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Shonan Monorail

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Not to be confused with Odakyū Enoshima Line.

Shonan Monorail
A 5000 series train in August 2008
A 5000 series train in August 2008
Overview
LocaleKanagawa Prefecture
Transit typeSuspension monorail (SAFEGE-type)
Number of stations8
Daily ridership29,814 (JFY23)[1]
Websitekamakura-enoshima-monorail.jp
Operation
Began operation7 March 1970; 55 years ago (1970-03-07)
Operator(s)Shonan Monorail Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Michinori Holdings
Rolling stock5000 series
Number of vehicles7
Train length3 cars
Headway7 minutes[2]
Technical
System length6.6 km (4.1 mi)
No. of tracks1, passing loops at stations
Minimum radius of curvatureMain line: 90 m (300 ft)
At stations: 50 m (160 ft)
ElectrificationContact rails, 1,500 V DC
Top speed75 km/h (47 mph)
System map
Legend
km
Tōkaidō Main, Yokosuka, and
Shōnan–Shinjuku lines to Totsuka
Tōkaidō Main Line to Fujisawa
Negishi Line to Hongōdai
0
 Ōfuna JT JK JO JS
Yokosuka and Shōnan–Shinjuku
lines to Kita-Kamakura
0.9
 Fujimichō
2.0
 Shōnan-Machiya
2.6
 Shōnan-Fukasawa
Depot
Kamakurayama Tunnel
4.7
 Nishi-Kamakura
5.5
 Kataseyama
6.2
 Mejiroyamashita
Kataseyama Tunnel
6.6
 Shōnan-Enoshima
Enoden Line to Koshigoe
 Enoshima
Enoden Line to Shōnankaigankōen
 Katase-Enoshima
Odakyū Enoshima Line
to Kugenuma-Kaigan
This diagram:

The Shonan Monorail[a] is a suspended, SAFEGE-type monorail in the cities of Kamakura and Fujisawa in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It is operated by the Shonan Monorail Co., Ltd.[b] which is a subsidiary of Michinori Holdings. The line opened on 7 March 1970, the first suspended monorail in Japan.[3] Trains run on a 6.6-kilometre (4.1 mi) line called the Enoshima Line. It is a mostly single-track railway with passing loops at most stations. The line is used by locals commuting to jobs in Tokyo or Yokohama and by tourists visiting the resort area of Enoshima.[4]

History

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Inside and outside a train near Kataseyama Station, 2021

During the 1960s, several monorail systems were tested across Japan.[1] The Shonan Monorail was developed as a demonstration line for Mitsubishi Heavy Industries' suspended-type monorail system, which competed with Hitachi’s straddle-beam design. The project built upon data collected from the Higashiyama Park Monorail, a short suspended test line that operated within the Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens in Nagoya from 1964 to 1974.[5] The route between Ōfuna station and the resort area of Enoshima was selected for its steep gradients and sharp curves, which could showcase suspended system’s performance.[6] Mitsubishi also had an interest in the area, as the line could serve its nearby manufacturing plants and offices.

Construction utilized the combined resources of the Mitsubishi Group: the track and support towers were produced at the Yokohama Shipyard, rolling stock at the Mihara Machinery Works, electrical equipment by Mitsubishi Electric, and overall coordination by Mitsubishi Estate. The Shonan Monorail Company was established as a joint venture between Mitsubishi, the Keihin Kyuko Electric Railway (which owned the right of way), and Seibu Railway (which controlled the land surrounding Kataseyama Station).[7]

The company applied for a construction license on 6 October 1965, which was approved later that month. The line was built above the former Keihin Kyuko Expressway, Japan’s first automobile-only road. Originally intended to host a conventional train from the Keihin Kyuko Electric Railway, the corridor was repurposed as a toll road and later transferred to the cities of Kamakura and Fujisawa.[7] The route includes steep grades and tight curves—up to an 8.8% gradient and 25-metre (82 ft) minimum radius along the road. To balance performance and passenger comfort, the monorail’s design limited the gradient to 7.4%,[8] and set a minimum curve radius of 100 metres (330 ft) on the main line, except for a single 90-metre (300 ft) curve near Ōfuna Station and 50-metre (160 ft) curves in station areas. Two tunnels were also constructed along the route: the 451-metre (1,480 ft) Kamakurayama Tunnel, which has a straight alignment where trains reach their top speed of 75 kilometres per hour (47 mph) and allows trains to bypass the steepest grades of the Keihin Kyuko Expressway; and the 205-metre (673 ft) Kataseyama Tunnel near the southern terminus.[9] The line’s undulating profile has been compared to a roller coaster.[8]

Construction on the first section between Ōfuna and Nishi-Kamakura began in 1967 and it opened on 7 March 1970 with two-car 300 series trains, followed by the extension to Shōnan-Enoshima on 1 July 1971.[3][7] Due to growing ridership, three-car trains were introduced on 30 January 1975.

On 20 February 1990, a train collided with an aerial lift vehicle beneath the track near Kataseyama, seriously injuring the train operator but causing no passenger fatalities. Another incident occurred on 24 February 2008, when a train overran Nishi-Kamakura station due to a brake malfunction; no injuries occurred, and service resumed after safety modifications were made.[10] Another collision with an aerial lift vehicle occurred on 7 November 2008, also without injuries.

In May 2015, majority ownership of the Shonan Monorail transferred from the Mitsubishi Group to Michinori Holdings.[11][12][13] In 2018, the line began accepting IC fare cards such as Pasmo and Suica, and was twinned with Germany’s Wuppertal Schwebebahn, another suspended monorail and a popular tourist attraction.[14]

Stations

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The Shonan Monorail Enoshima Line (江の島線, Enoshima-sen) travels 6.6 km (4.1 mi) every seven to eight minutes between Ōfuna Station and Enoshima, making six stops.[3] The average length of a single trip is 14 minutes.[15] The line includes two tunnels (between Shōnan-Fukasawa and Nishi-Kamakura stations, and between Mejiroyamashita and Shōnan-Enoshima stations).[16] The line's maintenance workshop is located at the Shonan Monorail Headquarters in Kamakura City.[17]

No. Station Distance Transfers Location
Between
stations 		Total
SMR1 Ōfuna — 0
Kamakura
SMR2 Fujimichō* 0.9 km (0.6 mi) 0.9 km (0.6 mi)
SMR3 Shōnan-Machiya 1.1 km (0.7 mi) 2.0 km (1.2 mi)
SMR4 Shōnan-Fukasawa* 0.6 km (0.4 mi) 2.6 km (1.6 mi)
SMR5 Nishi-Kamakura* 2.1 km (1.3 mi) 4.7 km (2.9 mi)
SMR6 Kataseyama 0.8 km (0.5 mi) 5.5 km (3.4 mi)
SMR7 Mejiroyamashita* 0.7 km (0.4 mi) 6.2 km (3.9 mi) Fujisawa
SMR8 Shōnan-Enoshima 0.4 km (0.2 mi) 6.6 km (4.1 mi)

* Station with passing loop

Rolling stock

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A Shonan Monorail train at the depot near Shonan-Fukasawa station. A track switch can be seen at upper left. Also visible on the left are maintenance vehicles.

Since 2004, the line has been operated using a fleet of seven three-car aluminium-bodied 5000 series trainsets.[18] The 5000 series is equipped with a variable voltage variable frequency (VVVF) AC motor drive system, which controls speed and torque by varying the input electricity. Compared to prior DC motor drive systems, VVVF allows for regenerative braking, smooth acceleration and deceleration, and requires fewer inspections and less maintenance because, unlike a DC motor, it has no commutator brush or contact switch.[19]

  • A 5000 series set in October 2009
    A 5000 series set in October 2009

Former

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  • A 400 series set in 2004
    A 400 series set in 2004
  • A 500 series set in April 2008
    A 500 series set in April 2008

Services were initially operated using a fleet of six two-car 300 series trainsets built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. Two sets were increased to three cars from February 1975 to provide additional capacity.[3] The last of the 300 series sets were withdrawn by July 1992, following the introduction of new 500 series trains.[20]

The three-car 400 series trains were introduced in 1980 and operated until July 2004.

The 500 series trains, introduced in 1988, were the first air-conditioned trains on the line.[3] The last 500 series train was withdrawn from service on 26 June 2016.[18]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Japanese: 湘南モノレール, Hepburn: Shōnan Monorēru
  2. ^ 湘南モノレール株式会社, Shōnan Monorēru Kabushiki-gaisha

References

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  1. ^ a b "Monorails for urban transportation" (PDF). Japan Monorail Association. November 2024. Retrieved 7 November 2025.
  2. ^ "Kamakura-Enoshima Shonan Monorail". Shonan Monorail. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  3. ^ a b c d e Terada, Hirokazu (19 January 2013). データブック日本の私鉄 [Databook: Japan's Private Railways] (in Japanese). Japan: Neko Publishing. p. 80. ISBN 978-4-7770-1336-4.
  4. ^ "Shonan and Enoden". Retrieved 2 September 2007.
  5. ^ "Monorails of the World". www.monorails.org. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  6. ^ Pedersen, Kim (2003). "Shonan Monorail Photo Essay". The Monorail Society. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  7. ^ a b c Morikawa, Tenki (13 January 2020). "湘南モノレール開業50周年の道のりをたどる - 当時の写真とともに" [Tracing the path to the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Shonan Monorail – with photos from the past]. MyNavi Corporation (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 6 May 2023. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  8. ^ a b "Railway with Ups and Downs". Shonan Monorail. January 2019. Retrieved 7 November 2025.
  9. ^ Shonan Monorail - Like a Roller Coaster. Shonan Monorail. 19 August 2024. Event occurs at 0:33. Retrieved 8 November 2025 – via YouTube.
  10. ^ "Railway accident investigation report" (PDF). Japan Transport Safety Board. June 2009. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  11. ^ "Mitsubishi sells Shonan Monorail". The Monorail Society. 7 July 2015. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  12. ^ About transferring
  13. ^ "MHI to Sell Equity Stake in Shonan Monorail to Michinori Holdings". Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. 22 May 2015. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
  14. ^ "Our partner: Shonan Monorail". www.schwebebahn.de. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  15. ^ "Sarukoen 猿公園: July 2007 Archives". Retrieved 2 September 2007.
  16. ^ "Kamakura-Enoshima Shonan Monorail". Kamakura-Enoshima Shonan Monorail (in Japanese). Retrieved 5 September 2019.
  17. ^ "湘南モノレール ピンクリボン号デビュー！ Shonan Monorail Pink Ribbon-Go Edition" (subtitled video). YouTube. Shonan Monorail湘南モノレール(Official). 3 July 2016. p. English subtitles/transcript. Archived from the original on 13 December 2021. Retrieved 31 March 2021. In the early hours of March 23, 2016 the 7th train of all the new 5000 series (Pink Line) was deliver edto Shonan Monorail HQ Workshop in Kamakura City from Mitsubishi Heavy Industry Mihara Plant in Hiroshima Prefecture.
  18. ^ a b 湘南モノレール500形が引退 [Shonan Monorail 500 series withdrawn]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. 27 June 2016. Archived from the original on 23 July 2016. Retrieved 23 July 2016.
  19. ^ "環境保全 | 江の島への近道 湘南モノレール株式会社". www.shonan-monorail.co.jp. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
  20. ^ 湘南モノレール 300形 [Shonan Monorail 300 series]. Tetsudo Hobidas (in Japanese). Japan: Neko Publishing Co., Ltd. 16 February 2016. Retrieved 21 February 2016.
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