Osaka Monorail
Osaka Monorail at 21km was once the longest monorail in the world and runs from Osaka Itami Airport to Kadoma via Banpaku-Kinen-Koen.
Until 2005, when it was surpassed by the monorail in Chongqing, China, the Osaka Monorail was the longest monorail in the world with a length of just over 21 kilometers. The city of Osaka is the most populated in Kansai and is easily accessible from other parts of the country, such as Tokyo and Hiroshima.
History
The first section between Senri Chuo and Minami Ibaraki opened in 1990, and in 1997 the line was completed from Osaka Airport in Itami to Kadoma, north east of central Osaka. The 21 kilometer journey takes 35 minutes. A branch line running from Banpaku Kinen Koen to Saito Nishi was completed in two stages. First to Handai-byoin-mae in 1998 and on to Saito in 2007. The network has a total of 18 stations, with some having connections to either the Osaka subway or other rail lines.
Osaka Monorail Stations
Main Line
Osaka Airport | Hotarugaike | Shibahara | Shoji | Senri-Chuo | Yamada | Banpaku-Kinen-Koen |
Unobe | Minami-Ibaraki | Sawaragi |Settsu | Minami Settsu | Dainichi Osaka | Kadoma-shi
Saito Branch Line
Banpaku-Kinen-Koen | Koen-higashiguchi | Handai-byoin-mae | Toyokawa | Saito-nishi
Fares
Fares range from a minimum of 200 yen to a maximum of 550 yen. The system operates from 5:30 am until about midnight. The automatic ticket machines can be operated in English, and onboard train announcements are also in English.
The Kansai Thru Pass is valid on the Osaka Monorail. The Osaka Monorail takes 36 minutes to travel the entire length of the line.
For visiting Osaka Itami Airport, the Expo 70 Park and J-League soccer team Gamba Osaka's Suita City Football Stadium at Banpaku-Kinen-Koen, the monorail is most convenient.
The first departure from Osaka Itami Airport is at 5:38 am daily with the last train at 11:49 pm to Minami-ibaraki on weekdays and at 11:38 pm on weekends and public holidays to Bampaku-kinen-koen.