Monorail
\nA
monorail is a
metro or
railroad with a track consisting of a single rail, as opposed to the traditional track with two parallel
rails.\n \n
Technical Aspects
\nThere are two main types of monorail systems: In the suspended monorail the train is located under the track, suspended from above. In the more popular straddle-beam monorail, the train straddles the 'rail' (ie. covers it also on the sides). There is also a form of suspended monorail developed by SAFEGE that places the wheels inside the rail.
Power Source
\nModern monorails are powered by via electrical motors.
Wheels
\nModern monorails generally have tires, instead of metal wheels like you find on subway and light rail trains. These wheels roll along the top and sides of the rail to propel and stabilize to the train.
Switches
\nMost of modern monorail systems have switches. Some early monorail systems, notably the suspended monorail of Wuppertal (Germany), dating from 1901 and still in operation, have a design that makes it difficult to switch from one line to another. This limitation still figures in discussions of monorail. However, both for the suspended and for the straddle-beam type monorail the problem has been surmounted.
Advantages and Disadvantages
Advantages:\n* The primary advantage of monorails over conventional rail systems is that they require minimal space, both horizontally and vertically. The width required is determined by the monorail vehicle, not the track, and monorail systems are commonly elevated, requiring only a minimal footprint for support pillars.\n* Due to a smaller footprint they are more attractive than conventional elevated rail lines and visually block only a minimal amount of sky.\n* They are quieter, as modern monorails use rubber wheels on a concrete track\n* Monorails are capable of climbing, descending and turning faster than most conventional rail systems. \n* Monorails are safer, since the monorail wraps around its track and thus cannot derail and unlike light rail system, there is not risk of collision with traffic or pedestrians.\n* They cost less to construct and maintain, especially when compared to underground metro systems.\n*Unlike street level forms of transit such as light rail, trollies, or buses, monorails do not have to contend with car or pedestrian traffic in any way.
Disadvantages:\n* Monorails require their own guideway\n* While a monorail's footprint is less than an elevated conventional rail system, it is larger than an underground system's.\n* Most countries do not have standardized beam specifications for monorails, thus most tend to be proprietary systems. Japan is an exception. \n* There are also some lingering concerns over the speed and capacity of monorails.
Monorails Around the World
\nMonorail systems have been built in many countries around the world, many of them on elevated tracks through crowded areas that would otherwise require the construction of expensive underground lines or have the disadvantages of surface lines. Monorails are currently in use North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia and new systems are currently under construction.
Monorails in the North America
\nMonorails can be found in the following places in North America:\n* Disneyland (Anaheim, California) \n* Walt Disney World (Orlando, Florida). \n* Seattle has a short monorail built for the Century 21 Exposition in 1962. \n* Jacksonville, Florida (public transit monorail)\n* Las Vegas, Nevada (public transit monorail)\n* Tampa International Airport (Tampa, Florida) (people mover)\n* Newark International Airport (Newark, New Jersey) (people mover)\n* Six Flags La Ronde, (Montreal Canada) - Operates a monorail that was once part of a larger monorail systems built for the Montreal Worlds Fair.\n* Minnesota Zoo (Apple Valley, Minnesota)
Monorails in Asia
\n* Japan has employed monorails for rapid transit in six cities, including Tokyo and Osaka.\n* Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia has a monorail.
Other Asian countries with monorail systems include China, South Korea and Singapore.
Monorails in Europe
\n* Germany still operates a suspended monorail in Wuppertal, dating back to 1901.\n* England and Italy both have monorail systems.\n* Moscow, Russia has completed the first line of monorail currently being constructed.
Monorails in South America and Australia
\n* Both Australia and Brazil have built new monorail systems recently.
Monorail Ridership
\nThe installation at Walt Disney World, arguably the world's best known monorail, is often claimed to be the busiest monorail in the world with 5 million passengers yearly. However, in reality this title belongs to the Tokyo Monorail, which carries around 100 million passengers yearly, for a total of well over one billion passengers to date.
Monorails under Construction
\nThe short monorail built in Seattle for the Century 21 Exposition in 1962 is expected to be replaced with a longer version that will serve as public transit (construction begins in 2004). A major extension of the Las Vegas monorail connecting casinos and other destinations on the Las Vegas Strip opened on July 15th, 2004; additional extensions north to the city center and south to the airport are being planned. Several new system are being built in Asian cities including Putrajaya, Malaysia; Sentosa, Singapore; Chongqing, China; and Jakarta, Indonesia.
See also: Public transport
External links
\n* The Monorail Society\n*The Jacksonville SkyWay\n*The Las Vegas Monorail\n*The Seattle Monorail (Separately managed from the new Seattle Monorail Project)\n*Sydney Metro, partly a monorail system \n*As part of their extensive coverage, The Monorail Society presents The Switch Myth, a page which includes animations demonstrating several styles of monorail switches.\n*The Monorail Society also hosts the site of a man who created a monorail in his backyard.\n*This site includes monorails large and small.\n*For personal sized monorails, see Personal Rapid Transit\n\n\n\n
Category:Rail transport
