Monorails of Asia
![]() Palm Jumeirah train at manufacturing plant in Japan. Photo courtesy of Hitachi |
Palm Jumeirah, United Arab Emirates
A spectacular new man-made island has been built near Dubai in the shape of a palm. On the island are upscale residences, resorts and attractions. Hitachi built a monorail system to connect major points on the trunk island with the gateway. The system is driverless, but attendants are onboard in the same way as a similar monorail has at Tokyo Disney Resort. Stations include Gateway Towers, Trump Tower, Retail Plaza and Atlantis Resort. A 2-km extension is planned to connect with the Dubai Metro. The monorail system is the first major monorail in the Middle East and the first rail system in United Arab Emirates. |