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Monorail
A monorail is a metro or railroad with a track consisting of a single rail, as opposed to the traditional track with two parallel rails. There are two systems: in the suspended monorail the train is located under the track, suspended from above; in the straddle-beam monorail the train straddles the 'rail', which is called straddle-beam (i.e. it covers it also on the sides).
Advantages and disadvantages
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. Monorails are also capable of climbing, descending and turning faster than most conventional rail systems. Other advantages frequently cited are safety, since the monorail wraps around its track and thus cannot derail; cost, especially when compared to underground metro systems; quietness, as modern monorails use rubber wheels on a concrete track; and aesthetics, since the guideway is small and visually blocks only a minimal amount of sky.
Disadvantages frequently cited include the fact that monorails require their own guideway and cannot interchange with other forms of transport. Also, while a monorail's footprint is less than an elevated conventional rail system, it is larger than an underground system's. There are also some lingering concerns over the speed and capacity of monorails.
Monorails of the World
Monorail systems have been built in many locations 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.
Japan has employed monorails for rapid transit in six cities, including Tokyo and Osaka. Jacksonville, Florida, and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia also have a rapid-transit monorail. Monorails have also proved useful as people-movers in Walt Disney World (Orlando, Florida) and the Tampa, Florida and Newark, New Jersey airports. The first line of monorail was currently constructed in Moscow.
The installation in 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
A short monorail was built in Seattle for the Century 21 Exposition in 1962 and its expansion begins construction in 2004. Las Vegas, Nevada is currently constructing a monorail to run along the famous Las Vegas Strip to ease that city's traffic headaches. It is scheduled for completion in late 2004.
Switches
It should be noted that most of these 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.
See also: Public transport
External links
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Monorail Society
All-volunteer organization founded to foster more awareness and promote this uniquely safe method of transit: not just for theme parks and zoos. Descriptions, diagrams, technical papers, news, videos, history, comparisons, costs, links.
http://www.monorails.org/
Futrex, Inc.
Charleston, SC. System 21 "monobeam".
http://www.futrexinc.com/
Owen Transit Group, Inc.
Engineering firm offering the HighRoad Monorail System: 1 beam, 2-way traffic.
http://www.OTG-Inc.com/
Walt's Toy Trains
Some pictures of Disneyland monorails.
http://waltstoytrains.railfan.net/
Severn-Lamb USA, Inc.
Makes S.L. Series Monorail: large, collective, top mount, straddle-beam vehicles. Attractive look. Description, photographs, contact.
http://www.severn-lambusa.com/monorail.html
SwedeTrack System AB
Makes FlyWay automated beamcarried traffic, of Sweden. Medium and large, collective, suspended vehicles, lower to the ground to avoid any need to build stations. Many descriptions, images, links. English, Svenska.
http://www.swedetrack.com/
Kuala Lumpur Monorail
Operating since 2003, 8.6km, 11 stations.
http://www.monorail.com.my/
Historic Seattle Monorail
Seattle's original monorail, built in 1962 for the World's Fair, still operating daily on its one-mile track.
http://www.seattlemonorail.com
Aerobus International, Inc.
Makes large, collective, suspended, monorail train system, tracks supported by widely spaced cable suspension. Descriptions, photos, diagrams, video, history, installations, news, contacts, contacts.
http://www.aerobus.com/
The Whoosh: Innovative Public Transport
Proposed large, collective, suspended, air pressure driven monorail, from England. Descriptions, static and animated diagrams, precedents, social aspects/impact.
http://www.whoosh.care4free.net/
New Century Transportation, Inc.
Firm forming to propose, develop large, collective, top mount, high-speed, intercity, monorail, magnetically levitated, trains. Descriptions, images.
http://www.nctransportation.com/
Moscow Monorail
Opening in 2003 with 5km and 5 stations.
http://www.monorail.ru/
Las Vegas Monorail
Originally opened in 1995, this system will be expanded to 6km in 2004.
http://www.lvmonorail.com/
Hull Monorail
http://www.skyrailuk.com/
Tokyo Monorail
Japan's first urban monorail, operating since 1964, 16.9km, 10 stations.
http://www.tokyo-monorail.co.jp/index.html
Disneyland-Alweg Monorail
A tribute to America's first ALWEG monorail, built in 1959, 3.7km, 2 stations.
http://www.dlmonorail.com/
Tama Monorail
Operating just outside Tokyo since 1997, 16km, 19 stations.
http://www.tama-monorail.co.jp/
Chiba Monorail
World's longest suspended monorail, built in 1988, 15.5km, 18 stations.
http://www.chiba-monorail.co.jp/
Sydney Metro Monorail
Operating as a tourist loop near the harbor since 1988, 3.6km, 7 stations.
http://www.metromonorail.com.au/index.html
The ALWEG Archives
History of the ALWEG monorail system.
http://www.alweg.com/
Aerorail
A suspended monorail based on the Safege design.
http://www.aerorail.com/index.htm
Osaka Monorail
Osaka's monorail operating since 1990, 23.8km, 16 stations.
http://www.osaka-monorail.co.jp/
Shonan Monorail
Japan's first suspended monorail, built in 1970, 6.6km, 8 stations.
http://www.shonan-monorail.co.jp/
STC: Sky Train Corp.
Proposed large, collective, suspended monorail from Florida. Descriptions, diagrams, book, news, consulting, TRDA grant.
http://home1.gte.net/stco/
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