Hitachi Review Vol. 53 (2004), No. 1 25 Straddle-type Monorail Systems with Driverless Train Operation System Masamichi Kato OVERVIEW: With close to four decades of experience developing and Kenichi Yamazaki deploying straddle-type monorail systems, Hitachi has now added to its lineup of standard/larger model monorails with a smaller, standardized, Toshiharu Amazawa cost-effective monorail system. In a parallel development, Hitachi has refined Takayuki Tamotsu its DTO (driverless train operation) system and has now demonstrated the system in medium-capacity transit systems. INTRODUCTION monorail cars and other equipment for China’s HITACHI has close to 40 years of experience in Chongqing Monorail that is now under construction. developing and supplying straddle-type monorail Recognizing the company’s excellent reputation in systems as medium-capacity transit systems to building smaller, standard, cost-effective monorail augment the conventional larger capacity train and systems, Hitachi was also chosen to build Sentosa subway systems in urban areas. Express (new monorail system) connecting Singapore Starting with Tokyo Monorail that went into service to Sentosa Island (see Fig. 1). in 1964, a number of straddle-type monorail systems This article highlights the main features of Hitachi’s have been deployed throughout Japan including straddle-type monorail systems and DTO (driverless Kitakyushu Urban Monorail in 1985, Osaka-Monorail train operation) system. in 1990, Tokyo Tama Intercity Monorail in 1998, and most recently Okinawa Urban Monorail that began FEATURES OF STRADDLE-TYPE operating on August 10, 2003. Turning to the overseas MONORAIL SYSTEMS market, Hitachi recently won a contract to supply The primary features and advantages of Hitachi’s Fig. 1—Image of Sentosa Express (New Monorail System) Operating in Singapore. Based on decades of experience with larger monorail system technologies, Hitachi has developed a small, standard and cost-effective straddle-type monorail system to meet the transportation needs of small to medium-sized cities. Straddle-type Monorail Systems with Driverless Train Operation System 26 Subway Large monorail Standard monorail Small monorail (a) Slab structure AGT LRT Bus 0 2,000 5,000 10,000 20,000 50,000 Carrying capacity (passengers/h) LRT: light rail transit AGT: automated guideway transit (b) Guideway structure Fig. 2—Carrying Capacity of Different Transportation Systems. Fig. 3—Slab versus Guideway Cross-sections. Monorail systems can transport between 2,000 (small system) to The guideway structure lets through a lot more light than the 25,000 passengers (large system) per hour. solid slab, and the simpler structure of the guideway is aesthetically less obtrusive and harmonizes better with urban environments. straddle-type monorail systems are summarized as environments. The track beam width is relatively follows: narrow ranging from 700 mm for the smaller monorail (1) The construction period to deploy a monorail is to 850 mm for the large monorail, so measures to far shorter than to build a subway, and the construction prevent damage from snow are easy to implement and costs are less expensive; that is, roughly one-third for normal operation is generally unaffected by the building a large monorail system and one-sixth for a weather (see Fig. 3). small-scale monorail system. (5) Cars are connected by walkthroughs as a standard (2) Three scales of monorail system with different safety feature, and a rescue train is available that can carrying capacities are available: the small straddle- respond immediately in emergency situations. type monorail system has a carrying capacity of 79 (6) With close to four decades of field-specific passengers per car, the standard system is capable of expertise, Hitachi can support every aspect of a carrying 100 passengers per car, and the large monorail successful monorail deployment from planning and system can carry up to 173 passengers per car. Having design to manufacturing and maintenance. Hitachi is a transport capacity of 2,000 (small system) to 25,000 able to supply the rolling stock, transport management passengers/h (large system), they can flexibly systems, platform gates, and every element of a total accommodate a wide range of municipal planning transportation system that meets the needs of needs (see Fig. 2). passengers and operating companies alike. (3) Monorail vehicles with rubber tires can negotiate steep grades (6%) and small-radius curves (40-meter STRADDLE-TYPE MONORAIL OPERATIONS curves for the small monorail). Rubber tires also One-person Operation provide a quiet, comfortable ride for passengers. The ability of a single operator to run the train is (4) Monorail vehicles run on a simple guideway indispensable to save labor cost in the operation of structure that can be deployed in narrow, confined urban transport systems, and a one-person operation spaces. The narrow guideway also allows more light system has been used on straddle-type monorails since to reach street level than the conventional slab Kitakyushu Urban Monorail began operating in 1985. structures, and harmonizes nicely with urban In a recent development in September 2002, Tokyo Hitachi Review Vol. 53 (2004), No. 1 27 Monorail, the only monorail operated by a two-person application to straddle-type monorails for years, and crew (driver and conductor), was converted to a one- has now succeeded in developing the first DTO system person operation with the installation of an automatic including ATO, platform gate and other supporting announcement system and other improvements in the equipment to be actually installed on a conventional trains in conjunction with improved platform gates and commercial monorail route in Japan. Note that there other platform-side upgrades. is one train attendant who rides at the rear end of the monorail who assists passengers by providing Driverless Train Operation System information, monitors the opening and closing of To reduce labor costs even further, DTO system doors, and is ready to take charge in case of an for urban transport systems that permit trains to operate emergency. As a sidelight, the first fully automatic without an on-board driver at all have drawn a great unmanned monorail in Japan was constructed and deal of attention in recent years. Hitachi has been operated during Osaka Expo ’70, Japan’s World’s Fair. investigating and refining a DTO system for Obviously, a DTO system must be capable of Automatic train supervisory system Train system Onboard Onboard Train door public information Graphic Graphic address display display display Radio control Command Traffic management Train panel console control panel Public display address system Communication Train failure, VVVF Monitoring and system Train door Door ATO information train operating open/close control onboard control SIV Brake Radio central Onboard information status button equipment equipment system system control system circuit equipment control data for each Onboard train Door Reset signal information Train position data verifying Departure control data stop lamp Onboard Onboard for train wireless button ATP onboard Data system base station ATO ATP/TD Onboard train transceiver equipment transceiver wireless equipment Radio central control system Central processing Departure Train failure equipment time lamp ATO ATP/TD (reset required) onboard onboard Train operating antenna antenna Signaling status ATO loop ATP /TD loop Train wireless equipment Departure time data Fixed-point base station Open/close Departure hold data stop data Control Train current Feeder data display lamp speed data line data Operating status Platform gate Reset signal Operating Platform Retransmit status gate control signal Station control Platform gate system control panel Onboard Train failure Operating Platform gate information (reset required) status monitor open/close status control data Train operating for each train status Train departure Fixed point Train departure Fixed point Train location control stop data, control stop data data for train Train dooropening platform gate Train door opening Platform gate wireless base control open/close control open/close station Departure time commands Departure time command lamp control Train door lamp control Train door Departure hold open/close Departure hold open/close control status control status Station code ATO ground equipment VVVF: variable voltage, variable frequency ATC: automatic train control SIV: static inverter TD: train detector Fig. 4—DTO System Overview. Interrelated equipment including the ATS (automtic train supervision), various onboard systems, and platform gates are functionally integrated. Straddle-type Monorail Systems with Driverless Train Operation System 28 performing all of the regular tasks formally done by and it also localizes hazards resulting from system the driver under the one-person operating system — malfunctions so that these hazards do not spread to operating the train, resuming normal operation when adversely affect the whole system. the train stops between stations, avoiding danger The system can handle ordinary and unanticipated (particularly around station platforms), etc. — either stops, say in the event of a power outage or loss of automatically or remotely. Kitakyushu Urban Monorail pressure in the air reservoir of the brake system, but to and Tokyo Tama Intercity Monorail were the first avoid stopping between stations, power can be cut off systems to operate using Hitachi’s ATO (automatic (fallback) and