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Old Posted May 23, 2011, 11:35 PM
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Has the Monorail's Future Finally Arrived?

Has the Monorail's Future Finally Arrived?


MAY 23, 2011

By PAULO TREVISANI

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

Quote:
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.

.....



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  #2  
Old Posted May 24, 2011, 1:25 AM
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No, it's not. Compared to light rail monorails offer no discernable operational advantage, are considerably more expensive, and much less flexible.
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Old Posted May 24, 2011, 1:51 AM
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But in heavily congested and built up cities where new lines are required to carry subway loads it would be cheaper than a subway, and has to be elevated to bypass things on the ground, which means in those cities the LRT would have to be elevated also, and be able to carry such loads.
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Old Posted May 24, 2011, 2:37 AM
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and here i had no idea about that "thing" in Wuppertal. Interesting to say the least.
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Old Posted May 24, 2011, 3:15 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cirrus View Post
No, it's not. Compared to light rail monorails offer no discernable operational advantage, are considerably more expensive, and much less flexible.
Pretty sure they can climb grades better than LRT, which is why monorail is used rather than railed HRT in Chongqing.
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  #6  
Old Posted May 24, 2011, 8:36 AM
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Monorail's future is here or at least right around the corner in the form of Maglev.
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Old Posted May 24, 2011, 4:10 PM
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Quote:
But in heavily congested and built up cities where new lines are required to carry subway loads it would be cheaper than a subway, and has to be elevated to bypass things on the ground, which means in those cities the LRT would have to be elevated also, and be able to carry such loads.
If LRT is elevated then it can carry such loads. Capacity constraints on LRT are mainly driven by how long your trains can be, which is in turn driven by the length of streets you're crossing during at-grade operations. If there are no at-grade operations, there aren't capacity constraints.

So the question isn't whether monorail is less expensive than subway. The question is whether monorail is less expensive than elevated light rail. And it's only worth asking that question in the extremely rare occasion when your entire light rail line will be elevated, because if you want to run any at-grade or underground then you can't use monorail (or you can, but it's astronomically more expensive).

Quote:
Pretty sure they can climb grades better than LRT, which is why monorail is used rather than railed HRT in Chongqing.
This is a legitimate use. But the ability to climb grades a little bit steeper will only be worth the trade off of not being able to run at-grade or underground anywhere in the system in a very, very few places.

In other words, monorail is a niche product that will never "arrive" as a replacement for traditional modes because it is inherently more limited. It can be appropriate if a very specific set of circumstances apply, but that's only going to happen about 1% of the time.
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Old Posted May 24, 2011, 4:42 PM
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Is that thing in Wuppertal really a monorail?

I remember it as a bi-directional system hanging below the tracks.

Do we have a common definition of monorail?
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Old Posted May 24, 2011, 5:55 PM
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Monorails have a single guide rail (hence the name). There are usually, however, multiple contacts (wheels) on the guide rail. Wupperthal, IIRC, has no less than 8 contacts per truck, and two trucks per car.
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Old Posted May 24, 2011, 10:34 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cirrus View Post

This is a legitimate use. But the ability to climb grades a little bit steeper will only be worth the trade off of not being able to run at-grade or underground anywhere in the system in a very, very few places.
Part of Chongqing's monorail is underground...
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Old Posted May 24, 2011, 11:03 PM
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If you have to run LRT fully grade separated, then monorail offers a significantly smaller footprint.
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Old Posted May 24, 2011, 11:19 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by The Chemist View Post
Part of Chongqing's monorail is underground...

Would an LRT have been cheaper and/or easier to build instead? And what about elevated subways with underground sections...
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Old Posted May 24, 2011, 11:49 PM
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It is possible to build monorail underground, but it is much more expensive to do so than other modes because the tunnel has to be about twice as large.
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Old Posted May 25, 2011, 12:40 AM
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We know in China they can far more easily get projects funded and built but is this necessarily the cheapest for the job it's supposed to do...
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Old Posted May 25, 2011, 1:37 AM
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I hear those things are awfully loud...
It glides as softly as a cloud.
Is there a chance the track could bend?
Not on your life, my Hindu friend.
What about us brain-dead slobs?
You'll be given cushy jobs.
Were you sent here by the devil?
No, good sir, I'm on the level.
The ring came off my pudding can.
Take my pen knife, my good man.
I swear it's Springfield's only choice...
Throw up your hands and raise your voice!
Monorail!
What's it called?
Monorail!
Once again...
Monorail!
But Main Street's still all cracked and broken...
Sorry, Mom, the mob has spoken!
Monorail!
Monorail!
Monorail!
Mono... D'oh!


--The Simpsons, Monorail song
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Old Posted May 25, 2011, 4:01 AM
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Monorails (as practiced in East Asia) do have a niche—it’s an intermediate-capacity completely grade-separated transport system, so it’s somewhere between heavy rail and North American light rail. In other words, it operates in the same general space as Vancouver’s SkyTrain, Docklands Light Rail (probably the closest analogue to a lot of the Asian systems, since they often work in concert with conventional rail infrastructure), or Honolulu’s planned system. Monorails have the the grade-climbing advantage from rubber tires, though a number of other intermediate-capacity systems use linear induction motors which combine good grade climbing ability while keeping the advantages of conventional rail: low rolling resistance, lower operating costs (due to lower resistance as well as having to worry about fewer running surfaces and less complex rolling stock), almost-as-narrow guideways, and probably tighter turning radii as well.

I’m was going to say that the only reason the Alweg monorail took off in Japan (and by “took off” I mean a handful of lines were built—not that impressive when compared to Japanese urban rail’s growth from the 1960s on in general) was because the Tokyo-Haneda Airport monorail (connecting the airport to the Yamanote Line, not a people mover) established local expertise in monorail construction and operation, making it a proven mode choice for intermediate-capacity lines and allowing it to carve out a niche. That’s just my hypothesis, though.

I was surprised to find out that the Chongqing Metro was a monorail, though—I’d think the city would need the capacity of a full metro and that any grade-climbing issues could be brute-forced through.
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Old Posted May 25, 2011, 5:02 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Troubadour View Post
I hear those things are awfully loud...
It glides as softly as a cloud.
Is there a chance the track could bend?
Not on your life, my Hindu friend.
What about us brain-dead slobs?
You'll be given cushy jobs.
Were you sent here by the devil?
No, good sir, I'm on the level.
The ring came off my pudding can.
Take my pen knife, my good man.
I swear it's Springfield's only choice...
Throw up your hands and raise your voice!
Monorail!
What's it called?
Monorail!
Once again...
Monorail!
But Main Street's still all cracked and broken...
Sorry, Mom, the mob has spoken!
Monorail!
Monorail!
Monorail!
Mono... D'oh!


--The Simpsons, Monorail song
YES!!!

I opened this thread SOLELY for the monorail quote from the Simpsons -- I was NOT disappointed! This made my night (was previously watching Cloak and Dagger, a 1984 action flick starring Henry Thomas (from ET) that utterly sucked!).
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  #18  
Old Posted May 25, 2011, 7:30 AM
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Post

Quote:
Originally Posted by Beta_Magellan View Post
Monorails (as practiced in East Asia) do have a niche—it’s an intermediate-capacity completely grade-separated transport system, so it’s somewhere between heavy rail and North American light rail. In other words, it operates in the same general space as Vancouver’s SkyTrain, Docklands Light Rail (probably the closest analogue to a lot of the Asian systems, since they often work in concert with conventional rail infrastructure), or Honolulu’s planned system. Monorails have the the grade-climbing advantage from rubber tires, though a number of other intermediate-capacity systems use linear induction motors which combine good grade climbing ability while keeping the advantages of conventional rail: low rolling resistance, lower operating costs (due to lower resistance as well as having to worry about fewer running surfaces and less complex rolling stock), almost-as-narrow guideways, and probably tighter turning radii as well.

I’m was going to say that the only reason the Alweg monorail took off in Japan (and by “took off” I mean a handful of lines were built—not that impressive when compared to Japanese urban rail’s growth from the 1960s on in general) was because the Tokyo-Haneda Airport monorail (connecting the airport to the Yamanote Line, not a people mover) established local expertise in monorail construction and operation, making it a proven mode choice for intermediate-capacity lines and allowing it to carve out a niche. That’s just my hypothesis, though.

I was surprised to find out that the Chongqing Metro was a monorail, though—I’d think the city would need the capacity of a full metro and that any grade-climbing issues could be brute-forced through.
Line 2 (current ops since 2005) is a monorail, with subway sections in the very dense jeifangbei downtown. As was mentioned, monorail works best due to the elevation changes.

Line 1, which is in testing and scheduled to open in a few weeks, is all heavy rail subway in a very deep tunnel. It runs from Chaotianmen to Jeifangbei downtown, then through the rest of the dense part of Chongqing, eventually to Shapingba. This line will be heavily used and therefore was necessary to use heavy rail.

Line 3, which is also in testing and also scheduled to open in a few weeks, is another Line 2 type system, connecting the North with the Central and the South districts. Again, climbing necessities.

Line 6, under construction with a scheduled open of 2012, will be another heavy rail subway, going north to south (via Jeifangbei downtown) in a deep tunnel under neath not only CQ land/mountains but also the Yangtze River.

If I recall correct, these are the only lines operating/testing or under construction for CQ Metro at this time. All other planned lines are likely to be monorail due to the geography and suburban/remotness since they are further out.


I've ridden the CQ Metro Line 2/monorail many many times, and you can't tell the difference between it and a heavy rail subway in all honesty, particularly in the subway sections in Jeifangbei and Daping CBDs. You only realize it is a monorail once it elevates and you wait at a station. Inside, it is not too much different than Heavy Rail, using Hitachi Large Capacity vehicles. ... It handles crush loads quite well (I believe 36,000 ppdph) - much bigger than the 'monorail' that most North Americans think of (ie, Seattle Monorail). Of course Line 1 and 6 will handle even greater loads, but I think Monorail for the other lines probably is sufficient since there will not be as much commuting into Jeifangbei from so far out.


I hope that helps.
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  #19  
Old Posted May 30, 2011, 7:45 AM
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Cirrus, please, compare the systems aesthetically.

Look at old school elevated heavy rail. Chicago, philly, etc. Huge, noisy, and shadow monsters.

Looks at newer elevated heavy rail, like Miami, what's being built in DC, LA expo line etc. Not as bad, but still significant pieces of infrastructure. Giant, thick concrete columns. Wide structure. And in many places, they use infill to lower costs, thus making giant walls.

Low look at operating monorail systems. The foot print is much, much smaller, with the same capacity.

In cities like Sao Paulo and Mumbai, where the only place left is to build on top of a street, monorail is an obvious choice because it wont completely destroy the street above it.

And coming from DC, where thin copper wires destroy streets, imagine the outcry a giant concrete structure would have.
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Old Posted May 30, 2011, 8:02 AM
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I really don't like the way Monorails look compared to Heavy Rail , it least the New Way Heavy Rail is built.
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