Set 1113 of the EMU Tama Monorail 1000 series, the 25th anniversary train
I visited the Tama Monorail line for the first time in two years. What's new with this urban commuter monorail line?
To start, let me quickly review the Tama Monorail line. It's a commuter route in the western part of Tokyo Metropolis. The route was opened in 1998, and penetrates the Tama region from south to north. Connecting Tama Center and Kamikitadai stations, its operating length is 16.0 kilometers. A straddle-beam system is adopted. The track is double and the electric system is 1,500 V DC. 4-car trains, named the EMU 1000 series, are operated every 6 to 10 minutes. 16 sets in total of the 1000 series trains were built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries and Hitachi.
Let's get down to the main topic. I found that Tama Monorail Company celebrated the 25th anniversary of the monorail line last year. In commemoration, the company operates the anniversary train until January 10th, 2025. We can see the celebratory plate on the front of the anniversary train. Moreover, there are stickers of Tama Monorail's mascot character, named Tamao, on the side bodies. According to the company's website, Tamao is an editorial staff of the information magazine, named Tamamono, on the Tama Monorail line. He joined the company in 2021, but I couldn't find any other information about him. Judging from its feature, Tamao is a male cat. I'd like to learn more about him to become his friend. Joking aside, congratulations on the 25th anniversary of the Tama Monorail line!
The 25th anniversary sticker