Ueno Zoo Monorail

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Ueno Zoo Monorail Line
Location	Ueno Zoo
Type	suspended
Length	0.3 km
Inauguration	December 17 1958
Lines	1
Stations	2
Operator	Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation

The Ueno Zoo Monorail Line (東京都交通局上野懸垂線, Tōkyō-to Kōtsū-kyoku Ueno Kensui-sen^?) is a 0.3-km long suspended monorail operated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation. It lies within the Ueno Zoo in Taito Ward, Tokyo, Japan. The monorail is similar to the Schwebebahn Wuppertal, but has rubbertires rather than steel wheels. Many of the parts manufactured for the monorail were off the shelf.^[1] The first monorail in the nation (and the first zoo monorail in the world^[2], it has two stations, double track, and operates at 600 V DC. The line began operating on December 17, 1958, and except for a suspension during 2001–2002, has been in operation since. Being located inside the zoo, it only operates on days when the zoo is open, and between 9:40 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.; departures are scheduled every seven minutes. The fare for the 90-second trip is 150 yen.

See also: Monorails in Japan

[edit] References

1. ^ Ueno Zoo (html). Retrieved on 2007-03-30.
2. ^ Philadelphia Zoo (html). Retrieved on 2007-03-30.