuzō Inumaru had a long-standing friendship with Alweg founder [[Axel Wenner-Gren]] and partly because [[Hitachi]]—tasked with building the system—was eager to develop the technology further.<ref name="Hirota 1999" />{{rp|9}} The [[Ministry of Transport (Japan)|Ministry of Transport]] authorized the project in December 1961,<ref name="Hirota 1999" />{{rp|9}}   a groundbreaking ceremony followed on 1 May 1963, and construction progressed rapidly.<ref name="50-years">{{citation |author=Tokyo Monorail Co., Ltd. Corporate History Editorial Committee |date=September 2014 |trans-title=Tokyo Monorail 50 Years History 1964–2014 |script-title=ja:東京モノレール50年史 1964–2014 |publisher=Tokyo Monorail Co., Ltd. |language=ja}}</ref>{{rp|248}}

Planners originally intended to extend the line from the airport to [[Shimbashi Station|Shimbashi]] or [[Tokyo Station]],<ref name="Whiting 2014">{{cite news |last=Whiting |first=Robert |date=24 October 2014 |title=Negative impact of 1964 Olympics profound |url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2014/10/24/olympics/negative-impact-1964-olympics-profound/#.VGNHKY0cR9A |access-date=12 May 2019 |newspaper=[[The Japan Times]] |page=14}}</ref> and the license granted permitted construction to either location.<ref name="Tokyo Monorail Co., Ltd. 2010">{{cite web |date=2010 |title=Tokyo Monorail, Company Profile |url=https://www.aecen.org/sites/default/files/tokyo_monorail.pdf |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190511230804/https://www.aecen.org/sites/default/files/tokyo_monorail.pdf |archive-date=11 May 2019 |access-date=11 May 2019 |publisher=Tokyo Monorail Co., Ltd.}}</ref>{{rp|3}} However, local opposition near the [[Shibaura]] Canal,<ref>{{cite news |last=Kusamachi |first=Yoshikazu |date=25 March 2018 |script-title=ja:東京モノレール、なぜ浜松町発着? 北への延伸は「幻」に終わるか |trans-title=Why does Tokyo Monorail end at Hamamatsuchō? Will the north extension remain a "vision"? |url=https://trafficnews.jp/post/80013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190905054156/https://trafficnews.jp/post/80013 |archive-date=5 September 2019 |access-date=4 September 2019 |newspaper=Norimono News |language=ja}}</ref> along with government budget constraints caused by cost overruns on the [[Tokaido Shinkansen|Tōkaidō Shinkansen]], resulted in a shorter initial route terminating at [[Hamamatsuchō 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 over [[Land reclamation|reclaimed]] areas of [[Tokyo Bay]] and several rivers and canals. This resulted in the removal of several fishing and [[aquaculture]] operations, including a long-established seaweed field in [[Ōta, Tokyo|Ōta Ward]] that had produced ''Omori no nori'', a premium [[nori]] brand dating to the [[Edo period]].<ref name="Whiting 2014" />

In May 1964, the company adopted its current name, Tokyo Monorail Co., Ltd.<ref name="モノレールヒストリー" /> The project cost {{Yen|21.1 billion}} (approximately US$60 million in 1964),<ref>{{cite magazine |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line--> |year=1970 |title=Tokyo monorail wins its comeback fight |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jrUiAQAAMAAJ |magazine=[[Business Week]] |publisher=[[McGraw Hill]] |page=56 |issue=2131–2139}}</ref> including ¥20 billion for construction and ¥1.1 billion for rolling stock.<ref name="Hirota 1999" />{{rp|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.<ref>{{cite journal |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=2 October 1964 |title=Tokyo Monorial Service Opened |journal=[[Railway Gazette International|Railway Gazette]] |page=793}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |date=November 1964 |title=Tokyo monorail opened |magazine=[[The Railway Magazine]] |page=862 |issue=763}}</ref>

Service commenced on 17 September 1964, 23 days before the [[Olympic opening ceremony]] on 10 October.<ref>{{cite book |last=Terada |first=Hirokazu |date=19 January 2013 |publisher=Neko Publishing |isbn=978-4-7770-1336-4 |location=Japan |page=53 |language=ja |script-title=ja:データブック日本の私鉄 |trans-title=Databook: Japan's Private Railways}}</ref><ref>The Haneda monorail ''[[Modern Railways]]'' issue 431 August 1984 page 406</ref> The initial line was {{convert|13.1|km|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.<ref>{{cite tweet |number=776948949903171584 |user=JPNatArchives |date=16 September 2016 |access-date=14 August 2020 |language=ja |script-title=ja:昭和39年(1964)、東京モノレールが開業しました.開業当時、羽田空港・浜松町間には途中駅がなく、区間13.1kmを約15分で結んだそうです.画像は、開業時の路線図です.#モノレール |trans-title=The Tokyo Monorail opened in 1964. At the time of opening, there was no station on the way between Haneda Airport and Hamamatsucho, and the 13.1-km route took about 15 minutes. The image is a route map at the time of opening. #monorail |link=https://twitter.com/JPNatArchives/status/776948949903171584/photo/1}}</ref><ref name="keizai-shimbun-20140905">{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line--> |date=5 September 2014 |script-title=ja:東京モノレール50年 車窓から見た湾岸開発史 |trans-title=Tokyo Monorail 50 years: Development history of the bay from the view of a train window |url=https://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXMZO76335490Z20C14A8000000/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190905050338/https://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXMZO76335490Z20C14A8000000/ |archive-date=5 September 2019 |access-date=4 September 2019 |newspaper=[[Nihon Keizai Shimbun]] |language=ja}}</ref> A one-way fare cost was {{Yen|250|year=1964|round=0}},<ref>{{cite news |last=Kamizawa |first=Hiroyuki |date=14 February 2015 |script-title=ja:(東京五輪物語)浜松町-羽田モノレール開通 空港まで15分、突貫工事 |trans-title=(Tokyo Olympics Story) Hamamatsucho–Haneda Monorail opens, airport in 15 minutes, construction rushed |url=https://www.asahi.com/articles/DA3S11602539.html |url-access=subscription |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150214200507/http://www.asahi.com/articles/DA3S11602539.html |archive-date=14 February 2015 |access-date=12 May 2019 |newspaper=[[Asahi Shimbun]] |language=ja}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line--> |date=17 September 1964 |script-title=ja:東京モノレール開業 |trans-title=Tokyo Monorail Opens |url=http://showa.mainichi.jp/news/1964/09/post-f35f.html |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140607043912/http://showa.mainichi.jp/news/1964/09/post-f35f.html |archive-date=7 June 2014 |access-date=4 September 2019 |newspaper=[[Mainichi Shimbun]] |language=ja}}</ref> 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 {{Yen|150|year=1966|round=0}} in an effort to attract more passengers.<ref name="keizai-shimbun-20140905" /> An overpass linking the monorail platforms with the JR lines at Hamamatsuchō opened in November 1967, improving transfers.<ref name="モノレールヒストリー" />

==Infill stations and later expansions==
[[File:Tokyo monorail international bld sta.jpg|thumb|Construction of Haneda Airport Terminal 3 station, in 2009]]

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 Station|Ōi Keibajō Mae]] became the first of these [[infill station|infill 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 at [[Ohi Racecourse]]. It was replaced by a permanent structure two years later, and the reclaimed land around it was eventually developed into the {{ill|Yashio Park Town|ja|八潮 (品川区)}} housing complex.<ref name="keizai-shimbun-20140905" /> Between 1967 and 1993, four more stations were constructed along the original alignment as reclamation and development progressed: Haneda Seibijō (later renamed [[Seibijō Station|Seibijō]]) in 1967, Shin Heiwajima (later renamed [[Ryūtsū Center Station|Ryūtsū Center]]) in 1969, [[Shōwajima Station|Shōwajima]] in 1985, and [[Tennōzu Isle Station|Tennōzu Isle]] in 1992.<ref name="Tokyo Monorail Co., Ltd. 2010" />{{rp|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 a [[passing loop]], allowing express services to overtake local trains and restoring faster end-to-end operations.<ref name="モノレールヒストリー" />

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-day [[Tenkūbashi Station|Tenkūbashi 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 Station|Shin Seibijō]], serving nearby aircraft maintenance facilities,<ref name="Tokyo Monorail Co., Ltd. 2010" />{{rp|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.<ref name="Imoto 2010">{{cite web |last=Imoto |first=Keisuke |date=16 December 2010 |script-title=ja:羽田空港の歴史 |trans-title=Haneda Airport History |url=https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jjca/48/4/48_4_4_7/_pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180829035008/https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jjca/48/4/48_4_4_7/_pdf |archive-date=29 August 2018 |access-date=28 November 2013 |publisher=地図 |pages=11–13 |language=ja}}</ref> A {{convert|0.9|km|mi|adj=on|sp=us}} 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 now [[Haneda Airport Terminal 3 Station|Haneda Airport Terminal 3]], [[Haneda Airport Terminal 1 Station|Haneda Airport Terminal 1]], and [[Haneda Airport Terminal 2 Station|Haneda Airport Terminal 2]].<ref>{{cite press release |date=16 December 2019 |publisher=Tokyo Monorail |url=http://www.tokyo-monorail.co.jp/news/pdf/press_20191216.pdf |language=ja |access-date=5 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191216085717/http://www.tokyo-monorail.co.jp/news/pdf/press_20191216.pdf |archive-date=16 December 2019 |trans-title=Three stations at Haneda Airport (Haneda Airport International Terminal Building Station, Haneda Airport Building 1 Station, Haneda Airport Building 1 Station) change names |script-title=ja:羽田空港にある3つの駅(羽田空港国際線ビル駅・羽田空港第1ビル駅・羽田空港第2ビル駅)の名称が変わります}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=<!--No by line; staff writer(s)--> |date=14 March 2020 |script-title=ja:東京モノレール 羽田空港の3つの駅名変更 |trans-title=Tokyo Monorail Haneda Airport changes 3 station names |url=https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20200314/k10012331121000.html |access-date=15 March 2020 |publisher=[[NHK]] |language=ja}}</ref>

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 toward [[Shimbashi Station]].<ref>{{cite news |date=24 June 2009 |script-title=ja:東京モノレール/浜松町駅を複線化/事業費260億円、東京駅延伸も視野 |trans-title=Tokyo Monorail: Double-tracking of Hamamatsucho Station – Project cost 26 billion yen, extension to Tokyo also eyed |work=The Daily Engineering & Construction News |publisher=The Nikkan Kensetsu Kogyo Shinbun |language=ja}}</ref> 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 the [[World Trade Center (Tokyo)|World Trade Center Building]].<ref>{{cite news |date=18 July 2021 |title=浜松町駅｢世界貿易センター｣再開発で何が変わる |url=https://toyokeizai.net/articles/-/441296 |access-date=4 August 2021 |publisher=toyokeiza}}</ref>

In August 2014, additional plans were announced to extend the line from Hamamatsuchō to Tokyo Station, running alongside the [[Yamanote Line]] between Shimbashi and Tokyo at a cost of ¥109.5 billion, with construction projected to take roughly ten years.<ref>{{cite web |date=20 August 2014 |script-title=ja:東京モノレールが「終点・東京駅」構想 |trans-title=Plans for Tokyo Monorail to terminate at Tokyo Station |url=http://www.news24.jp/articles/2014/08/20/07257561.html |access-date=20 August 2014 |work=News 24 |publisher=Nippon Television Network Corporation |language=ja |location=Japan}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=22 August 2014 |title=Tokyo Monorail plans to extend |url=https://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/tokyo-monorail-plans-to-extend.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140826224402/https://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/tokyo-monorail-plans-to-extend.html |archive-date=26 August 2014 |access-date=22 August 2019 |journal=[[Railway Gazette International]]}}</ref> However, in 2021 JR East unveiled the [[Haneda Airport Access Line]], which will connect Tokyo Station to Haneda Airport using conventional rail, placing the monorail extension in doubt.

==Route==

[[File:Tokyo-monorail-japan-march-28-2016.webm|thumb|Monorail train, 2016]]

The Tokyo Monorail is {{convert|17.8|km|mi|sp=us}} long and runs through Tokyo's [[Minato, Tokyo|Minato]], [[Shinagawa]], and Ōta [[Special wards of Tokyo|wards]].<ref name="Tokyo Monorail Co., Ltd. 2010" />{{rp|12}} From its northern terminus at Hamamatsuchō, the line travels southbound, crossing above the [[Yamanote Line|Yamanote]], [[Keihin–Tōhoku Line|Keihin–Tōhoku]], [[Ueno–Tokyo Line|Ueno–Tokyo]], [[Tōkaidō Main Line|Tōkaidō Main]], and [[Tokaido Shinkansen]] lines.<ref>{{Google maps |url=https://www.google.com/maps/place/Hamamatsuch%C5%8D+Station/@35.6553852,139.7549402,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x60188bc60592772b:0xe8f68e642f2dcbb1!8m2!3d35.6553809!4d139.7571289 |title=Hamamatsuchō Station |access-date=6 January 2020}}</ref> Entering [[Shibaura]], it follows the edge of canals surrounded by artificial islands.<ref>{{Google maps |url=https://www.google.com/maps/place/Shibaura,+Minato+City,+Tokyo,+Japan/@35.6398548,139.7497402,15.5z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x60188bb51e9c07bd:0xad368c5378bedf50!8m2!3d35.643223!4d139.7497416 |title=Shibaura |access-date=22 August 2020}}</ref> On an artificial island within {{ill|Kōnan, Minato, Tokyo|lt=Kōnan|ja|港南 (東京都港区)}} just east of Shinagawa Station and the main campus of [[Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology]],<ref>{{Google maps |url=https://www.google.com/maps/place/Tokyo+University+of+Marine+Science+and+Technology+Shinagawa+Campus/@35.6262655,139.748757,15.75z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x60188a43e00b81c1:0x5fe937a0ec90bc76!8m2!3d35.627002!4d139.7483334 |title=Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology Shinagawa Campus |access-date=22 August 2020}}</ref> the monorail starts to follow the [[Shuto Expressway]] [[Haneda Route]] alignment with a stop at Tennōzu Isle.<ref>{{Google maps |url=https://www.google.com/maps/place/Tennozu+Isle+Station/@35.6172607,139.7499327,15.75z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x60188a6aef859b51:0xb0e6d107cfce2b86!8m2!3d35.622986!4d139.7506374 |title=Tennozu Isle Station |access-date=22 August 2020}}</ref>

===Service patterns===

Three service patterns operate on the line:
* {{Color box|#2ca739}} {{Nihongo foot|Local|普通|Futsū|group=lower-alpha}}
* {{Color box|#f39700}} {{Nihongo foot|Rapid|区間快速|Kukan Kaisoku|{{lit|Limited Express}}|group=lower-alpha}}
* {{Color box|#e60013}} {{Nihongo foot|Haneda Express|空港快速|Kūkō Kaisoku|group=lower-alpha}}

Trains run at an average [[headway]] of four minutes, with intervals as short as three minutes and 20 seconds during peak hours.<ref name="Tokyo Monorail Co., Ltd. 2010" />{{rp|2}}<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Yamaguchi |first1=Takuma |last2=Nishino |first2=Toru |last3=Ueki |first3=Naoji |last4=Hirano |first4=Syuji |date=2014 |title=Development of 10000 Series Rolling Stock for Tokyo Monorail |url=http://www.hitachi.com/rev/pdf/2014/r2014_10_104.pdf |journal=Hitachi Review |volume=63 |issue=10 |pages=33–37 |access-date=11 May 2019}}</ref>{{rp|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.<ref name="timetables-fares-access">{{cite web |title=Timetables&nbsp;/&nbsp;Fares&nbsp;/&nbsp;Access Information |url=http://www.tokyo-monorail.co.jp/english/guidance/index.html |access-date=11 May 2019 |publisher=Tokyo Monorail Co., Ltd.}}</ref> Shōwajima Station features a four-track layout, allowing Local trains to wait while Rapid and Haneda Express services overtake them.

{{Nihongo foot|Rapid|快速|Kaisoku|{{lit|Express}}|group=lower-alpha}} 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.'''<ref name="モノレールヒストリー" />'''

===Stations===

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Key
|-
|●
|Stops at this station
|-
| {{n/a|}} |
|Does not stop at this station
|}

{| class=wikitable
! No.
! Image
! Name
! Distance
! style="background-color:#2ca739; color:#ffffff;"| Local
! style="background-color:#f39700; color:#ffffff;"| Rapid
! style="background-color:#e60013; color:#ffffff;"| Haneda{{br}}Express
! Connections and notes<ref name="timetables-fares-access" />
! Location
|-
| {{JRSN|MO|01|size=40}}
| [[File:Monorail-Hamamatsucho-Sta-Platform.JPG|center|120px]]
| [[Hamamatsuchō Station|Monorail Hamamatsuchō]]
| align="right" | {{convert|0|km|abbr=on}}
| align="center" | ●
| align="center" | ●
| align="center" | ●
|{{Unbulleted list|{{JRLS|JK}} [[Keihin–Tōhoku Line]] (JK23)|{{JRLS|JY}} [[Yamanote Line]] (JY28)|{{TSLS|A}} [[Asakusa Line]] ([[Daimon Station (Tokyo)|Daimon]]: A-09)|{{TSLS|E}} [[Oedo Line]] (Daimon: E-20)}}
| align="center" | [[Minato, Tokyo|Minato]]
|-
| {{JRSN|MO|02|size=40}}
| [[File:Tennozu isle sta south.jpg|center|120px]]
| {{STN|Tennōzu Isle|x}}
| align="right" | {{convert|4.0|km|abbr=on}}
| align="center" | ●
| align="center" | ●
| align="center" {{n/a|}} |
| {{RKLS}} [[Rinkai Line]] (R-05)
| rowspan="2" align="center" | [[Shinagawa]]
|-
| {{JRSN|MO|03|size=40}}
| [[File:Oikeibajo-mae sta.jpg|center|120px]]
| {{STN|Ōi Keibajō Mae|x}}
| align="right" | {{convert|7.1|km|abbr=on}}
| align="center" | ●
| align="center" | ●
| align="center" {{n/a|}} |
| —
|-
| {{JRSN|MO|04|size=40}}
| [[File:Tokyo Monorail Ryūtsū Center sta 001.jpg|center|120px]]
| {{STN|Ryūtsū Center|x}}
| align="right" | {{convert|8.7|km|abbr=on}}
| align="center" | ●
| align="center" | ●
| align="center" {{n/a|}} |
| —
| rowspan="8" align="center" | [[Ōta, Tokyo|Ōta]]
|-
| {{JRSN|MO|05|size=40}}
| [[File:Tokyo Monorail Showajima sta 001.jpg|center|120px]]
| {{STN|Shōwajima|x}}
| align="right" | {{convert|9.9|km|abbr=on}}
| align="center" | ●
| align="center" {{n/a|}} |
| align="center" {{n/a|}} |
| —
|-
| {{JRSN|MO|06|size=40}}
| [[File:Tokyo Monorail Seibijo sta 001.jpg|center|120px]]
| {{STN|Seibijō|x}}
| align="right" | {{convert|11.8|km|abbr=on}}
| align="center" | ●
| align="center" {{n/a|}} |
| align="center" {{n/a|}} |
| —
|-
| {{JRSN|MO|07|size=40}}
| [[File:Tokyo-monorail-MO07-Tenkubashi-station-entrance-20191103-153531.jpg|center|120px]]
| {{STN|Tenkūbashi|x}}
| align="right" | {{convert|12.6|km|abbr=on}}
| align="center" | ●
| align="center" {{n/a|}} |
| align="center" {{n/a|}} |
| {{KQLS}} [[Keikyū Airport Line]] (KK15)
|-
| {{JRSN|MO|08|size=40}}
| [[File:Haneda airport International station monorail no3.JPG|center|120px]]
| {{STN|Haneda Airport Terminal 3|x}}
| align="right" | {{convert|14.0|km|abbr=on}}
| align="center" | ●
| align="center" | ●
| align="center" | ●
| {{KQLS}} [[Keikyū Airport Line]] (KK16)
|-
| {{JRSN|MO|09|size=40}}
| [[File:Tokyo-monorail-MO09-Shin-seibijo-station-entrance-20191103-151846.jpg|center|120px]]
| {{STN|Shin Seibijō|x}}
| align="right" | {{convert|16.1|km|abbr=on}}
| align="center" | ●
| align="center" {{n/a|}} |
| align="center" {{n/a|}} |
| —
|-
| {{JRSN|MO|10|size=40}}
| [[File:Haneda airport terminal 1 Station - Nov 23 2019.jpeg|center|120px]]
| {{STN|Haneda Airport Terminal 1|x}}
| align="right" | {{convert|16.9|km|abbr=on}}
| align="center" | ●
| align="center" | ●
| align="center" | ●
| {{KQLS}} [[Keikyū Airport Line]] ({{STN|Haneda Airport Terminal 1·2|x}}: KK17)
|-
| {{JRSN|MO|11|size=40}}
| [[File:Haneda Airport Terminal 2 Station 001.JPG|center|120px]]
| {{STN|Haneda Airport Terminal 2|x}}
| align="right" | {{convert|17.8|km|abbr=on}}
| align="center" | ●
| align="center" | ●
| align="center" | ●
| {{KQLS}} [[Keikyū Airport Line]] (Haneda Airport Terminal 1·2: KK17)
|}

==Rolling stock==
All rolling stock operated by the Tokyo Monorail since its opening has been built by [[Hitachi Rail]] using the company's proprietary [[Hitachi Monorail]] system. {{As of|2020}}, the fleet consists of three types: the [[Tokyo Monorail 1000 series|1000 series]], [[Tokyo Monorail 2000 series|2000 series]], and [[Tokyo Monorail 10000 series|10000 series]]. All trainsets operate in six-car formations and can reach speeds of up to {{convert|80|km/h|mph}}.

[[File:Tokyo Monorail 10000 2015-14.jpg|thumb|Interior of a 10000 series train showing the centrally located seats over the load-bearing wheels with baggage stowage area]]

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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Technical Page – Hitachi |url=https://www.monorails.org/tMspages/TPHitach.html |access-date=16 November 2025 |website=The Monorail Society}}</ref> Additional space is provided for baggage, and all rolling stock is stored and maintained at a [[Motive power depot|depot]] 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.<ref>{{cite web |date=10 September 2013 |script-title=ja:東京モノレール開業50年 新型車両、車内は「和風」 26年導入 |url=http://sankei.jp.msn.com/life/news/130910/trd13091020170006-n1.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130912000809/http://sankei.jp.msn.com/life/news/130910/trd13091020170006-n1.htm |archive-date=12 September 2013 |access-date=11 September 2013 |work=MSN Sankei News |publisher=The Sankei Shimbun & Sankei Digital |language=ja |location=Japan}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=18 July 2014 |script-title=ja:指原莉乃が出発進行!東京モノレールに新型車両、「和」デザイン |trans-title=New Tokyo Monorail train with "Wa" design seen off by Rino Sashihara |url=http://www.sponichi.co.jp/entertainment/news/2014/07/18/kiji/K20140718008585140.html |access-date=18 July 2014 |work=Sponichi Annex |publisher=Sports Nippon Newspapers |language=ja |location=Japan}}</ref>

{{Gallery
| title=Current fleet
| width= 160
| height= 170
| align= center
| footer=
| File:Monorail1000n-wiki.jpg
 | alt1=
 | 1000 series
| File:Monorail2000n-wiki.jpg
 | alt2=
 | 2000 series
| File:東京モノレール10000形.jpg
 | alt3=
 | 10000 series
}}

==Service==

The Tokyo Monorail operates from around 5:00&nbsp;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 ([[Japan Airlines|JAL]], [[All Nippon Airways|ANA]], [[Skymark Airlines]], and [[Air Do]]) have check-in counters and ticket machines right at the station. It carried its 1.5 billionth passenger on 24 January 2007.<ref>{{cite news |date=24 January 2007 |title=1.5 billionth rides monorail to Haneda |url=http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nb20070125a2.html |access-date=24 January 2007 |work=The Japan Times |publisher=The Japan Times Ltd.}}</ref>

An alternative to the monorail is the [[Keikyu Airport Line]] between the airport and [[Shinagawa Station]]. Both railways compete with bus services.

===Ownership===
The monorail line is owned and operated by the {{Nihongo foot|'''Tokyo Monorail Co., Ltd.'''|東京モノレール株式会社|Tōkyō Monorēru Kabushiki-gaisha|group=lower-alpha}}. 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.<ref name="50-years" />{{rp|11}} The company re-established as the Tokyo Monorail Co., Ltd. in 1981.<ref name="50-years" />{{rp|19–21}} [[East Japan Railway Company|JR East]] acquired a 70-percent majority share of the company from Hitachi Transport System in 2002, with the remaining 30&nbsp;percent going to Hitachi, Ltd.<ref name="50-years" />{{rp|73}} {{As of|March 2019}}, the Tokyo Monorail Co., Ltd. is divided between JR East (79&nbsp;percent), Hitachi (12&nbsp;percent), and [[All Nippon Airways]]' holding company, ANA Holdings Inc. (9&nbsp;percent).<ref name="50-years" />{{rp|74}}

===Operation and maintenance===

The {{Nihongo|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, a [[Motive power depot|vehicle maintenance and storage depot]] where cars are inspected and serviced, a track and trolley inspection and maintenance depot, and a crew depot.

===Fares===
[[File:Tokyo Monorail Seibijo sta 002.jpg|thumb|Fare gates and ticket vending machines at Seibijō Station]]

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 a [[student discount]] certificate with the [[Open University of Japan]]. Groups of 15 or more can acquire discounted group tickets.<ref name="about-tickets">{{cite web |title=About Tickets |url=http://www.tokyo-monorail.co.jp/english/tickets/type.html |access-date=6 June 2020 |publisher=Tokyo Monorail Co., Ltd.}}</ref> A special discount ticket is offered to riders needing to transfer to JR East's Yamanote Line.<ref>{{cite web |title=Monorail and Yamanote Line Discount Ticket |url=http://www.tokyo-monorail.co.jp/english/tickets/value/yamanote.html |access-date=6 June 2020 |publisher=Tokyo Monorail Co., Ltd.}}</ref> Commuter and travel passes are also available.<ref name="about-tickets" />

Tokyo Monorail began accepting the [[contactless smart card]] [[Suica]] on 21 April 2002,<ref name="50-years" />{{rp|260}} and accepts other [[Nationwide Mutual Usage Service|Mutual Use]] cards as well, such as [[Pasmo|PASMO]].<ref>{{cite web |script-title=ja:モノレールSuicaとは |trans-title=What is Monorail Suica |url=http://www.tokyo-monorail.co.jp/tickets/suica/outline.html |access-date=6 June 2020 |publisher=Tokyo Monorail Co., Ltd. |language=ja}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=5 March 2018 |title=The Tokyo Monorail: Haneda Airport to Tokyo |url=https://www.jrailpass.com/blog/tokyo-monorail |access-date=28 February 2024 |publisher=Japan Railways Group}}</ref> In 2009, the company began selling a specialized Suica design, branded as "Monorail Suica".<ref>{{cite web |date=6 April 2009 |script-title=ja:新モノレールSuica発売開始について |trans-title=About the launching of the new Monorail Suica |url=http://www.tokyo-monorail.co.jp/news/pdf/press_2009newmonorailsuica.pdf |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090419100236/http://www.tokyo-monorail.co.jp/news/pdf/press_2009newmonorailsuica.pdf |archive-date=19 April 2009 |access-date=19 April 2009 |publisher=Tokyo Monorail Co., Ltd. |language=ja}}</ref> After a suspension of sales (except for commuter passes) due to the [[2020–2023 global chip shortage]], it was announced in January 2025 that the cards would be discontinued in March of that year.<ref>{{Cite web |date=28 January 2025 |title=東京モノレール、「モノレールSuica」の発売を終了 3月15日以降は「Suica」を発行 |url=https://www.tetsudo.com/news/3340/ |access-date=28 January 2025 |website=鉄道コム |language=ja}}</ref>

Paper tickets may be purchased from [[ticket vending machine]]s at any Tokyo Monorail station.<ref>{{cite web |title=Purchasing tickets |url=http://www.tokyo-monorail.co.jp/english/tickets/purchase.html |access-date=6 June 2020 |publisher=Tokyo Monorail Co., Ltd.}}</ref> {{As of|June 2020}}, tickets can also be purchased from machines at the following airports: [[Fukuoka Airport]], [[Hakodate Airport]], [[Hiroshima Airport]], [[Itami Airport|Itami]] and [[Kansai International Airport|Kansai]] airports in [[Osaka]], [[Kagoshima Airport]], [[Kumamoto Airport]], [[Nagasaki Airport]], [[Naha Airport]], [[New Chitose Airport]] in [[Sapporo]], [[Oita Airport]], [[Okayama Airport]], [[Takamatsu Airport]], and [[Toyama Airport]].<ref>{{cite web |script-title=ja:きっぷのご案内 |trans-title=Ticket Information |url=http://www.tokyo-monorail.co.jp/tickets/type.html |access-date=23 May 2020 |publisher=Tokyo Monorail Co., Ltd. |language=ja}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Tokyo|Trains}}
* [[Monorails in Japan]]
{{clear}}

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* L.W. Demery, R. Forty, R. DeGroote and J.W. Higgins, ''Electric Railways of Japan (Interurbans- Tramways-Metros) Vol.1: Tokyo and Northern Japan''. Light Rail Transit Association, 1983.
* {{cite magazine |last=Kusamachi |first=Yoshikazu |date=June 2009 |script-title=ja:再発見!! モノレールの魅力 |trans-title=Rediscovering the fascination of monorails |magazine=[[Japan Railfan Magazine]] |publisher=Koyusha Co., Ltd. |pages=114–118 |language=ja |volume=49 |issue=578}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category}}
* [http://www.tokyo-monorail.co.jp/english/ Official site]

{{Tokyo transit}}
{{Rapid transit in Asia}}
{{Airport rail links in Japan}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Tokyo Monorail]]
[[Category:1964 establishments in Japan]]
[[Category:Airport rail links in Japan]]
[[Category:Alweg people movers]]
[[Category:Haneda Airport]]
[[Category:Rail transport in Tokyo]]
[[Category:Railway lines opened in 1964]]
[[Category:Monorails in Japan]]