Okinawa Monorail
another Monorail Society Exclusive!
Page Five of Six

Here's the fantastic view David and I had from the monorail. We're on a steel span and in the distance are the more common concrete beams.


Some of the stations in Naha are the narrowest I've seen in Japan, yet they are still designed to handle many passengers each day. They are long enough to accommodate 4-car trains if ridership warrants in the future.


For monorailists that want a terrific view, you might want to consider one of those offices on the right.


A train approaching one of the larger, stylish stations. One comment about ride quality: I've personally ridden the most of the transit monorails in the world and the Okinawa Monorail and Tama Monorail are absolutely the smoothest riding Alweg-type monorails I've ever experienced. The advances in concrete beam fabrication made by Hitachi are amazing, and advances in vehicle suspension have also contributed to a very comfortable ride.


As we leave the center of Naha and continue towards the airport, the monorail track makes a graceful 90-degree turn while crossing the Kokuba River. Along the entire route we saw many cases of jammed traffic below, the monorail will be a welcome addition to the city.


The track shows monorail's ability to get over obstacles by crossing an elevated roadway at Okinawa Airport. Next Page...

Okinawa Monorail - Photo Essay page ONE / TWO / THREE / FOUR / FIVE / SIX

/ back to the Special Features Page