Considering Monorail

Rapid Transit for North

American Cities

Ryan R. Kennedy

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................2
PART ONEDefining Monorail..................................................................................3
A. Monorail Types3
B. Characteristics of Monorail Technology...7
Conclusion...11
PART TWOStraddle Monorail Systems and Technology.................................12
A. Aerial Structures...13
B. Straddle Monorail Vehicles...18
C. Straddle Monorail Implementation...25
Conclusion...27
PART THREEMonorail as Cost-effective Urban Transportation.....................28
A. Monorail Capital Costs...29
B. Comparing Conventional Rail Systems to Monorail...33
Conclusion...40
GENERAL CONCLUSION..........................................................................................42
REFERENCES.................................................................................................................43

Cover Picture: Seattle Alweg Monorail built in 1962. Source: Seattle Times

INTRODUCTION
Monorails have often been lumped together with flying cars as part of a nave, cartoonish vision
of the future. Despite the immense popularity monorails have had with the general public, this
form of transportation has been mainly relegated to worlds fairs and amusement parks.
Recently, however, a number of major, transit-grade monorails have either been built or are in
the construction or planning phase. Japan is clearly the leader in the construction of new
monorail systems. The Kika-Kyushu, Chiba, Osaka and Tama monorails were launched in 1985,
1988, 1990 and 1998 respectively and have a combined line length of about 50 kilometers and over
200,000 passengers per day with over a hundred more line kilometers planned. Two further
monorails in Maihama(Tokyo) and Naha(Okinawa) will open within in the 2001-2003 timeframe.
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia will have its own inner-city monorail in 2002 fully built by a company
started for that purpose. A further Malaysian monorail system is in development for the planned
city, Putrajaya.
In the United States, a fully automated 4 mile long transit-grade monorail is under construction
in Las Vegas, with a 4 mile extension in the planning stage. This monorail builds upon the
success of an initial monorail shuttle between two major hotels. The initial line is privately
funded and expected to reward investors with healthy returns. Finally, numerous monorail lines
are under serious consideration in Seattle. Respected studies have shown them to be very
competitive with light rail and bus semi-rapid transit alternatives.
In the course of this paper, we will examine whether these numerous recent developments are
simply a fad, or whether it just took monorail this long to earn serious respect, or whether
major technical advances have improved monorails cost/benefit performance vis--vis other
forms of urban transit?
Thus, by defining monorails and their basic components, exploring recent technological
innovation in monorail transit and actual monorails in operation we can then proceed to answer
the question of whether monorail rapid transit has a role to play in North American Cities, and if
so, under what conditions?

PART ONE
Defining Monorail
The monorail society defines monorail as A single rail serving as a track for passenger or freight
vehicles. In most cases rail is elevated, but monorails can also run at grade, below grade or in
subway tunnels. Vehicles are either suspended from or straddle a narrow guideway. Monorail
vehicles are wider than the guideway that supports them. However, this rather
straightforward definition is somewhat misleading as it downplays the wide range of
technologies, operating principles and appearances the definition includes.

A. Monorail Types

Monorail (Schwebebahn)

The first generally recognized monorail was the Schwebebahn (swaying railroad) in
Wuppertal, Germany. It is the only true mono-rail. A single steel rail is suspended from an
elevated structure along which a single rail runs. In this instance, the vehicle weight is both
supported by the rail and guided by it. The position of the vehicle in respect to the rail is unlike
traditional dual-rail systems but the basic technology by which the vehicle operates is no
different from that of a railroad except that the wheels are double-flanged.

Figure 1.1-- Schwebebahn in Wuppertal, Germany (1901) Source: Alweg Archives

Suspended Monorail (Safege Type)

Modern versions of the Schwebebahn look similar in that the monorail is suspended from
above. However, instead of using a single rail for support and guidance, the single rail is
replaced by a hollowed-out concrete or steel beam, and rubber tires are used instead of metal
wheels. Although this is the most common configuration, numerous combinations of steel
or concrete running surfaces and rubber tires or steel wheelsboth singly and doubly
flanged have been proposed.

Figure 1.2--Chiba, Japan Townliner Suspended Monorail. Source: The Monorail Society

Straddle Monorail

The straddle monorail is by far the most common monorail type that has been put into operation.
It is visually probably the most pleasing type and fits into urban environments better than
suspended monorails which normally need to be taller to allow for the necessary vehicular
clearance under the train. The straddle or sometimes Pendulum monorail is composed of a
train running on a concrete or steel guideway. The trains load bearing tires run on top of the
guideway beam while the guidance tires run along the two sides of the said beam. Proposals for
high speed straddle monorails that use the straddle principle use slightly different configurations
but the principle is roughly the same.

Figure 1.3--Seattle Alweg MonorailStraddle Monorail (1962). Source: The Monorail Society

Cantilevered Monorail

The cantilevered or side-straddle monorail is similar in appearance and operation to the straddle
monorail. However, trains going in opposite directions can share a single (but rather large) beam
since cantilevered monorails are balanced by wheels on surfaces found on the sides of beam.
While several companies promote such monorails, they have not seen any applications as of yet.

Figure 1.4--Owen Transit cantilevered monorail. Source: The Monorail Society

Maglev Monorails

Most maglev (short for magnetic levitation) trains are essentially variations on the straddle
monorail. Instead of on-board motors, the interaction of magnets on the vehicle and on the track
moves the vehicle forward, while the vehicle itself is slightly levitated by other magnets. While
maglev is an interesting technology, its complexity suggests that it is best suited to intercity
rather than intra-city installations, placing it beyond the scope of this study. In addition, maglev
monorails dramatically different operating principles compared with other monorail types
suggest that it serves little purpose to analyze maglev alongside more established monorails.

Figure 1.5--The Transrapid system (Right) and the Maglift system (Left), two of several levitating monorails. Source:
Transrapid/Maglift.

B. Characteristics of Monorail Technology

ROW AGrade Separated
Monorail operates solely on exclusive right-ofway. In this respect monorail operates as a rapid
transit system. Monorails cannot operate in mixed traffic as buses or trams do, because the
guideway beams cannot be crossed by other vehicular or pedestrian traffic at ground level unlike
rail tracks which can be imbedded into the street. However monorail guideways placed on
aerials allow for unhindered traffic flow below. Thus, monorail is served by stations most
commonly elevated, but also underground or a few feet above ground level. Although stations
require considerably more investment than simple street level light rail platforms, stations do
add to the public visibility of the transit system. A station can also provide other services, like
retail or snack bars that make public transportation a more pleasant and convenient method of
travel.

Safety and Evacuation

Monorails have been shown to be one of the very safest forms of transportation. Grade-separated
operation generally rules out collisions with automobiles, trucks and pedestrians. The single fatal
accident in the history of monorail operation after billions uneventful passengers, occurred when
the Schwebebahn in Germany derailed after a wrench was left on the track; four people died.
Since nearly all monorails built since the original Schwebebahn have not used a single rail as the
term mono-rail would imply, and have instead used concrete guideways, derailment is
extremely unlikely. The straddle-monorail, in particular, hugs the guideway in such a way to
almost rule out such a possibility.
The fact that monorail is usually elevated poses some evacuation challenges. Suspended
monorails usually have doors in the floor linked to stairs or a slide as on commercial aircraft.
Japanese straddle monorail standards require fully articulated vehicles to allow longitudinal
evacuation through the front and rear of the train onto a waiting train. The Malaysian system
uses lateral evacuation to a waiting train on the guideway that supports trains in the other
direction. Older American monorails use another train to push the stranded vehicle to the next
station but when that is not possible, rescue via ladder from the ground is necessary. The Las
Vegas monorail under construction provides an emergency walkway between dual monorail
beams which is more in line with most rapid transit.
Monorails can be built to meet full seismic codes. In fact, monorails have a proven track record
when it comes to earthquakes. The Seattle monorail withstood that regions 2001 Earthquake and
the Osaka monorail the nearby Kobe Earthquake.
Rubber tired Traction and Guidance
With few exceptions, like the Schwebebahn, monorail systems use rubber tires for traction. Aside
from the guideway, this is the main technological difference between monorail and traditional
rail. While rubber traction on steel rails is found on at least one monorail system (Aerobus), most
systems with rubber tires run on concrete surfaces. In this regard, most monorail vehicles run

more like road vehicles than railway trains. To be sure, such rubber on concrete traction can be
found on the Paris, Montreal and Sapporo Metros as well as on most AGT systems. There are
both advantages and drawbacks to this method.

Figure 1.6Two axle Rubber tired Hitachi monorail bogie. Source: Hitachi

Energy Consumption

Energy consumption is somewhat higher with rubber tired traction. Rubber tires on concrete (as
well as rubber tires on steel) have a greater rolling resistance and rotational inertia than steel on
steel rail technology. Common rail operation tactics such as coasting can be much less utilized by
monorails. Since energy consumption varies with the particular operating regime of a line, exact
figures are not possible. However, an estimate of 25 to 30 percent greater energy consumption
over rail technology is given

Acceleration and Breaking

Rubber tired vehicles can achieve a much higher rate of acceleration and breaking than steel tired
ones. For monorail systems, however, this is usually not a significant advantage since
acceleration is limited much more by passenger comfort, especially by the passenger comfort of
standing passengers. Also, high breaking rates are less necessary where exclusive right-of-way
generally rules out collisions with street traffic, which happens to be the case for monorail.

Gradients

Theoretically, rubber tired traction can overcome gradients of more than 15% whereas rail
technology can not safely exceed 10%. In reality, steep gradients require very powerful motors
and are uncomfortable for standing passengers. This means that rubber tired technologies do not
have quite as strong an advantage over rail in this respect. In difficult alignments, however,
monorails climbing ability does stand out. An example of this is the Shonan suspended monorail
in Japan, where 10 % gradients are found. And the authority responsible for designing Seattles
proposed system found that steeper gradients over water crossings would shorten bridges and
thus lower bridge costs significantly.

Weather

Rubber tired vehicles running on exposed surfaces, as with the straddle (but not with most
suspended) monorail technology are much more susceptible to cold weather conditions (ice,
snow) than rail. Under these conditions the guideway must be heated, entailing appreciable
energy costs. The few suspended monorails built in the last few years, like the Chiba Monorail in
Japan were primarily built because their running surfaces are enclosed and are thus protected
from the elements.

Noise

Rubber tired systems are generally quieter in sharp curves than the best rail technology. When
rail maintenance is lacking or postponed, as is far too often the case, the benefit of rubber tires
can be appreciable. In addition, both straddle and Safege-type monorail systems shield the tire
noise unlike other rubber tired applications. Straddle monorails trains shield the tires since the
train side stretches beneath the wheels to access the electric catenary, whereas Safege-type
monorails have the wheels shielded within the guideway. Rubber tired vehicles produce much
less vibration than vehicles with steel tires. Furthermore, since rubber tired monorails produce
basically no electromagnetic pollution, they can be run near hospitals and scientific institutes
without concern.

Figure 1.7Extremely quiet Walt Disney World straddle-type monorails glide into the Contemporary Resort atrium;
guest rooms are directly above and shops directly below the trains. Source: Disney Co.

Operational Characteristics

Power

Onboard electric motors power monorail vehicles. On a straddle-type monorail, trolley wires are
suspended along the side of the guideway. A shoe behind the monorail skirt picks up electricity.

Speed

Transit-grade monorails generally operate at maximum speeds of 60-90kph (40 to 55 mph), which
is comparable to most applications of rail technology within urban areas. Average operating
speed of monorails are comparable to subways due to the fact that they are likewise grade
separated and use similar station spacing distancesgenerally in the range of 20 to 30 mph, very
high for urban mass-transit.

Ride

Monorails ride is superior to cars and buses and similar to that of wielded rail. Suspension is
usually provided by air-springs. Forces exerted in curves are reduced by banking the guideway
slightly in straddle-systems. Suspended monorails can sway several degrees in curves, reducing
forces. Both straddle and suspended monorails provide passengers with the sensation of smooth
flight, especially since passengers visual cues support the sensation.

Switching

One of the most common misconceptions about monorails is that monorails do not, or cannot,
employ switches. In reality, switching is extremely important to monorail operations. The
Shonan suspended monorail in Japan employs switches at stations so that a single guideway
between stations can be used for bi-directional operation. Even the Disney monorails which
operate in a loop must have switches to move trains to and from the maintenance yard. There
are a wide range of switches for different purposes. For example, the straddle-type Las Vegas
monorail utilizes turnout, crossover and pivot switches in its operation. Due to the weight and
size of concrete or steel beams, the switching is slowerroughly 15 seconds compared to 0.6
seconds for traditional rail. This increase in switching time would likely result in increased
minimum headways over traditional rail if the switching is to be used regularly in line operation.

Figure 1.8--Switches in the Osaka Monorail maintenance facility.

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Maintenance

Concrete monorail guideways require extremely low maintenance. Rubber tires last for
approximately 100,000 miles. Monorail vehicles have a long life span, similar to trains riding on
rails (30 years or more), whereas buses have a recommended life span of only 10 or so years.

Conclusion
In general, Monorail technology is well suited to urban transit applications. It compares
favorably to traditional rail technology on the whole. While monorails do have several
significant disadvantages that cannot be outright dismissedlike somewhat higher energy costs
(for rubber-tired systems) and slower switching as compared with similar rail systems, it is rare
that these considerations would amount to a fatal-flaw. In fact, these considerations should,
more often than not, be minor in the general exercise of mass-transit planning. Indeed, it is in
those very areas where monorail technology holds the advantage over steel-rail technology
most notably in its lower noise production and greater grade-climbing abilitieswhere monorail
has the ability to make a fixed transit line feasible where it would not be otherwise.

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PART TWO
Straddle Monorail Systems and Technology
As shown in Part one, the word Monorail describes a rather broad class of transit systems that
use a single rail or beam for vehicle support and guidance. While numerous systems have been
developed to one extent or another, and their technological underpinnings have been shown to
be sound, only certain systems have been rigorously tested in operation. A serious consideration
of monorail rapid transit for urban transit applications has to weigh the advantages and
disadvantages of these successful systems. In nearly every case, these successful systems have
been straddle monorails.
The straddle monorail has seen the most real world testing and service by far, primarily due to its
ability to fit neatly into built up areas, with only minor visual blockage. The straddle monorail is
probably the most mature monorail type and will likely remain so for some time.
Currently, transit-grade straddle monorail systems are manufactured by Hitachi of Japan,
Bombardier of Canada and Monorail Malaysia of Malaysia. All transit-grade straddle monorails
are descendents of the monorails of the now defunct German company, Alweg, which built the
Seattle monorail for the 1962 worlds fair. The Japanese conglomerate Hitachi bought the rights
from Alweg to manufacture Straddle monorail systems. Hitachi is by far the most successful
monorail manufacturer having built numerous systems and having invested heavily in the
development and adaptation of the straddle monorail technology. Hitachi was to have built a
monorail in Kuala Lumpur, but when the Asian financial crisis hit in the late nineties, Malaysia
found the system to no longer be affordable. Instead, a local company, Monorail Malaysia was
found to develop and construct the system cheaply by returning to the early Alweg
specifications. The Canadian transportation giant, Bombardier, readapted the Walt Disney
World Monorail for its transit-grade monorail, which is being built in Las Vegas and which has
been proposed for numerous other American cities. Although, the Disney monorail is not a
descendent of the Seattle monorail, it is a 5/8ths scale model of the Alweg demonstration train
near Cologne, Germany Mr. Disney visited in the 1950s.

12

A. Aerial Structures

Guideway

The most important structural element of a monorail system is the monorail guideway. The
straddle monorail guideway is most often a concrete beam, occasionally a steel one. Each
monorail beam acts as a small bridge; it must be built to support the load of the vehicle
(including live loads like forces exerted when breaking) while not buckling under its own
massive weight. In addition, the beams design must take its guidance function into account, the
beam and the vehicle must fit like a hand and a glove, so that the contact guidance wheels and
the sides are maintained. The beams width must also be wide enough so that the monorail train
can be balanced given the small wheelbase. Logically, wider beams allow for wider vehicles, but
wider beams also make for less aesthetically pleasing guideways. Unlike beam width, which is
approximately the width of the monorail train due to center-of-gravity and riding quality
concerns, beam height and length are relatively flexible as long as the structural integrity of the
span is maintained.

Bombardier MVI

Small Hitachi System

Hitachi 1000/2000 Series

Monorail Malaysia

Alweg Seattle

Figure 2.1Relative Comparison of Guideway Beam Cross-sections. Source: The Monorail Society

Guideways are considerably more complex than their initial appearance may suggest. Straddle
monorail guideways are designed in three dimensions. In a curve, the guideway beam bends not
only on the horizontal plane but also banks in the vertical plain. The amount of bend is also
dependent on the radius of the particular curve. To allow for this variation, concrete beams are
formed individually in various molds with set radii, banking and spans. Transit-grade
monorails have a minimum curve radius of about 40 meters. However, such a tight radius is
generally avoided, since running tire slip angles and the forces on the guide tires mean that
vehicles must operate at significantly reduced speeds.

13

Figure 2.2Alignment of the Okinawa system through Naha city. Tight turning radii and a narrow crosshead profile
mean that straddle monorails can be fitted into dense urban alignments. Source: Yui Rail

Modern developments in guideway design have been concerned with reducing the impact of the
guideway on its surroundings because the relatively low visual and impact of the straddle
monorail structure on urban environments is perhaps its greatest potential asset.
While the weight of the vehicle would seem to be the major determinant of guideway
dimensions, weight is only a part of the picture. Gross axle loading of transit-class monorail
vehicles are much comparable to most light rail and heavy rail rapid transit systems at 8 to 11
metric tons per axle. However, in spite of this, straddle monorail guideways are significantly less
obtrusive than elevated rail, or AGT systems like the Vancouver Skytrain due to the distribution
of the weight of the vehicle (not to mention the steel rails placed on top of those structures).

Figure 2.3Comparison of large-type straddle-monorail with light rail aerials. Source: Monorail Malaysia.

A very effective way to reduce the visual impact of guideways and to allow longer spans (and
thus fewer columns) is to use arched guideway beams, haunched girders. This is one of the
major positive developments in guideway design. Such beams allow longer spans, and decrease
the visual impact of the beams especially at the center point. Furthermore, any visual impact is
much more likely to be perceived positively given the gracefulness of the arched design.

14

Figure 2.4Kuala Lumpur monorail guideway has both straight (foreground) and arched (background) segments.
Source: Monorail Malaysia

Columns

Columns are usually essential elements of a straddle monorail system. While guideways can run
at ground level, or in a tunnel, the ability to use public right-of-way over streets requires that
columns be used.
In general, column size and guideway length are inversely related to each other, with longer
spans requiring less frequent but more massive columns, and shorter spans requiring frequent
and lighter columns. While this may suggest many possible combinations, the matrix of
column/guideway proportions in use is rather limited; a rough golden ratio based on visual
appeal and the properties of concrete seems to exist. The agency responsible for designing
Seattles new monorail believes that current technology and good design sense makes 120 foot
spans supported by 36 inch diameter, 30 foot tall columns ideal.
The column profile is another important element. Whereas most monorails in the past have used
easy to cast square columns, the Seattle system is to have columns with a round base. They
believe that rounded columns create a softer streetscape and allow for better sight lines. Another
approach is to use rectangular columns. The short side of such a column would be visible to
those on either side of the aerial, i.e. to those likely to be closest, while the long side is prominent
only to observers standing directly under the guideway or looking further down the street. The
bombardier system makes very good use of this approach. (Figure 2.6)
A third approach is to treat columns as sculptural elements. The proposed Hitachi design for
Kuala Lumpur takes this approach. The graceful, rectangular but curved columns create an
elegant colonnade. (Figure 2.6)
Where there is vehicular traffic under monorail guideways, the recommended minimum column
height is approximately 5 meters. However, there is a trend towards using significantly taller
columns in the range of 10 to 12 meters to reduce the visual impact of the guideway by placing it

15

farther overhead. This approach also has a pleasant side-effect: it improves the view for
monorail passengers.

Figure 2.5Two modern monorail aerial structures. Proposed Hitachi for Kuala Lumpur (Top) and Bombardier for Las
Vegas (Bottom) The Bombardier aerial structure is the narrowest and most visually appealing of all the transit monorails
mainly because trains are narrower than the competition and have a maximum gross axle load of only 8 metric tons.

Straddle bents are occasionally used in place of single columns, for example when crossing
very wide streets, to allow vehicular passage underneath when a standard column would act as
an obstruction. However, because of their size, they are avoided whenever possible.

Figure 2.6Straddle Bent over Kuala Lumpur road. Source: Monorail Malaysia

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Figure 2.7 The new Seattle Monorail aerial structure may be the best yet. Source: Elevated Transportation Company.

Figure 2.8Table of Aerial Structure dimensions.

Component

Alweg
Seattle

Hitachi Large
Type

Monorail
Malaysia

Bombardier
MVI

Hitachi
Small
Type
0.70 m

Guideway beam
width
Guideway beam
height
Std. span length

0.9 m

0.8 m/ 0.85m

0.8 m

0.66 m

1.5 m

1.4 m/ 1.5m
20 m/ 25m

1.5-2.1 m end
(arch)
30 m

1.3 m

25 m

1.6 mid-2.2m end

(arch)
30 m

Crosshead width

5.15 m

5.1 m

5.1m

4.5 m

Typical Column
base
Max gross axle
load
Minimum Curve
Radius

1.2 m x
1.2 m
?

1.2 m x 1.6 m

0.81 x 1.42

11 t/10 t

10 t

8t

8t

70 M (40
depot)

70 m (40 m
depot)

45 m

40 m

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B. Straddle Monorail Vehicles

While all straddle-class monorail systems share a basic set of operating principles and are all built
using advanced composite materials and have state-of-the-art variable voltage, variable
frequency motors (VVVF), there is a wide range of design features among monorail vehicles.
As the first full-scale straddle monorail in operation, the Seattle Alweg train built for the 1962
Worlds Fair frames most of the major issues that still affect straddle monorail trains today.

Figure 2.9The Seattle Alweg train interior. Source: The Monorail Society

Seattle Alweg

One of the first things that one might notice about the Alweg train is that is built of articulated
sections, not composed of coupled cars like its dual-rail competition. This was born out of a
necessity to relieve pressure on the rubber tires and thus allow for tighter turning radii than
would otherwise be possible.
This use of articulation was far ahead of its time. Such articulation was yet to be introduced to
light rail and heavy rail trains. Fully articulated subway trains were only found in Japan until
recently and are just now being introduced to transit-intensive European cities like Munich.
While monorails trains are always articulated because the size of individual cars are not sufficient
to handle the passenger capacity demanded of a capital-intensive rapid transit system, it should
be noted that monorail trains can also be coupled together to create long trains for peak loads.
Although articulation was born from necessity, it had several unintended advantages. It allowed
passengers to move freely between cars, which helped distribute passenger load throughout the
length of the train and gave its passengers a feeling of security since they werent in danger of
being caught alone in a car with a criminal.
The Seattle train also provided amenities like very large windows to take advantage of the views
to be had from 25 feet over the ground and to use natural lighting instead of electricity whenever
possible. Also, the train operator was not given an individual compartment at the front of the
train, but was placed with the passengers so that they could share the stunning view ahead.

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Figure 2.10The Seattle Alweg offered its passengers a wonderful forward view. Source: The Alweg Archives

The design of monorail trains can also be related to the peculiar position and dimension of
monorail supporting wheels. While the ability of straddle monorails to use a single slender
guidance beam is one of the modes major advantages, this also means that supporting wheels
are located under the center of the cars rather than at the sides as in a dual-rail system.
Reconciling this fact with the desire for maximizing passenger carrying capacities and efficiency
of passenger circulation and minimizing unnecessary vehicle bulk among others involve certain
tradeoffs.
The Alweg train addressed this concern by allowing the bogies to protrude into the passenger
compartment, and placed seats over the wheels. To avoid hindering circulation through the
train, the train was very wide. It remains the widest of all the monorail trains, yet it does not
come across as being ungainly so.

Figure 2.11Cross-section of Alweg monorail showing seats over wheel housing, Source: The Alweg Archives

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Hitachi

Hitachi bought the rights from Alweg to develop a straddle-monorail system. The very first
Hitachi vehicles followed the Alweg specifications closely. However, since then Hitachi has
made several changes to their trains. Starting with the Tokyo Haneda monorail in 1964, Hitachi
increased the length of monorail cars from about 10 meters to 14 meters. This was partly
possible because Hitachi developed steerable bogies that allowed the longer vehicles to operate
on the same turning radius, and partly possible because the Haneda monorail increased the
number of load tires under each train to four from two.
The Series 1000 monorail was introduced with the Osaka system in 1980. The Series 1000
monorail unlike its predecessors did not have the support wheels protrude into the passenger
compartment. Instead, the floor was raised about 1.1 meters above the beam so that the truck
could be fully accommodated underneath. This allows for excellent circulation and more
efficient seating plans, since a central aisle is now possible throughout the length of the train.
While this development added to the height of the train, the incorporation of lightweight
materials and a slightly shortened car allowed the gross axle load to remain constant.

Figure 2.12Hitachi Series 1000 Monorail for Naha, Okinawa. Hitachi Monorails can be coupled in trains up to 6 cars
long. Source: Yui-Rail

While there is no necessity for seats in the center of the car under the new arrangement, and thus
no need for wide cars to accommodate circulation around center seats, Hitachi has decided to
keep approximately the same width for its newer models. This coupled with the cars greater
length as compared with the Seattle Alweg or Bombardier monorails, allow passenger capacities
comparable to subway cars in Chicago, Montreal and Philadelphia, for example. And unlike
those subways trains, the Hitachi monorails are fully articulated, meaning that passenger loads
can be more evenly distributed among cars.

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Figure 2.13The automated Tokyo Disneyland monorail has deceptively cute Mickey Mouse windows, but this train is a
workhorse: it has a normal capacity of some 600 passengers. Source: The Monorail Society

Many of the Series 1000 monorails new features became the standard adopted by the Japanese
ministry of transport in conjunction with the Japanese monorail association in a push to lower
costs through standardization. However, updated trains that use the Haneda monorail
specifications are still in production. In addition, Hitachi has been developing a much smaller,
cheaper monorail train to compete with the Bombardier M-VI. Thus, Hitachi is the only major
monorail manufacturer that offers several transit-grade monorails.

Figure 2.14Small Hitachi train for Sentosa Island, Singapore. Source: Hitachi

While Hitachi monorails have been aesthetically lacking historically, more recent models such as
the Okinawa and Tokyo Disneyland variations of the Series 1000 Monorail have done much to
put a good face on what are very tall and bulky monorail trains. The internal aesthetics and
comfort for passengers provide excellent compensation for its external clumsiness. Large,
panoramic windows and attention to detail make for an enjoyable passenger experience.

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Figure 2.15Hitachi Monorail Interiors for Tokyo Disneyland (Left) & Naha, Okinawa (Right): Spacious, bright, large
carrying capacities, fully-articulated and customizable. Sources: The Monorail Society/ Yui-Rail.

Bombardier MVI

Figure 2.16Bombardier Mark VI (Las Vegas Model), sleek and stunning but with no passenger-walk through between
cars. Source: Las Vegas Monorail Company

Bombardier is generally recognized to have the most aesthetically pleasing monorail vehicle. This
effect is primarily achieved by the decision to place supporting wheels between passenger
compartments to achieve a low profile, lighter-weight vehicle that tightly hugs the guideway.
While the height of the vehicle is less than the Alweg designs, the length of the cars is comparable
even though carrying capacities are much reduced. Savings in vehicle costs seem negligible if
cost/capacity is considered, especially when greater station platform length is factored in. The
length of the vehicle devoted to housing the bogies is appreciable and seems wasteful.
Nevertheless, Bombardier must be complemented for recognizing the not inconsequential role
monorails futuristic image and potential for aesthetically pleasing design could play in attracting
riders.

22

Another example of this philosophy is the vehicles prominent nose, which gives the vehicle a
strong identity. However, the noses physical separation from the passenger compartment and
its low roof allows only enough room for a driver. This assignment of floor space seems even
more suspect when automated train control is used in his place. This seems a poor design choice,
in its Disneyworld ancestors, seating for passengers in the drivers compartment is provided
allowing some passengers a wonderful front view.
That the bombardier vehicle is a descendent of the Disneyworld Mark monorails is apparent.
Clearly, the designers of the vehicle made tradeoffs in support of aesthetic concerns. A sleeker
vehicle and smaller guideway than its peers is the final result. Where moving very large
numbers of people at the lowest cost is desired, this model is clearly not recommended.
Passenger capacity is low compared to its peers due to its modest width and inaccessible space
between cars. Even the modest capacity of 220 passengers per four-car train relies on a relatively
high standee ratio. Where ridership is expected to be relatively small, where tourists are
expected to contribute significantly to ridership, where passenger walk-through between cars is
not necessary because of safety or other considerations, and where the right-of-way is narrow,
the futuristic and fun image of this vehicle along with the low visual impact of the guideway
structure may make this model this model very competitive.

Monorail Malaysia

Figure 2.17Monorail Malaysia two-car monorail train. Monorail Malaysia trains can be semi-permanently coupled into
trains as long as twelve cars. Source: Monorail Malaysia

The newest monorail manufacturers vehicle is a modern adaptation of the original Alweg in
Seattle. Its dimensions are very close to that of the Alweg vehicle, and seats over the support
wheels have been reintroduced having been phased out of the more modern Hitachi Series 1000
vehicles and missing entirely from the Bombardier/Walt Disney World models. Like the original
Alweg model, there is no separate drivers compartment so that passengers have a view out of
the forward window. While exterior design was not the top priority, it nevertheless looks
attractive.
The train manages to achieve a balance between the higher carrying capacities of the Hitachi train
and the pleasing aesthetics of the Bombardier model. For example, a Monorail Malaysia four car
train is 10% shorter than a 4-car bombardier even though it has a 40 percent greater carrying
capacity. Also, like the Hitachi models, full passenger walk-through is permitted. The Monorail
Malaysia model also has a high ratio of door width to train length, resulting in faster loading and
unloading than the other monorail models provide.

23

Figure 2.18Monorail Malaysia train interior. The nearly ten foot width creates a sense of spaciousness despite the
relatively low ceiling. Source: Elevated Transportation Company.

Figure 2.19Table of Monorail Vehicle Characteristics

Characteristic

Width
Height
Walk Through?
Doors/side/car
Door width
Bogie Placement

2.98 m
5.2 m
Yes
2 sliding doors
1.1 m
Under center aisle (under
seats in series 2000 models)

Monorail
Malaysia
2,4,6,8,10,12
10.4 m end/8.6
m mid
3.0 m
4.3 m
Yes
2 plug doors
1.25 m
Under center
seats

Axles per car

Max axle load
Tare Weight of car
Suspension
Power
Motors per 4 car train

4
11/10 metric tons
11 metric tons
Air
1500 DC
16 x 75kW AC (VVVF)

2
10 metric tons
~10 metric tons
Air
750 or 1500 DC
?

Air
750 DC
4x 110 kW AC

Max design/operating Speed

90/80 kph

90/80 kph

85/75 kph

Normal accel/decel. Rates

1.0m/s2

Normal Capacity
Seated/Standing
@4pers/sq.m
(typical 4 car configuration)

415(177/238)

316(96/220)

224(84/140)

Cars/Vehicle
Car Length

Hitachi Large Type [Series

1000]
2 minimum
14 m

Bombardier MVI
3 minimum
11.8 m end/9.2
m mid
2.64 m
3.4 m
No
1 plug door
1.626 m
At ends of cars

2
10 metric tons

24

C. Straddle Monorail Implementation

The operation and operational principles of straddle monorail systems have had two major
advances, one more philosophical, the adaptation of the straddle monorail to serve mediumcapacity transit applications, and one more technical, the development and application of
automation systems.
The former advance resulted from the upgrading of streetcar networks in Germany in the 1960s
and 70s which developed into what is today known as light rail transit. Light rail offered a
middle ground between the two modes that came to dominate public transit: high-capacity heavy
rail systems and diesel bus networks. Light rail was cheaper and more flexible than heavy rail,
while offering greater speed, comfort and reliability than buses. At this time, monorails
requirement of a fully exclusive right-of-way was seen as a liability. While the straddle monorail
did not immediately benefit from the light-rail revolution, the acceptance of medium-capacity
systems has proven beneficial for monorail rapid transit in the long term because monorail was
only a mediocre competitor for large heavy rail systems on the basis of performance, and was not
at all competitive with buses in mixed-traffic because of the costs a fixed guideway entailed.
Light rail and the straddle monorail, two modes of transit developed with the intension of
competing with the private auto as much as with other modes of public transit, were soon joined
by a third option: automated guideway transit (AGT). Automated guideway transit tried to
make a claim on the medium-capacity transit market not through ROW flexibility but rather by
offering superior quality (i.e. greater frequency) service. Because vehicle operators were replaced
by computers, smaller vehicles could be run more frequently, at all times of the day. However,
like the early history of monorails, automated guideway transit found few major applications
aside from people-moving shuttles, particularly at airports. Many of the initial demonstration
projects were conducted by private and public groups more interested in the technical aspects of
automation than motivated by the real needs of transit operators. The ability to operate with
very small vehicles at extremely short headways was not valued outside of academic circles, for
example. Often technologies like rubber-tires were used when they were not the most
appropriate. Also, the guideway structures on which these intelligent vehicles ran were given
little attention. Since AGT vehicles do not have a human driver to react to the near infinite
number of situations can that occur when traveling in mixed traffic or in semi-exclusive right-ofway, AGT vehicles can only travel on fully controlled (i.e. exclusive) right-of-way. The expense
of the guideway structure and the environmental impact of these structures were significant, and
usually significant enough to make light rail the preferred medium-capacity mode.
Because the straddle monorail guideway is by far the least complex and most visually friendly,
those that would traditionally have purchased traditional AGT systems are building automated
straddle monorails instead. Many AGT systems operate with axle loads equal or greater than
conventional modes, implying that guideway cost and complexity are more significant than most
proponents propose. As explained in the beginning of Part Two, due to the distribution of
vehicle weight, a straddle monorail guideway is lighter than conventional modes despite the
vehicles greater axle loading. In an attempt to make their elevated structures more palatable,
AGT vehicles tend to be very narrow, averaging just a little over two meters in width. Monorail
vehicles average nearly 3 meters in width. This width enables much more efficient interior

25

design, passengers can be accommodated with greater comfort, and passenger circulation
through the vehicle is much improved. Monorails greater width also means that equal capacities
could be accommodated with much smaller station lengths, an important consideration for
transportation in tight urban spaces.
Just as automation has always needed a monorail-like system on which to be implemented,
monorail can benefit greatly from automation. Whereas monorails relatively costly, inflexible
guideway made it appear inferior to light rail for the majority of medium capacity applications,
light rail will not be able to benefit from automation due to its non-exclusive right-of-way.
What exactly are the benefits of automation? Automation allows transit operators to provide
shorter headways between trains. Since drivers are not necessary, running two small trains
every two minutes instead of one large train every four minutes is possible with equal, if not
lesser resources. The benefits of automation are especially significant in providing high-quality
service in off-peak times when transit economics do not usually allow frequent service. A
reduction in headways from 15 to 5 minutes, for example, can encourage many more choice
passengers to use public transit.
Orange Countys multi-billion dollar light rail system will be slightly more expensive than a
similar monorail since 85% of the route is to be elevated. Despite this investment, Orange County
will see few benefits from having all this grade-separated right-of-way. Unlike the automated
Seattle Monorail which will run trains every 4 or 8 minutes, the Orange county system will have
10 or 20 minute headways because operator wages are a significant limitation. Ridership will
undoubtedly suffer as a consequence. The ability to eliminate vehicle operators, normally the
single greatest transit operating cost, means that transit subsidies or ticket prices can be reduced
and services such as security and maintenance can be supplemented. The ability of automated
guideway transit to operate with reduced employees and thus reduced operating costs can be
clearly seen in Figure 2.18. AGT systems such as the Vancouver Skytrain require no operating
subsidies primarily because it can operate with just one employee per 150,000 annual passengers.

Figure 2.20Automated guideway transit, which includes automated monorail systems, have greater passenger per
employee ratios. Employees are the single greatest system operating cost element. Source: Dick Falkenbury

26

Automation also enables a slightly more efficient driving regime and greater passenger comfort
for starts and stops. While this is not nearly as significant as operating at greater frequencies, it is
nevertheless an advantage. Automated operating regimes have been shown to be extremely
reliable and offer very high levels of safety.
While monorail transit has always had significant public support, drawbacks like slightly higher
operating costs due to rubber-tired traction is partly to blame for transit operators traditional
skepticism of monorail technology. That automation addresses the operating costs in particular,
thereby greatly improving system productivity, bodes well for future implementation of
monorail rapid transit.

Conclusion
From an engineering point of view the basic characteristics of a straddle monorails guideway
and support has undergone little drastic change over a 40 year period. Computer aided design,
and improvements in concrete constructions have helped somewhat. Much more significant is
the appreciable amount of attention that has been paid to mapping out the tradeoffs involved
with monorail aerials that will undoubtedly make this transit mode much more competitive.
Likewise, while monorail vehicles have benefited from modern transit technology, and are built
to standards comparable to heavy and light rail vehicles, progress in design have been as
impressive as improved technical standards.
Monorails have benefited from one major technological breakthrough: automation. While Asian
monorails have increased automation tremendously since the monorails of the 1960s, they still
have an operator on board. Full monorail automation will be introduced by the Las Vegas
Monorail under construction.

27

PART THREE
Monorail as Cost-effective Urban Transportation
In the first part of this study, the basic components of monorail transit was shown to be sound,
proven and practical for implementation in an urban setting. In the second part, it was
concluded that straddle monorail technology has undergone significant refinement, and that this
technology has been generally well applied to functional real world systems that have taken
advantage of many of the most significant developments in transit engineering. Perhaps most
importantly, several leaders in the transit manufacturing industry have shown interest( if not yet
quite embraced) monorail technology and are now able to offer transit service providers a decent
selection of monorail models to meet a range of needs.
At this point it must be considered fair to say that monorail rapid transit has been shown to
currently meet the first test for assessing transit systems: it is technologically and operationally
sound. However, for monorail to be a valid form of urban transit, it must meet a second
requirement as well, as stated by Vukan R. Vuchic: that it provides a cost/benefit package that is
at least equal to more traditional transit technologies. Thus, the cost of monorail construction
must be considered, especially in reference to the cost of alternatives. Since monorail is a fixed
line system, a comparison with traditional rail systems makes sense. Since monorail shares the
characteristic of having exclusive right of way with heavy rail, a comparison with that mode
should be made. Also, because monorail shares the ability to carry moderate numbers of people
along public thoroughfares with light rail, a comparison to light rail is also appropriate. Bus
rapid transit (BRT) would also be an appropriate comparison, but since very few true BRTs are in
operation in North America at this time and because there are a wide range of costs and nearly
infinite range exclusivities/alignments, this mode will not be compared.

28

A. Monorail Capital Costs

Expected costs

Monorail is usually elevated, its guideway supported by aerial columns, but it can also run at or
near surface level, or underground in a tunnel. Capital funds for a monorail system are mainly
spent on the aerial structurethe columns and guidewaysand on the stations and monorail
vehicles. The Tama monorail in Japan has tunneled portions, but since tunneling is several times
more expensive than elevating the guideway, such alignments are avoided as much as possible.
Because of the height of monorail vehicles, tunneling costs for bored tunnels are somewhat
greater than heavy rail with third rail. Because of the small footprint of monorail systems and
their extensive use of public rights-of-way, softer costs not associated with actual construction
are a generally smaller percentage of total capital costs than similar traditional rail technologies.
These soft costs can be considerable, particularly in North America where legal issues and
rigorous environmental review impose especially high costs.

Actual Costs

Costs for the construction of transit systems are notoriously hard to pin down. Sometimes quoted
costs include only the cost of the construction while for others design and or mitigation vehicle
costs are included. Generalizing costs are even more difficult when costs vary widely from
system to system, location to location. To provide for the fairest comparison, all projects have
been recently planned or constructed systems are selected to exemplify a range of characteristics
(lengths, configurations, alignments, etc.) By focusing on recently built and currently planned
lines, dollar amounts are not affected by general inflation nor are they affected by increasing or
decreasing costs relative to inflation on elements like concrete, steel or wages in the construction
industry.
Figure 3.1Monorail System Costs
System
Naha, Okinawa (Hitachi)

Length
7.8
miles

Cost/mile
$68
million

Comments
Includes two-car Trains, driver
operated

$59
million

Includes two-car Trains.

11 Stations

3.6
miles

Cost
$533
million
(70.4 billion
yen)
$311
million
(1.18 billion
ringit)
$352
million

Kuala Lumpur Monorail

(Monorail Malaysia)

5.3
miles

Las Vegas Monorail

(Bombardier)

$98
million

3.1
miles

$337
million

$109
million

Automated.
Includes nine 4 car trains.
Elaborate Stations built for 8
car trains(initially operated
with 4 car trains).
See above.

Las Vegas Downtown

extension(Bombardier)

29

Seattle Green Line

14
miles

$1.25
billion

$87
million

Costs include bridging of two

major bodies of water. Fully
Automated. Four car trains to
be used.

Comments

Monorail capital cost in current-year dollars (including both hard and soft capital costs)
amount to $60 to $80 million per mile for systems with capacities comparable to most light rail
operation in North America where 2 car trains are typically used with 5-6 minute headways. A
combination of larger monorail trains, with a capacity comparable to smaller rapid transit
systems, system automation and difficult alignments can raise the cost of the system to over $100
million and perhaps as much as approximately $130 million in the most extreme cases. Despite
the common claim that monorail costs are unpredictable, the evidence shows monorail costs to be
reasonably consistent and differences in cost are easily related to train and station length i.e.
capacity, and automation.
CASE STUDYComponents of a monorail system

Figure 3.2the 14 mile long Seattle Green Line. Source: The Seattle Times

30

Seattle Green Line:

14 miles of dual aerial guideway with 19 stations.

$ 1.29 billion including contingencies
Cost includes a new monorail-only bridge and the strengthening of a second bridge to
accommodate monorail system.
Trains included in cost estimate can accommodate minimum of 3000 pphpd at 4 minute
intervals.
Expected to carry 69,000 passengers daily in 2020.

Figure 3.3Table of Seattle Green Line Monorail costs compared with other rail systems relative costs
System Component

Green
Line Costs

Percent of
Total

Light Rail
averages (range)

Trains and Control Systems

$255
million
$95
million
$110
million
$30
million
$290
million

20.3 %

8.8 %

13.0 %(vehicles
only)
10.1 % (power
and systems)
5.2 %

2.4 %

4.9 %

2.2 %

23.1 %

23.2 %

29.4 %

$120
million
Right of way acquisition
$30
million
Utility relocation
$80
million
Design and Administration
$235
million
Source: Elevated Transportation Company/

9.6 %

2.4 %

8.2 %

5.8 %

6.4 %

See below

18.7 %

29.2 %(soft
costs)

15.0 %

Power
Stations
Maintenance Facilities
Beams, Columns and Foundations
(= guideway and track for dual
rail)
Water Crossings

7.6 %

Heavy Rail
averages
(range)
20.8 %
3.2%
26.0 %

Monorail vehicle and system costs make up a greater proportion of total costs than do
light rail or heavy rail. This is mainly due to the expense of system automation, which
reduces operating costs and having many small vehicles rather than fewer, larger
vehicles so that time between trains is reduced.

Monorail station costs are much less than heavy rail and only slightly more than light rail
even though light rail stations tend to be at grade and have significantly less amenities.
Here we can also see the benefit of employing smaller, more frequent trains which reduce
station size. Heavy rail stations often have the increased burden of having to be dug into
bedrock at great expense.

31

Monorail guideway cost as a proportion of total costs is equal to that of light rail. This is
a surprising finding since light rail track work is normally thought to a cheaper system
element than monorails concrete beams, columns and crossbars. This difference in
perception is probably due to costs like street-reconstruction necessary before the track
can be laid. Another factor is the frequent use of light rail aerials more costly than the
standard monorail aerial. The greater percentage of guideway costs for heavy rail
systems can be explained by this modes frequent use of expensive tunneling.

Monorail maintenance facilities are a small cost element. Monorail trains and guideway
need relatively little maintenance.

The percentage of total costs spent on acquiring right-of-way is very low for monorail
system, due to monorails ability to almost exclusively use airspace over the public rightof-way. This is a significant cost-element in light rail systems. Unlike spending on
control systems, there is little return on this investment.

The bridging of waterways is a major cost element of the Seattle system. Most monorail
(or light and heavy rail) systems would not be faced with such extraordinary costs.

Utility relocation is included with the cost of the Seattle system, although these costs are
frequently the responsibility of utility companies.

In the Seattle system, design and administrative costs have been kept relatively low,
supporting the claim of lower soft-costs. While heavy rail systems manage to spend a
lower share of total funds on such costs, this probably reflects very high hard costs
rather than any savings in soft costs.

32

B. Comparing Conventional Rail Systems to Monorail

Cost is undoubtedly a major determinant of choosing particular transit technology. By
supplementing information on monorail costs and potential benefits with the costs and details of
non-monorail rail alternatives, we can ascertain the conditions, if any, under which straddle
monorails would be able to compete with dual-rail systems.
Figure 3.4Various Light and Heavy Rail System Costs in North America
(Please note: Costs taken from FTA web site wherever possible and are in YOE dollars)

Rail System

Length

Portland Streetcar
Portland Interstate LRT
Phoenix/Tempe
Houston
NYC-NJ HudsonBergen LRT
San Francisco 3rd St.
LRT
Phase One
Salt Lake City CBD to
Univ LRT
Salt Lake City N-S LRT
Metrolink St.
Clair(St.Louis)
Extension
Denver
Eastside Corridor L.A.
San Fran,. 3rd st. LRT
Phase 2
Seattle Central Link
LRT-Phase One
Orange countyCenterline Rail
Corridor
Atlanta North Line
Extension

Cost/mile

Comments

2.4
miles

Total
Cost
$ 57
million

$23.8
million

ROW C, operates in mixed traffic

5.8
miles
20.3
miles
7.5
miles
20.1
miles
5.4
miles

$350
million
$1.06
billion
$300
million
$2.0
billion
$530
million

$60
million
$54.4
million
$40
million
$100
million
$98
million

ROW B, addition to large LRT

system
ROW B

2.5
miles
15
miles
17.4
miles

$118
million
$312
million
$339
million

$47
million
$21
million
$19.5
million

19
miles
5.9
miles
1.7
miles
13.9
miles
30.1
miles

$879
million
$759
million
$876
million
$2.23
billion
$3.74
billion

$46
million
$129
million
$515
million
$ 160
million
$124
million

2.3
miles

$463
million

$201
million

ROW B
ROW B, in dense urban area.
ROW B, in dense urban area.

ROW B
ROW A, at grade. Cost does not
include ROW acquisition.
Suburban extension following fmr
railroad

Primarily ROW B, with 1.8 mile

tunnel.
ROW A, Phase Two is built as a
tunnel through downtown.
Primarily ROW B, with portions
tunneled and elevated
90% ROW A elevated and 10%
ROW B in street.
Suburban heavy rail extension

33

SFO BART extension

8.7
miles

$1.51
billion

$174
million

Largo Metrorail
Extension
L.A. Red Line Subway

3.1 mile

$433
million
$5.6
billion

$140
million
$322
million

17.4
miles

Heavy Rail. Suburban extension to

airport. At grade, in tunnel and
elevated segments.
Suburban Heavy Rail extension.
Heavy Rail, nearly all of it
tunneled.

Comments

Traditional rail systems, even among a particular category like light rail transit, show much
more variation, as compared with monorail systems. The range is huge: From a low of $23.8
million/mile for the Portland Streetcar to a high of $515 million/mile for Phase Two of the 3rd
Street corridor in San Francisco. I propose the widely varying costs of rail can be explained
primarily by two characteristics of their alignments: the exclusivity of their right-of-way, from
non-exclusive right-of-way (ROW C) to fully-exclusive right-of-way (ROW A) and particularly
the costs involved with buying or creating exclusive right-of-way. By taking this approach we
can compare monorail generally to categories of traditional rail without having to compare the
two on a detailed case-by-case basis, although we will review the Seattle Intermediate Transit
study, a rare study that compares the two technologies on a particular urban corridor.

ROW C

Traditional rail transit that travels in mixed traffic like the Portland streetcar is much cheaper
than monorail. The Portland Streetcar costs roughly 1/3 to 1/4 of a full-sized monorail system.
ROW C, however, offers such low quality of service (marginally better than buses in mixed
traffic) that a comparison between it and transit-grade monorail is probably pointless. One hopes
that when such a system is contemplated, its use will be to encourage tourism and real estate
investment and for very local transport. While monorail can be a tourist draw and encourage
investment, it is by its nature a poor means to transport passengers over short distances in urban
environments. Numerous elevated circulator systems in US downtowns like Miami and Detroit
have tended to be unsuccessful because of the real or perceived burden of entering a station for a
short journey, and a circular alignment means it is often faster to walk directly to your
destination.

ROW B

ROW B rail transit will generally be one-half to two-thirds of the cost of a transit grade monorail
system. This represents a significant difference. However, I would posit that monorail is worth
considering as an alternative. Monorail, despite higher costs, would likely see increased
ridership due to the speed and frequency advantage monorail (ROW A) would likely have over
ROW B travel. Additionally, when externalities caused by running rail at grade, such as
reduction in vehicle lanes or indirect costs imposed on surrounding businesses due to
construction are considered, monorail may very well prove to be the less expensive choice.

34

There is evidence that suggests ROW B projects in very dense urban environments like San
Francisco (Third St. Project) and New York-New Jersey (Hudson Bergen) can cost as much as a
similar monorail system due to costs like street reconstruction, environmental mitigation and
hazardous materials removal. Straddle monorails have a small footprint, and much construction
can be done off-site, meaning that monorail would have relatively few additional costs in these
urban alignments.

Figure 3.5The spectacular view from a monorail can attract riders that might not have used rail transit at grade or in a
tunnel. Speed is another factor in monorails ability to attract riders. Source: Monorail Malaysia

CASE STUDYMonorail or semi-exclusive light rail?

The Seattle Intermediate Capacity Study looked at a streetcar (light rail transit at ROW B) and
compared it to elevated (Monorail) and Bus rapid Transit (Bus semi-rapid transit) along a
major north-south 15-25 mile long corridor through downtown Seattle. The streetcar alternatives
were somewhat cheaper to build, but for the northern half of the corridor, elevated monorail was
strongly recommended by the study and monorail was a strong contender even in the less
densely populated southern corridor due to higher ridership, lower operating costs and
significant benefits to riders. A summary of findings for the corridor:

Capital costs

Monorail alternatives range between $1.18 and $1.93 billion and streetcar from $1.05 to $1.08
billion (note: the monorail alternatives include some longer line lengths than the streetcar
alternatives.)

Ridership

Expected ridership on the monorail was in a range of 19 to 25 million passengers per year, while
LRT had only 12 to 14 million passengers per year.

35

Operating costs

An automated monorail system would have considerably lower annual operating costs with a
range of $11 to $22 million, while LRT costs had a range of $33 to $38 million.

Total Costs

Cost per boarding (Operating plus Annualized Capital Costs): $5.70-$7.05 per monorail boarding
vs. $9-$10.90 per LRT boarding. The incremental cost per incremental (new) rider for the
alternatives revealed a similar ratio.

Time Savings

Time savings is an example of a systems value to society. The annual value of travel time
savings for existing bus riders was in a range of $33 to $55 million per year with monorail, but
only at $3.6 to $10.4 million with the LRT alternatives.
Source: Parson Brinckerhoff, Quade and Douglas

ROW B with ROW A at grade(for the sake of simplicity ROW A at grade also includes
alignments where there is the occasional at grade street-crossing of the tracks, as long as
the tracks are not on-street.)

A mixture of ROW B with ROW A at grade is a common layout for LRT lines particularly in the
Mid-West, South and Mountain-West. While in the dense but small downtowns of cities such as
St. Louis, Dallas and Edmonton these lines travel along streets, but beginning immediately
outside of these downtowns the intensity of land-use is rather low, resulting in inexpensive right
of way costs. This right of way is sometimes in the form of freeway medians or abandoned
railway corridors, or even mixing with operating longer-distance rail lines in the case Karlsruhe,
Germany.
Interestingly, the costs for such systems are often significantly less than alignments which run
exclusively in ROW B because street reconstruction and associated costs are often significant, and
empty land in these cities is often cheap. A typical trap with this type of system is to rely on
cheap rights of way that do not serve your riding population. This potential trap can, however,
be overcome by employing Park and Rides and more recently, through the encouragement of
TODs (Transit Oriented Developments) which allow riders to be brought to transit rather than
vice-versa; although there are additional costs associated with Park and Rides and waiting for
TODs to be built, of course. Given the bulk of the monorail guideway and its inability to be
crossed by other traffic when at grade, only nominal reductions in cost can be achieved by
running at grade as opposed to twenty feet above a road. This means that even with no right of
way acquisition costs, a monorail would most likely not be able to compete with light rail
running in such an alignment.

36

ROW A in tunnels or elevated(with or without ROW B service)

Recently, a number of light Rail systems have been proposed with large portions of the alignment
underground. Light Rail systems that use tunneling is, in itself, nothing new; the various arms
of the excellent 1900 Boston Green line converge in a tunnel downtown, thereby avoiding
narrow, congested streets. The tunnel portion of the line is well-used because more frequent
service by numerous branches can be offered, multiple berths are provided so that 120 seconds or
fewer intervals between trains are possible, and are indeed common. Also numerous light rail
systems in Europe use tunnels in central areas where numerous light rail lines converge; multiple
lines can thus share the cost.
More recent light rail systems have proposed using significantly more tunneling, often in areas
where density is not particularly high. The 23.5 mile Seattle Central Link light rail line, the initial
segment of which is nearing construction, will use about 8 miles of very expensive bored tunnel,
another 5 miles of at grade or elevated ROW A, and the rest as ROW B in a the median of a
avenue that will be widened for the purpose. In this case, relatively few miles of ROW B can be
seen as a reduction in service quality (slower max. speed at roughly 35mph and cross traffic
considerations act as limitations to capacity) of a line largely built to very expensive rapid transit
specifications.
While grade and alignment issues in the Seattle example ask whether monorail could follow the
light rail alignment exactly, monorail would be extremely competitive cost-wise. With monorail,
constant ROW A could be had at a much lower price, with all the accompanying benefits like
higher frequency of service, and reduced operating costs. The 5.9 mile LRT Eastside corridor in
Los Angles will cost $129 million/mile (near the upper end of monorail systems) because of a 1.8
mile tunnel in the middle of its alignment. This suggests that if as little as, perhaps, 20 to 25
percent of a LRT alignment is tunneled, monorail without tunneled segments would have the
clear advantage in capital costs (not to mention cost/benefit ratios.)
The cost savings by building monorail instead of elevated light rail is appreciably less than
building monorail instead of tunneled light rail. According to the Elevated Transportation
Companys Technology Alternatives Narrowing Paper, AGT and ALR systems have approximately
the same vehicle and system costs as monorail, but the guideway cost is about 15 to 30 percent
greater due to the wider concrete deck and the additional required guidance hardware(i.e.
tracks). This margin is small but not insignificant
Furthermore, since the impact of elevated light rail is much greater than monorail, elevated light
rail may have to be placed in a no-mans land next to a freeway when monorail could be placed
right down Main Street, meaning more benefit. Even if elevated light rail could theoretically be
placed down Main Street, negative environmental externalities would be much greater than
with monorail. (Figure 3.6).

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Figure 3.6Monorail has the lowest impact of any elevated rail system. Notice the difference in shadowing effects
between monorail and light rail aerials (Kuala Lumpur guideway (right), Projected Seattle light rail aerial (left). Source:
Monorail Malaysia/ Sound Transit.

There are clear signs that numerous cities need rapid transit quality service, but do not have the
funds (or believe they can not get them) necessary for heavy rail. The claim that buses are more
flexible than rail is one of the most common claims made against rail transit. While this is true,
this claim is far too often used by apologists to justify a reduction in transit spending, rather than
being based on sound analysis of transit needs. Ironically, some complex light rail projects are
justified by the modes flexibility by pro-transit supporters who recognize that politicians dont
want to be seen as throwing public funds at large, old-fashioned and unwieldy projects like
heavy rail. The result is a light rail line that costs nearly as much as heavy rail, but with much
lower quality of service. It does not make sense that LRT, an approach that first worked wonders
in small and medium sized German cities should function as the transit backbones of very large
cities like Seattle and Los Angeles. Monorail offers an attractive alternative to such overextended, but under-performing light rail projects.

ROW AHeavy Rail

Monorail may be competitive with smaller heavy rail transit systems. Hitachi Monorails like the
Tokyo-Haneda Monorail can carry capacities of up to about 30,000 pphpd. While monorails
could theoretically be ten or even twelve cars long, such trains would require large stations that
could undermine monorails claim to having low impact on the urban environment. Although,
due to monorails cost advantage over dual rail systems in tunnels, it may be the case that two
monorail 4-6 car monorail lines could serve the same population with the same quality of service,
much more effectively than a single busy subway line, at the same price. However, it must be
noted that rubber-tired straddle monorails cannot, with present technology, match the speeds of
certain rapid transit systems which travel long distances like BART in the Bay area or the
Washington Metro, both of which have maximum speeds in excess of 70 mph. For reasons of
speed and cost, straddle monorails also cannot currently compete with commuter or regional rail
which mainly use at-grade alignments and travel with maximum speeds exceeding 60mph and
even approaching 100mph on select electrified lines.

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Figure 3.7Conditions favoring monorail rapid transit.

Characteristic
Line Length

Recommended
Value/Features
4 to 30 miles

Station Spacing

1/3 to 2 miles

Maximum line direction

capacity with normal loads
( 4 standees/sq meter)

5,000 to 20,000pphpd

Population/Employment
Density

Low-Medium to
Medium-High

City Age/ Image

Modern

Geological/Environmental
conditions

The more difficult

and problematic,
generally the greater
Monorails advantage
over conventional
rail.

Justification
At lower values, time savings from
ROW A travel becomes appreciable
and elevated stations become
practical despite cost. At upper
values, monorail can not compete
with the faster speed of heavy rail,
and cheap land for at-grade ROW A
becomes increasingly common.
At lower value, monorail investment
costs become justified. At upper
value, monorail train & station bulk
become system liabilities and
advantages from automation
(operating cost, quality of service)
become negligible.
Elevated transportation can be
problematic in areas with singlefamily home densities due to privacy
concerns. Extremely high densities
may make accommodating space
needed for monorail and monorail
stations challenging.
Monorails aesthetics are less
questionable in modern cities, or in
areas with modern architecture.
Monorail can be a cost-effective
alternative to tunneling; aerials act as
mini- bridges over sensitive spots
and monorail structures have a small
footprint.

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Figure 3.8Monorails help complete a futuristic image in a modern city or in areas with modern architecture. Monorail
has a reasonably low environmental impact; this row of stately trees in Kuala Lumpur would likely have had been
removed if any other rail system was built. Source: Monorail Malaysia

Conclusion
If fixed-rail transit systems are built to their cost/benefit potentials, they would include ROW C
light rail, ROW B dominant light rail, ROW B with ROW A at grade light rail, monorails and
heavy rail. Interestingly, these modes correspond quite well to the age of transit in the preautomobile era in North America. On-street light rail is essentially the modern, upgraded (in
ROW B) equivalent of the Streetcar. Light rail running in ROW A outside of urban centers
harkens back to the numerous interurbans which linked up neighboring cities, suburbs and
towns. Monorail is essentially a much-improved reincarnation of the Ls that used to cross
Manhattan and Boston and which still serve Chicago. Todays heavy rail systems are subways
for the very tallest of cities, and regional rail is the improved form of yesteryears commuter
railways for the widest of metropolitan areas that sprawl over large distances.
Manhattan demolished its elevated railways in favor of subways because one, the elevateds were
running at capacity and two, because their bulky structures and noisy, polluting (coal powered)
operation were a burden on their surroundings. Unlike Manhattan, few cities in the United
States or Canada have the riderbase needed to justify subways. Furthermore, a straddlemonorails environmental impact is extremely small in comparison to its bothersome
predecessors.
It is recommended that transit monorails be built to a size and capacity that would be at least that
of the larger ROW B light rail systems, but no larger than the smaller subway systems, i.e.
approximately 6 X 15m cars long. If monorail aerials can be accepted into the streetscape of
North Americas metropolises, and there is growing evidence that they can, then monorail rapid
transit could become an important mode of transportation in North American cities.

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Figure 3.9If downtown Chicago has prospered in the shadow of its bulky and noisy elevated system, imagine what
cities with a street-friendly monorail system would do for other downtowns. Chicago L (top), Planned downtown
Seattle monorail station integrated with a new development (below). Sources: John Bell/ Elevated Transportation
Company.

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GENERAL CONCLUSION
There is a clear need for high-performing, moderate cost, medium to medium high capacity
transit in North America. While monorails have seen most interest in Asia, monorail rapid
transit is perhaps even more suitable to North American cities with their more modest densities
and riderbases.
The most likely candidates for monorail within North America include numerous large Western
metropolises with little or no previous railway structure to upgrade. The cost of acquiring rightof-way and of building new traditional dual-rail infrastructure is often prohibitive in these built
up and often geographically and geologically restrained metropolises. Seattle, Los Angeles,
Honolulu and Las Vegas are cities with unmet transit needs, little or no pre-existing transit
infrastructure and high land values. It is precisely these cities which have at one time or another
contemplated monorail rapid transit. As stated in the introduction Las Vegas is now constructing
a transit-grade monorail system and Seattle will likely begin one in the near future. But it is
along major corridors in the megalopolis of Los Angeles which would most benefit from
monorail infrastructure since density is rarely high enough for heavy rail yet distances are too
great for semi-exclusive light rail or bus semi-rapid transit to make sizable contributions.
In the eastern half of the continent, monorail systems could serve as feeders or links to
established traditional rail systems, particularly in and between so-called Edge cities: rapidly
urbanizing suburban areas. Metro Atlanta has many such areas with severe congestion but with
little chance of being served by Marta, the heavy rail system. The same is true for the area
around the Washington DC Beltway where Metro service is unlikely because of cost
considerations. Monorail rapid transit might also be ideal for Bostons urban ring corridor, and
other built-up urban areas bypassed by the glory years of subway construction at the beginning
of the twentieth century. Monorail also lends itself to numerous undiscovered corridors where
fixed transit has not been contemplated due to the limitations of traditional rail technology. An
example of this would be a monorail line along portions of the Manhattan waterfront, perhaps
linking downtown with the convention center midtown. While any other elevated system would
be unacceptable, the low environmental impact of monorail and the ability to integrate the line
into buildings make such a project conceivable.
There should be no doubt that monorail rapid transit would serve a niche, it would be not a
transportation cure-all. However, this niche is certainly an important one that includes some of
the most difficult urban alignments in some of the most mobility-impaired cities on the continent.
This study has found substantial progress in monorail trains and guideways and found monorail
to be a near ideal fit for advanced automation made possible by advancements in computing.
Investment in automation will likely see its greatest return in North America where wages and
associated costs tend to be higher than in most Asian cities and where monorail systems will
likely be smaller; in other words, where productivity per operator would be lower. The real test
for the acceptance and suitability of monorail rapid transit in North America will be Seattles 14
mile Green line, where many of the best and most appropriate aspects of monorail technology
such as visually pleasing aerials and full automation have been incorporated.

42

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