Has the Monorail's Future Finally Arrived?

[M II A II R II K]

Has the Monorail's Future Finally Arrived?


MAY 23, 2011

By PAULO TREVISANI

Read More: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...218923744.html

The train of the future may be turning a corner—but you'll have to look up to see it. Long hailed as a model for future public-transportation systems, monorails in reality have been largely written off as theme-park attractions—too slow and too small to serve as urban transit systems. Now the elevated single-track trains are getting a fresh look as big cities in emerging economies seek out quick, low-cost solutions to mobility bottlenecks.

- These efforts, some say, may test whether monorail technology can live down its reputation and win over critics, who remain skeptical that monorails are suitable for urban mass transit. "Monorail is an open-ended question", says George Haikalis, who runs the Institute for Rational Urban Mobility, a New York-based nonprofit focused on transportation reform. So far, he says, "the evidence is that it is not a substitute for conventional railroad," at least when it comes to carrying large numbers of passengers.

- Despite Japan's experience, a perception has persisted that monorail is unproven in a mass-transit setting, says Kim Pedersen, who heads the Monorail Society, an organization that gathers data and promotes use of the technology. Also stalling monorail's growth have been concerns about evacuating stranded passengers from overhead trains and a belief that elevated structures spoil urban landscapes.

- "São Paulo is desperate for mobility", says Sérgio Avelleda, chairman of state transportation agency Cia. do Metropolitano de São Paulo—Metrô. He says monorail eliminates the extra work and costs involved in digging tunnels. The elevated track, using prefabricated concrete, can run over the center of existing avenues or boulevards, reducing expropriation costs. He also says monorail is the least intrusive and safest option for the region's level of demand.

- Monorail makers such as Bombardier and the industry's leader, Japan's Hitachi Ltd., say today's monorails are quieter and have less vibration than earlier models. Some of the new trains also are lighter, meaning elevated structures don't have to be as bulky and block less natural light than previous designs. And the São Paulo system will be built with evacuation walks between tracks, says Bombardier.

- In the end, cost may be a leading factor in favor of monorail, some in the industry say. Eran Gartner, president of the transportation division of Bombardier, which also is a major provider of other train systems, says subways can cost roughly 50% more than monorails to build, depending on location.

.....