Sydney Monorail - Closing for good soon

[185]

Backward and stupid were the comments used to describe the NSW State Governments Decision to shut down the Sydney Monorail in June 2013. One of the most scenic and perhaps the best in the world, many reasons for and against it's closure have been raised.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydney_Monorail

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/ne...-to-be-torn-down/story-fnb5f12x-1226308015370

Last stop for Sydney Monorail

SYDNEY monorail will be torn down after the State Government bought it for $19.8 million.

It's been slammed as ugly, intrusive and revealed to be one of the most expensive public transport systems in the world.

The NSW Government has purchased the company that owns it, Metro Transport Sydney, announcing this morning it will remove the monorail to fit a new convention centre at Darling Harbour.

It will be torn down "as soon as feasible'' .

Premier Barry O'Farrell said today that the monorail had never been "truly embraced by the community''.

"This is good news for Sydney it delivers certainty for business wanting to invest in the Darling Harbour precinct and allows the efficient development of the light rail network,'' Premier Barry O'Farrell said.

"The monorail is not integrated with Sydney's wider public transport network and has never been truly embraced by the community.

"While it has been a controversial part of Sydney's history for more than 20 years, the monorail is reaching the end of its economic life and the NSW Government cannot justify costly upgrades like the purchase of new vehicles required to keep it running.

(read more)

Bit of a daft comment from them on patronage. It was hardly surprising given the fares charged, which have had to be cut to A$5 (£3.50) recently.

 

[flymo]

I went for a ride on it in 2008 during a visit to Oz and I seem to recall it being a bit pricey, but then again many things in Sydney are...:eek:

Attached is a photo of one of the units leaving from outside Paddy's Market on Hay Street

View attachment 12899

It will be a shame to see it go though, certainly an interesting tourist attraction.

 

[Shrimper]

I went on it in 2005, and whilst it was fairly useful to get around tourist sites it seemed fairly useless otherwise - it didn't seem to link anywhere significant and was so short it was often easier to walk between places.

 

[185]

They've covered most trains in stupid contravision adverts for the last ten years preventing people seeing properly out of it. No surprise tourists wanting a view of the city can't see much from it.

 

[WillPS]

Is that the remnants of Merry Hill's Monorail hitting the scrap heap?

EDIT: No, they're at a Shopping Centre somewhere else in Australia.

 

[Greenback]

I'm sute that Brockway, Ogdenville, North Haverbrook and Springfield will agree with what Sydney is now doing!

 

[Clip]

Ha ha thats what I thought Greenback!!

I enjoyed the little jaunt I had on it when I was there but it was a bit pricey for a quick spin on it.

 

[MetroDriver]

Is that the remnants of Merry Hill's Monorail hitting the scrap heap?
EDIT: No, they're at a Shopping Centre somewhere else in Australia.

Correct - Oasis, Queensland: http://oasisshoppingcentre.com/visitor-information/monorail/

 

[Tomonthetrain]

Correct - Oasis, Queensland: http://oasisshoppingcentre.com/visitor-information/monorail/

How the Merry Hill Monorail brings back memories. Even better was the fact that initially a pair of Merry Hill Minibuses Fleetlines (eventually replaced by MK1 Metrobuses) that operated some of the service between 1996-2000.

 

[overthewater]

Why has the monorail system never taken off? Expect for theme parks?

 

[Eagle]

Why has the monorail system never taken off? Expect for theme parks?

Major reason: it's difficult to put junctions on a monorail.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

It's not technically difficult though is it? It's more the huge mass that you need to accurately shift to move the "points" isn't it?

 

[Statto]

I'm sute that Brockway, Ogdenville, North Haverbrook and Springfield will agree with what Sydney is now doing!

heh heh, MONORAIL, MONORAIL MONORAIL.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Didn't there used to be a Monorail at Birmingham Airport connecting to the Rail Station?

 

[Darandio]

There used to be Maglev there, it's now a track and pulley type arrangement I think.

 

[overthewater]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEZjzsnPhnw

Anyways is the only Monorail in the uk at Alton towers.

 

[Darandio]

The Blackpool one is still open until the end of this year isn't it?

 

[Deerfold]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEZjzsnPhnw

Anyways is the only Monorail in the uk at Alton towers.

What about the one at Gatwick?

 

[transmanche]

What about the one at Gatwick?

It's not really a monorail. It's has rubber tyres (like some lines on the Paris Metro) and a guide rail.

 

[kylemore]

The Press report says "one of the most expensive public transport systems in the World"
It'll have to go some way to beat the Edinburgh Tram "System" mile for mile!

 

[broadbander]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEZjzsnPhnw

Anyways is the only Monorail in the uk at Alton towers.

Chester Zoo has a small scale monorail with two stations on opposite sides of the zoo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3h0yS1lEpkc

 

[RozzaDownunder]

G'day from DownUnder!


There are several reasons for the demise of the Monorail

1. It is a total mass transit lemon. It does a pointless circle from Town Hall (a major tube-style station), all the way to Darling Harbour (a rail yard redeveloped as a tourist attraction in 1988).

2. Poor route design. Much of the route rides above the awnings of CBD shops, meaning all the passengers can see on one side of the monorail is first floor windows for 2/3 of the route.

3. NSW Government aquisition of Metro. Basically spelled the end for the Monorail, as the NSW Government purchase Metro with the intention of streamline further Light Rail extensions, without having to stuff around with pleasing a private company's demands. Metro also owned the monorail, which is now property of the NSW Government. Its demolition was on the cards for many years, but now that it's in public ownership, they don't have to ask Metro to do it.

 

[stut]

Isn't that the monorail described by Clive James as going "straight from the heart of downtown Sydney to the heart of downtown Sydney, after skilfully circumnavigating the heart of downtown Sydney"?

 

[WatcherZero]

From what I remember just after they built it the development focus of the city moved elsewhere so it ended up being in the wrong place.

 

[jb]

I always thought it was a bit rubbish and pointless.

 

[Nick W]

The purpose was to serve Darling Harbour. I guess many of the stops, and the reason it was a loop not a shuttle were to please local businesses or had a small additional cost.

Darling Harbour seems isolated by both the harbour and a freeway, and I suspect there are times of day when walking over or under these is unpleasant and maybe even unsafe, so it seems a shame that the service will stop. Light rail will not be grade separated so an inferior service.

 

[Matt Taylor]

Darling Harbour is very well served by buses, ferries and the tram system, the monorail really doesn't add much to that, it is easy to walk to from the CBD and from Central station so access is not an issue without the monorail.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/40172673@N03/8690519836/in/photostream

I have used the monorail in the past but found it quite expensive on my last visit at $5 per journey. It's a shame to see it go but it is not a great loss in terms of transit options.