Skyrail Midorizaka Line, Suspended monorail in Aki-ku, Japan
The Skyrail Midorizaka Line is a now-closed suspension railway in Aki-ku ward of Hiroshima that once featured three elevated stops. The route passes through a residential area, linking several points across a narrow valley.
This installation opened in the late 1990s to serve a new hilltop housing development. Operations ceased in 2024 after roughly 25 years of service.
The system introduced Japan's first public transport smart card technology, named SKYRAIL PASS, revolutionizing passenger ticketing methods in the country.
The former stations remain accessible via stairways and steep footpaths that wind through residential blocks. Walking along the closed route offers different perspectives on the structure.
The cabins traveled along a single rail line and climbed gradients too steep for conventional trains. The technical setup combined cable car and monorail engineering in an unusual design.
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