Yui Rail Okinawa Urban Monorail 1000 Series 3-Car Trains

The 3-car formation of the Yui Rail Okinawa Urban Monorail 1000 Series is the newest rolling stock model, launched in 2023. This marks the first majorly-significant variant of the Okinawa Urban Monorail 1000 Series since the opening of the Okinawa Urban Monorail Line on 10 August 2003. There are currently 2 sets of 3-car trains, launched in 2 batches since 2023, with 2 more new sets to be in operation – a total of 4 new trains.

5 existing 2-car train sets will also receive a new middle car, to be extended to 3-car trains. Combined with the 4 new 3-car train sets, there will be a total of 9 3-car train sets and 16 2-car train sets once the whole project is completed.

Okinawa Urban Monorail 1000 Series 3-Car Train Exterior

The exterior of the 3-car trains are rather identical to the 2-car sets, except for the most obvious extension of the train set with the middle car, and the additional of destination signs on the top sides of the train cars. There are 2 doors on each side of each train car.

The 3-car trains also use the full length of the station platforms, utilising the additional half-height platform screen doors that are marked for 3-car sets only.

Okinawa Urban Monorail 1000 Series 3-Car Train Interior (Middle Car)

The interior of the Okinawa Urban Monorail 1000 series 3-car trains come in 2 variants – 1 for the middle car, and another for the cab cars. We’ll start with the middle car first.

End seats have been removed to create more standing space near the doors, with the long bench now seating 10 passengers abreast in a longitudinal formation.

On the other side, there are 2 shorter benches of 3 seats each, along with a rather annoying equipment box right in the middle where more seats should be.

I wonder if there really isn’t a better location to place this equipment box?

Priority areas are located along the gangways. The priority space is more clearly marked with large stickers.

There is also a new type of luggage rack which fits big rolling luggage on the floor without the need for passengers to lift the luggage up on to the rack. A bar is available to pull down to keep big luggage in place. This, combined with the small equipment box and the overhead rack, forms a 4-tier luggage storage space.

The gangway also has a sliding glass door separating each train car. While this may be useful for noise separation, I found that it hampers ventilation within the train on a warm Okinawa day without air-conditioning.

Warning lights are also installed above the train doors.

The dynamic information screens are located above the doors, in a more squarish shape, reminiscent of on-board information screens everywhere else in Japan. Information is displayed in Japanese, English, Chinese, and Korean.

Okinawa Urban Monorail 1000 Series 3-Car Train Interior (Cab Cars)

The interior of the Okinawa Urban Monorail 1000 series 3-car trains in the 2 end cab cars.

10 seats are laid abreast in a longitudinal formation, with the 2 end seats removed for standing space by the train doors..

Ventilation is provided by hopper windows. Air-conditioning is installed on board, but they were not switched on during my journey as the external temperature was room temperature. There are, however, central ventilation fans to move the air around.

The best seats in the house can be found at the ends of the train.

A small bench of 2 seats face the driver’s cab for a forward or rear view out of the cab, depending on the direction of travel. Even if a cab view isn’t your thing, these seats offer the most privacy, and also only 4 seats will face the direction of travel.

Okinawa Urban Monorail 1000 Series 3-Car Train Future

5 existing 2-car train sets will receive a new middle car, to be extended to 3-car trains. Combined with these 4 new 3-car train sets, there will be a total of 9 3-car train sets and 16 2-car train sets once the whole project is completed.