Monorail Watch

[jpatokal]

The little picture illustrating the article looked terribly familiar, and it didn't take long to figure out why:

http://www.metropla.net/as/sing/teck-whye-1.jpg

It shows a train from Singapore's Bukit Panjang LRT, an automated guideway vehicle (AGV) which is not a monorail at all. The middle track guides the train, but the thing moves with rubber wheels along the guideway.

[admin]

ah-ha... we thought that photo was copied from somewhere else...

there is a url or some other note in the corner of the photo but it is too small to read

[jpatokal]

Why on earth a monorail, aren't two incompatible mass transit systems already enough? Evidently Bangkok is now aspiring to copy to KL.

It would be much more sensible to build a branch of the Skytrain instead, since the current Mo Chit terminus & depot are right next to the Lad Phrao/Phayonyothin intersection.

[The Enforcer!]

Originally posted by jpatokal
Why on earth a monorail, aren't two incompatible mass transit systems already enough? Evidently Bangkok is now aspiring to copy to KL.

It would be much more sensible to build a branch of the Skytrain instead, since the current Mo Chit terminus & depot are right next to the Lad Phrao/Phayonyothin intersection.

This is verging on the ridiculous.

The Skytrain and Sunway shouldbe expanded rapidly and all these other ideas, including the entire BRT project, scrapped!

The Skytrain could be in Phet kasem and Samut Prakarn within a year, and other extensions within three.

The Enforcer!

[ncr]

The Manager Daily article said it will have a construction time of 6 years (!) (if Khun Wisarut translated correctly), while TNA speaks of 6 months........

Both time spans don't seem very reasonable to me. Should be something in the middle, like 2 to 4 years. How long did it take to construct the KL monorail?

But then, maybe we won't have to worry about this question because this project will be scrapped as well.....

[jpatokal]

KL Monorail actually took 6 years to complete (1997-2003), but that was mostly because of the financial crisis -- work was stopped completely for several years.

[Wisarut]

Hi everybody,

I just got the one from Skyscrapercity.com and I'sd like to share with you guys:

Good side of Monorail:

Quote: Originally Posted by glickel

I still don't get the allure of the monorail. Is it faster? Quieter? Besides the cost factor, what aspects are better than light or heavy rail?

Answer by Greg_Christine

Monorail rides on rubber tires and is much quieter than steel wheeled vehicles. Monorail has less impact on motor vehicle traffic than at-grade light rail, and has less visual impact than elevated light rail. On the other hand, light rail can be much cheaper where it can exploit an existing ground level corridor such as a highway median or an existing rail line. A light rail system was built in St. Louis for the remarkably low cost by taking advantage of an existing railroad right-of-way that was complete with bridges and a downtown tunnel. The light rail system in Seattle had no such advantage. In Seattle, one new tunnel must be built and an existing bus tunnel must be rebuilt. The cost of tunneling is over $300 Million per mile. I don't think a case can be made that one system is always better than the other.

Dark side of the Monorail:

Originally Posted by glickel
I still don't get the allure of the monorail.

Answer by Greg_Christine

Perhaps my previous response to this comment didn't get to the heart of the matter. Looking at the previous posts, I see that four people have responded with questions or comments concerning the Green Line monorail. No one has responded regarding the Central Link light rail system. Somehow, the monorail catches peoples' imaginations in a way that light rail doesn't. Perhaps it is the familiarity of light rail. Perhaps it is the association between monorail and the Disney theme parks.

The mere mention of monorail elicits very strong responses from some light rail advocates. The following is an actual comment that I've copied from a light rail discussion forum:

"The monorail zealots in the USA are a de facto cult who contend that monorails are the supreme transit mode in all circumstances (except that they favor buses on the surface). They are fanatically dedicated to stopping new LRT projects and denouncing LRT systems in operation. They are also allied with the Road Warriors, and, since anti-transit Road Warriors are a far more powerful political force, the net effect of monorail cultists is to perform the function of a kind of auxiliary to the pro-highway, anti-transit crusade."

[nathawat]

Originally posted by jpatokal
Why on earth a monorail, aren't two incompatible mass transit systems already enough? Evidently Bangkok is now aspiring to copy to KL.

It would be much more sensible to build a branch of the Skytrain instead, since the current Mo Chit terminus & depot are right next to the Lad Phrao/Phayonyothin intersection.

It would be much more sensible to build a branch of the Skytrain instead, since the current Mo Chit terminus & depot are right next to the Lad Phrao/Phayonyothin intersection. [/B][/QUOTE]


This is my first visit. Allow me to share some opinions.

Reasons for having monorail, I guess:

It's much lesser cost than LRT (skytrain) and, much much lesser than the subway while having equivalent capacity. Some says 12km of monorail is better than having 2-3km of subway and 5km of skytrain with the same cost. Therefore, the fare will potentially cheaper than the 2 former systems. Any comments?

But I think main reason in this case may be because of the Lad Prao road itself (not so wide road). Monorail will not block air ventilation due to having smaller rail and station structure, compared to the skytrain. The real threat to people around skytrain at sukhumvit road is not the noise pollution, but the air pollution due to the beneath traiff emissions (carbon monoxide) that more difficult to vent out with the roof-top shape rail/station. Imagine 12km of smog along Lad Prao road with the LRT structure. Any comments?

I guess none of them is the best solution for every problems. But having any of them is still better than nothing, or not?

[The Enforcer!]

Let's see Subway, SRT Red Route, Skytrain, Suvannabhumi Railink, Ladprao monorail ("Skyrail") what's next ... Pony & Trap?

The Enforcer!

[jpatokal]

India is busily developing its "Skybus" technology, so maybe Thailand coule beat them to the punch and come up with "Skytuktuk", or better yet, its environmentally friendly version "Skysamlor".

Then again, maybe the Skybus is not the best model to copy:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/a...how/863666.cms

[Wisarut]

Nahh, the FAILED experent of Skybus at Gua has DIMMED much of the expectation on Kolkan Skybus ...

[admin]

More about the Indian Skybus is here:
http://www.geocities.com/mumbairail/

and here is a pic: http://www.geocities.com/mumbairail/skybus.jpg

[hkt83100]

Originally posted by admin
More about the Indian Skybus is here:
http://www.geocities.com/mumbairail/

and here is a pic: http://www.geocities.com/mumbairail/skybus.jpg

Or have a look at this page http://www.wuppertal.de or at the picture http://www.wuppertal.de/img/home_pic.jpg It is working for centuries, and the structure does not need a lot of space on ground...

[pong]

as I just passed by Rangsit yesterday, I saw the ''rails'' for the monorail at the Future Park shop centre there. Now I remember something having read about it (maybe even here), but cannot find this agin.
Can anyone please tell me if this opertaes, has operated or is intedned too 9and then: when?)

[ncr]

That's an interesting question..... If it ever operated at all, then probably only for a very short time. Maybe no rolling stock was ever produced/delivered. I can only tell you that 4 years ago (November 2000), when I first noticed the track, it already lay idle. And has very probably stayed like that ever since.

Anyone know when FP Rangsit was built?