Thursday 20 June 2013

White Train on the Tama Monorail Line


The 1102F of the EMU Tama Monorail 1000 series arrives at Takahatafudo Station

The Tama Monorail Line is a north-south trending suburban route in the western part of Tokyo Metropolis. Connecting Tama Center and Kamikitadai (16.0km) in about 36 minutes, it penetrates the Tama Hills from south to north. The route was opened in 1998 as a straddle-beam system monorail like the Haneda Line of Tokyo Monorail Company.

The EMU 1000 series has been operated on the line since 1998 when the route was opened. It consists of 4 cars, and a total of 15 sets have been manufactured so far. Most of the trains have orange and yellow colored stripes (see my blog on October 29th, 2011); however, only one set is painted white. It is set number 1102F.

The 1102F was commissioned in 1998 as the initial manufactured group. Why is it white colored? It is because the 1102F is used as a poster train. It is expected to be wrapped by commercial posters such as a department store or a home appliance manufacturer. In other words, the 1102F currently doesn't have a sponsor.

It might not be satisfactory for the railway company on the revenue front; but I personally like this solid white colored train. Look at the top photo. The white colored train, the 1102F, runs backed by the white colored apartments and the white colored pillars supporting the railway tracks. It is an all-white scenery except the blue sky... very exotic like the Mediterranean region. Don't you agree?

Close up picture of the 1102F with a snow claning brush