SEMINAR TOPIC: MONORAIL TECHNOLOGY

INDEX

CHAPTOR NAME P.NO SIGNATURE

1. INTRODUCTION 2
2. HISTORY OF MONORAIL 3
3. WORKING PRINCIPLE 6
4. TYPES OF MONORAIL 8
5. CONSTRUCTION OF MONO RAIL 11
6. FAMOUS MONORAIL IN WORLD 17
7. MONORAIL IN INDIA 20
8. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MONORAIL & 22
METRO RAIL
9. CURRENT SCENARIO OF MONO RAIL 23
IN INDIA
10. CONCLUSION 26

B.V.M. ENGINEERING COLLEGE, DEPT. OF CIVIL ENGINEERING, ANAND, GUJARAT Page 1

 SEMINAR TOPIC: MONORAIL TECHNOLOGY
1. INTRODUCTION

Monorail is defined a rail based transportation system based on single rail, vehicles
using the railway are either suspended from or supported by the railway and the rails acts as its
sole support and its guide way. It works under the principle of maglev (magnetic levitation).
Maglev is a transport method that uses magnetic levitation to move vehicles without touching the
ground.

Monorails have been around since the 1800; the first monorail was made in Russia in
1820 by Ivan Elmanov, but only really came to public attention in the 1950s when Walt Disney
installed one in his new theme park: Disneyland, California. Tokyo monorail one of the busiest
averages 127000 passengers per day and has served over 1964 billion passengers. These are
divided in two broad classes they are straddle beam and suspended monorails. Most common
type is the straddle beam in which the train straddles a steel or reinforced concrete beam. A rubber
tired carriage contacts the beam on the top and both side for traction and to stabilize the vehicle.
Almost all modern monorails are powered by electric motors fed by dual third rails, contact wires or
electrified channels attached to or enclosed in their guidance beams. Monorail is raised at a
minimum height of 5.5 meters from ground level on columns.

It works under the principle of maglev (magnetic levitation) systems. They are highly
stable and allow rapid deceleration from great speed. An alternating current is ran through
electromagnet coils on the guide walls of the guide way. This creates a magnetic field that attracts
and repels the superconducting magnets on the train and propels the train forward. Braking is
accomplished by sending an alternating current in the reverse direction so that it is slowed by
attractive and repulsive forces.

At speed maglev trains hover over the track and are not in physical contact with it. Maglev trains
use magnets to levitate and propel the trains forward. Since there is no friction these trains can
reach high speeds. It is a safe and efficient way to travel.

B.V.M. ENGINEERING COLLEGE, DEPT. OF CIVIL ENGINEERING, ANAND, GUJARAT Page 2

 SEMINAR TOPIC: MONORAIL TECHNOLOGY
2. HISTORY OF MONORAIL

EARLY DEVELOPMENT

Its concept was developed since 1800, the first monorail was made in Russia in 1820 by Ivan
Elmanov but only really came into public attention in the 1950s when Walt Disney installed one
in his new theme park: Disneyland, California.

SUSPENDED AND BICYCLE RAILWAYS

In 1886, the Enos Electric Company demonstrated a suspended monorail on the grounds of the
Daft Electric Light Company in the Greenville section of New Jersey , which was closer in its
appearance to more modern monorails, but the most famous suspended monorail of this era was
floating railway, of Wuppertal (city of germany), which entered service in 1901, and is still in
daily use. From 19101914 a monorail system designed by Howard H Tunis was used on
the Pelham Park and City Island Railroad in the Bronx, New York City as shown in below fig.1

fig.1 Pelham Park and City island railroad in Bronx, New York City.

B.V.M. ENGINEERING COLLEGE, DEPT. OF CIVIL ENGINEERING, ANAND, GUJARAT Page 3

 SEMINAR TOPIC: MONORAIL TECHNOLOGY
GYRO MONORAIL

The only true monorail was the Gyro Monorail developed independently by Louis
Brennan, August Scherl and Pyotr Shilovsky. The first true monorail is also known as brennan
monorail as shown in below fig. This was a true single track train which used a gyroscope-based
balancing system to remain upright. but development was effectively stopped by the First World
War. For example Brennan Monorail as shown in below fig.2

fig.2 Brennan monorail

EVOLUTION OF MONORAIL

Its construction was however continued and problems which are faced during the
construction and operation of monorail was analyzed and actual remedial measures were
introduced. The time since the Second World War has been characterized by a massive expansion
of road and air transport at the expense of rail. Under such circumstances, it was not surprising
that marginal rail projects, such as monorails, were first to be abandoned.

B.V.M. ENGINEERING COLLEGE, DEPT. OF CIVIL ENGINEERING, ANAND, GUJARAT Page 4

 SEMINAR TOPIC: MONORAIL TECHNOLOGY
MODERN ERA OF DEVELOPMENT

The development of automotive technology has given rise to a new class

of monorail which owes little to the work of Palmer and Lartigue. These vehicles are suspended
from or straddle concrete beams, and use pneumatic tyres to improve adhesion and reduce noise
compared with wheel on steel. They have more in common with guided buses than conventional
railways. The beam is less obtrusive than an overhead roadway or railway, and the modern designs
may have a niche in dealing with right of way problems in congested city centres, at lower cost
compared with tunneling. Modern Monorail is shown in below fig.3 and fig 4

fig.3 Modern Monorail

fig.4 Modern Monorail in Mumbai

B.V.M. ENGINEERING COLLEGE, DEPT. OF CIVIL ENGINEERING, ANAND, GUJARAT Page 5

 SEMINAR TOPIC: MONORAIL TECHNOLOGY

3. WORKING PRINCIPLE

It works under the principle of magnetic levitation train. It requires electromagnetic current to
generate magnetic field which is responsible for the acceleration and deceleration of train.
Propulsion of a maglev train is explained below:

The system consists of aluminum three-phase cable windings in the stator packs that are
on the guideway. This train uses superconducting electric magnets in the vehicle to levitate
and propel the train. These magnets are cooled by liquid helium or liquid nitrogen. This
means that once electrified these magnets do not require additional energy.

Fig.5 Monorail system components

An alternating current is ran through electromagnet coils on the guide walls of the guide
way. This creates a magnetic field that attracts and repels the superconducting magnets on
the train and propels the train forward. The magnets on the side keep the train from moving

B.V.M. ENGINEERING COLLEGE, DEPT. OF CIVIL ENGINEERING, ANAND, GUJARAT Page 6

 SEMINAR TOPIC: MONORAIL TECHNOLOGY
from side to side. A computer changes the amount of current to keep the train 1 cm from
the track. Only the section of track where the train is traveling is electrified

Fig.6 propulsion principle of Monorail

Braking is accomplished by sending an alternating current in the reverse direction so that

it is slowed by attractive and repulsive forces. Different speeds are achieved by varying the
intensity of the current

fig.7 Long stator Propulsion Switching

B.V.M. ENGINEERING COLLEGE, DEPT. OF CIVIL ENGINEERING, ANAND, GUJARAT Page 7

 SEMINAR TOPIC: MONORAIL TECHNOLOGY
4. TYPES OF MONORAIL SYSTEMS

Monorails are classified into two type of systems, they are

1) Straddle type monorail system

2) Suspended type monorail system
1) Straddle type monorail system

Straddle type travels by straddling the track and its centre of gravity situated above the
track. Some features of the straddle type monorail systems are:

The construction period to deploy a monorail is far shorter than to build a subway, and the
construction costs are less expensive; that is, roughly one-third for building a large
monorail system and one-sixth for a small-scale monorail system.
Three scales of monorail system with different carrying capacities are available: the small
straddle type monorail system has a carrying capacity of 79 passengers per car, the standard
system is capable of carrying 100 passengers per car, and the large monorail system can
carry up to 173 passengers per car. Having a transport capacity of 2,000 (small system) to
25,000 passengers/h (large system), they can flexibly accommodate a wide range of
municipal planning needs.
Monorail vehicles with rubber tires can negotiate steep grades (6%) and small-radius
curves (40-meter curves for the small monorail). Rubber tires also provide a quiet,
comfortable ride for passengers

Fig.8 Straddle- type monorail system

B.V.M. ENGINEERING COLLEGE, DEPT. OF CIVIL ENGINEERING, ANAND, GUJARAT Page 8

 SEMINAR TOPIC: MONORAIL TECHNOLOGY

Fig.9 Straddle type of Monorail System( Components)

2) Suspension type monorail system

Comparing to conventional on-the-ground monorails, this suspended type takes less
space.
The innovative separation of its cabin and its drive unit has compactly minimized
planer area occupation.
Being ideally proper for installation on stairways or steep slopes in sloped residential
areas or on waterways.
Suspended Type Monorail has wonderfully realized the convenient door-to-door
transportation of people

B.V.M. ENGINEERING COLLEGE, DEPT. OF CIVIL ENGINEERING, ANAND, GUJARAT Page 9

 SEMINAR TOPIC: MONORAIL TECHNOLOGY

Fig.10 suspension type of Monorail System

Fig.11 Suspension type of Monorail System

B.V.M. ENGINEERING COLLEGE, DEPT. OF CIVIL ENGINEERING, ANAND, GUJARAT Page 10

 SEMINAR TOPIC: MONORAIL TECHNOLOGY

5. CONSTRUCTION OF MONORAIL

Process of monorail construction is simple: dig a hole, drop in a pre-built support pylon, truck in
the track which was manufactured offsite, lift into place! Monorail beam way can be installed far
faster than the alternatives. Below Figure shows a Las Vegas Monorail beam being put into place.
From truck bed to pylons was a matter of a few minutes. The entire system took only seven months
to construct. No other fixed rail can be installed as quickly and as disruption-free.

fig.12 Simple construction process of monorail fig.13 Environment friendly monorail

B.V.M. ENGINEERING COLLEGE, DEPT. OF CIVIL ENGINEERING, ANAND, GUJARAT Page 11

 SEMINAR TOPIC: MONORAIL TECHNOLOGY

Fig.14 Influence diagram for Monorail Constructability

B.V.M. ENGINEERING COLLEGE, DEPT. OF CIVIL ENGINEERING, ANAND, GUJARAT Page 12

 SEMINAR TOPIC: MONORAIL TECHNOLOGY
ISSUES & RISKS IN MONORAILTECHNOLOGY

Monorail projects are often located in high density population area (such as downtown)
and famous scenic spots. Its strategic objectives could be diversity, such as relieving traffic
congestion, improving accessibility and visitor convenience, working commuting and shopping,
providing a good imagine of the city for the visitors. Considering these characteristics of monorail,
implementation of constructability program in monorail project has to enhance safety, improve
efficiency, realize esthetics, reduce cost, ensure schedule and minimize impact on environment.

A typical life cycle of monorail includes planning, design, construction and operation and
maintenance. Integration of lessons learned from construction into all phases of the monorail is
beneficial. Constructability analysis bridges the gap between engineering and construction early
in monorail project to achieve possible full benefit. Constructability encompasses feedback loops
emanating from the construction phase. Constructability is an input of construction knowledge and
experience into all phases of a project.

Monorail is a sleek, elevated mass rapid transit system which operates on a single beam
(normally concrete) guide way and with rubber tiered wheels. It can be built to efficiently serve
areas dominated by high-rises and sharp turns and where metro rail cannot penetrate. Its traction
system is typically 750-volt DC. It can be configured to run as a driver less system.

Issues in Procurement and Implementation of Mass Rapid Transit Projects The

procurement of Urban Mass Rapid Transit Systems e.g. MRT/ Monorail could be achieved either
through a conventional contracting process or through a private sector led PPP format.
Conventional contracting process does not include financing by the contractor while PPP includes
private financing including operational and management efficiencies. The type of conventional
contracting process to be used depends on the extent to which the project has been defined
(Designed). FIRM FIXED-PRICE CONTRACTS are used when the project can be fully defined
with detailed specifications. Otherwise FIXED-PRICE WITH PRICE ADJUSTMENT format may
be used.

When it is not possible at the time of placing the contract to estimate the extent or duration
of the work or to anticipate costs with any substantial accuracy TIME-AND-MATERIALS
CONTRACTS or COST-REIMBURSEMENT CONTRACTS can be used. INCENTIVE

B.V.M. ENGINEERING COLLEGE, DEPT. OF CIVIL ENGINEERING, ANAND, GUJARAT Page 13

 SEMINAR TOPIC: MONORAIL TECHNOLOGY
CONTRACTS are sometimes used to harness the profit motive to stimulate the contractor to
perform at a lower cost, to produce a better product or service, or to cut down lead time in delivery
dates.

PPPs contemplate the private sector being responsible and financially liable for performing
all or a significant number of functions in connection with a project. Agencies use PPP delivery
approach to obtain time and cost savings and better-quality projects with reduced risks to the
project sponsor. PPP format may vary according to the scope of responsibility and degree of risk
assumed by the private partner.

Under a Design-Build contract, the risks may be assigned to the party best able to handle
them. For example, private sector may be better equipped to handle the risks associated with
design quality, construction costs, leveraging / raising finances and adherence to the delivery
schedule while the public sector may be better able to manage the public risks of environmental
clearance, and right-of-way acquisition. Design-Build- Operate-Maintain and Build-Operate-
Transfer approach offers increased incentives for the delivery of a better-quality plan and project.
Design- Build-Finance-Operate and Design-Build-Finance-Operate-Maintain in addition makes
the contractor responsible for all or a major part of the projects financing and transfers the
financial risks to the private partner during the contract period. Under the Build-Own-Operate
approach, the private partner owns the facility and is assigned all operating revenue risk and any
surplus revenues for the life of the facility.

Risks in Procurement and Implementation of Mass Rapid Transit Projects The main risks
involved in MRT / Monorail projects at pre-development stage, during development stage and
during operations stage can be categorized as: Political Risks, Construction Risks, Market and
Revenue Risks, Finance Risks, Legal Risks and Operating Risks. In addition, contracts commonly
address Force Majeure and legal liability because they have proven to be sources of time and cost
overruns.

Political risk concerns government actions that affect the ability to generate earnings.
These include termination of the concession, the imposition of taxes or regulations, restrictions
on the ability to collect or raise passenger tariff etc.

B.V.M. ENGINEERING COLLEGE, DEPT. OF CIVIL ENGINEERING, ANAND, GUJARAT Page 14

 SEMINAR TOPIC: MONORAIL TECHNOLOGY
Construction risks i.e. design changes and unforeseen weather conditions during the
construction phase lead to time and cost overrun. The private sector typically bears primary
responsibility for the construction uncertainties and attempts to cover it through insurance.

Demand uncertainty continues to be a major factor in most of the projects. Traffic and tariff
levels may not be sufficient to cover all costs, including construction, operation and maintenance.
The private sector fully depends upon the government for the handling of the traffic and revenue
risks.

Financial risk is the risk that project cash flows might be insufficient to cover debt service
and then pay an adequate return on sponsor equity. Financial risks are best borne by the private
sector but a substantial government risk sharing is required either through viability gap funding
(VGF), revenue or debt guarantees or through participation by state or multilateral development
institutions.

Legal risks stem from weak implementation of regulatory commitments built into the
contracts and the laws or other legal instruments that are relevant to the value of the transactions
as it was originally assessed. Operating risks are the risks that emerge at the time of the operations
of the project. It can also involve the risks like force majeure risks that are beyond the control of
both the public and private partners, such as fire or earthquakes, or other non-political factors such
as strikes and industrial disturbances that impair the projects ability to earn revenues. Sometimes
private insurance is becoming available for catastrophic risks but generally public sector is faced
with the need to restructure the project if such disaster or problem occurs.

Risks Metro Rail Vs. Monorail Political risks, market and revenue risks, financial risks and legal
risks are same for both MRT and Monorail projects. Construction risks are faced by both modes.
Metro rail faces more risks than monorail due to more requirement of scarce urban land for ROW,
especially because metro rail requires flat curves (Desirable 300m radius) than Monorail (50-70 m
radius). On the other hand, Monorail procurement carries more risks than Metro rail as number of
suppliers is limited.

Operating risks are more in the case of Monorail as the technology finds limited use around the
World and is new to India. Hence absorption of technology for construction, operation and

B.V.M. ENGINEERING COLLEGE, DEPT. OF CIVIL ENGINEERING, ANAND, GUJARAT Page 15

 SEMINAR TOPIC: MONORAIL TECHNOLOGY
maintenance and availability of spare parts could pose a threat to reliability of service. There is no
ongoing innovation / research process currently undertaken in India. On the other hand, Metro rail
systems around the World and in India are already stabilized as far as technology acceptance and
availability of manufacturing infrastructure (for spare parts etc.) in the country. Secondly risk of
derailment i.e. wheels jumping the rails is higher in the case of Metro rail systems than the
monorail. Thirdly, the arrangement for emergency evacuation in case of Monorail system is more
complicated than the Metro rail.

Instruments for Mitigating Financial Risks Instruments for mitigating Urban Transit Risks
mainly rely on Government providing equity guarantees, debt guarantees, exchange rate
guarantees, grants/subsidies, subordinated loans, minimum traffic and revenue guarantees, shadow
revenue and opportunities for concession extensions and revenue enhancements.

B.V.M. ENGINEERING COLLEGE, DEPT. OF CIVIL ENGINEERING, ANAND, GUJARAT Page 16

 SEMINAR TOPIC: MONORAIL TECHNOLOGY
6. FAMOUS MONORAILS IN WORLD
1) Wuppertal, Germany

Urban monorail systems have been in regular passenger service for more than one
hundred years, beginning with the Wuppertal suspended monorail system in Wupperal, West
Germany. This 8 mile-long monorail system began service in 1901 and remains in service today
linking 20 stations

fig.15 Monorail in Wuppertal , Germany fig.16 Monorail in Osaka , Japan

2) Osaka, Japan

The Osaka monorail emanates from the center of the city to connect surrounding area with
a half circle system which will eventually surround the city with over 50 km of track. The first 6.6
km segment opened in 1990 north of Osaka. In 1995,the disastrous earthquake of nearby Kobe
proved to be a test for the Osaka Monorail. It withstood the violent quake and proved to be a vital
transit link in the area as traffic on the parallel freeway became completely jammed with evacuees.

B.V.M. ENGINEERING COLLEGE, DEPT. OF CIVIL ENGINEERING, ANAND, GUJARAT Page 17

 SEMINAR TOPIC: MONORAIL TECHNOLOGY
3) Walt Disney World, Florida

Walt Disney world monorail began transit service in 1971. This 23.6 km long
monorail system with 6 stations carries 150,000 passengers every day.

fig.17 Monorail in Walt Disney World, Florida fig.18 Monorail in Seattle , Washington

4) Seattle, Washington

Seattle monorail was opened in 1962. This 1.9 km long monorail with two stations
carries 2.5 million passengers every year. In November of 1997, Seattle voters passed the Monorail
Initiative to extend the system citywide.

B.V.M. ENGINEERING COLLEGE, DEPT. OF CIVIL ENGINEERING, ANAND, GUJARAT Page 18

 SEMINAR TOPIC: MONORAIL TECHNOLOGY
5) Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas monorail was opened in 1995 which is short (1.2km) and only has two
stations, yet it carries more passengers (20,000/day) than some light rail systems that are fifteen
times longer with far more stations. This privately built and owned monorail is a success story.
Currently the system is being expanded the north to connect with other resorts and the Convention
Center.

fig.20 Monorail in Las Vegas, Nevada

B.V.M. ENGINEERING COLLEGE, DEPT. OF CIVIL ENGINEERING, ANAND, GUJARAT Page 19

 SEMINAR TOPIC: MONORAIL TECHNOLOGY
7. MONORAILS IN INDIA

Projects in progress, are as follows:

Mumbai monorail
Delhi monorail
Chennai monorail
Kerala monorail
1. Mumbai monorail
Indias first monorail is set to start after four years of construction
8.8 km long first phase is set to start
19.54 km long chembur wadala jacob circle is set to start
Project is now in its final leg of getting a safety certificate
It will flaunt in three color i.e. green, pink, and sky blue
Mega project cost of Rs 3000 crore proposed development of 8 lines (135 km) from
year 2011 to 2031 in phases total cost of Rs 202.96 billion
2. Delhi monorail
Project is set to start within two to three month for the congested east Delhi.
Rail system will be integrated with Delhi metro and DTC bus network.
Responsibility of implementing light rail plan lies with Delhi integrated multi-
modal transit system (DIMTS).
Expected to be completed by 2017 at a cost of Rs 2235 crore.
Proposed 11 km corridor from Shastri park metro station to Trilokpuri.
Beside this other lines too are there in the pipelines.
Will run at a frequency of 4,5 min in the initial stage with the increase in further
2.5 min.
Expected daily ridership on the corridor is around 1.5 Lakh passengers.

B.V.M. ENGINEERING COLLEGE, DEPT. OF CIVIL ENGINEERING, ANAND, GUJARAT Page 20

 SEMINAR TOPIC: MONORAIL TECHNOLOGY
3. Chennai monorail
The aim is to increase the share of public transport in Chennai from 27% to 46%
by 2026.
Monorail in Chennai is divided into two phases. They are
1st phase : proposed to be constructed the revised target means the monorail
grid would be only 57-km.
estimated to cost 80,500 million.
Proposed to constitute a network of three elevated corridors
Vandalur to Velachery via Tambaram East
(23 km); Poonamallee to Kathipara via Porur (16 km);and Poonam
allee to Vadapalani via Valasarawakkam (18 km).
2nd phase: The corridor from Vandalur to Puzhal via Avadi (54 km)
has been axed because it runs through "undeveloped areas with no
pre-existing traffic in the alignment", making it "financially
unviable"
If it had been built, it would have been the longest monorail corridor
in the world.
4. Kerala monorail
Kerala has monorail systems planned for the cities of Kozhikode and
Thiruvananthapuram.
Kozhikode monorail
The project was proposed to cover a distance of 14.2 km with 15
stations, from Medical College Hostel to Meenchanda.
Transit type : straddle beam monorail
Estimated cost of project is Rs 190.91 crore
Thiruvananthapuram monorail
Project was proposed to cover a distance of 22.20 km with 19
stations.
Transit type : light metro
Estimated cost of project is Rs 359.08 crore.

B.V.M. ENGINEERING COLLEGE, DEPT. OF CIVIL ENGINEERING, ANAND, GUJARAT Page 21

 SEMINAR TOPIC: MONORAIL TECHNOLOGY

8. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MONORAIL AND METRO RAIL

MONORAIL METRO RAIL

Type Of Use Technology Service
Rails Single Double
Expenditure Between Rs 120 and Rs 150 Over Rs 200 crore per km
crore per km
Construction time Between 3-4 years Over 5-6 years
Passenger capacity per hour 10000 40000
Suitability congested areas having sharp open area having no sharp
turns turns
Speed (Average) 65 km/h 100 km/h
Space occupied minimal space compared to more area compared to
metro rails monorails
Table 1 comparison between Monorail and Metrorail

B.V.M. ENGINEERING COLLEGE, DEPT. OF CIVIL ENGINEERING, ANAND, GUJARAT Page 22

 SEMINAR TOPIC: MONORAIL TECHNOLOGY
9. CURRENT SCENERIO IN INDIA: MONORAIL

B.V.M. ENGINEERING COLLEGE, DEPT. OF CIVIL ENGINEERING, ANAND, GUJARAT Page 23

 SEMINAR TOPIC: MONORAIL TECHNOLOGY
ADVANTAGES

Monorail can be built faster with less cost. It consumes minimal space.

For cities that have a population of less than three million, monorail is the ideal mode of
transport. For denser cities, monorail can ideally serve as the feeder line that brings
passengers in and takes them out of the Metro network.

The monorail itself uses no carbon-based fuels and so does not pollute, unlike cars and
buses.

As monorails run around elevated tracks there is no risk of cars getting stuck on crossings.

Monorails are also practically silent, as opposed to trains which make a noise traveling
along rails.

Monorails contribute to a greener environment as it helps in removing vehicles from the

road.

Monorails regularly operate at an amazing 99.9% reliability. No other form of transit can
touch that number. The rubber tires get little wear running on smooth guide ways.
Typically, each load tire gets over 100,000 miles of travel before being replaced

B.V.M. ENGINEERING COLLEGE, DEPT. OF CIVIL ENGINEERING, ANAND, GUJARAT Page 24

 SEMINAR TOPIC: MONORAIL TECHNOLOGY
DISADVANTAGES

If a section of track needs to be replaced, the entire system needs to be shut down resulting
in no service.

The capacity of a Metro system, which can accommodate up to nine cars, is about three to
four times more. Thus, the capacity-to-cost ratio is better for a Metro system, even though
the per kilometer construction cost is more.

Without electricity it can not be run.

The Mud Island Monorail, in Memphis, Tennessee (2005)Monorail vehicles are not
compatible with any other type of rail infrastructure, which makes through services onto
mainline tracks impossible.

Monorail tracks do not easily accommodate at-grade intersections.

In an emergency, passengers may not be able to immediately exit because an elevated

monorail vehicle is high above ground and not all systems have emergency walkways.

The biggest disadvantage cited in the case of monorail is its limited passenger capacity
typically ranging from 2,000 passengers per hour per direction (pphpd) to a maximum of
48,000 pphpd.

B.V.M. ENGINEERING COLLEGE, DEPT. OF CIVIL ENGINEERING, ANAND, GUJARAT Page 25

 SEMINAR TOPIC: MONORAIL TECHNOLOGY
FUTURE SCOPE

With the development of monorail and its advantages over conventional rail system, monorail is
the technology of the future. Monorail will be hitting the rapid construction and operation replacing
the conventional system. Operation of monorail will be saving the precious fuel. With more
research works going on about the monorail it can be made more advanced and more
environmental friendly.

CONCLUSION

Metro rail and monorail do not substitute for each other. Metro rail is a high capacity mode and
monorail is a medium capacity mode. Each has its own limitations and application. Monorail can
be introduced in narrow width roads because it uses two beams only and not an elevated deck
which would block light and air underneath. Procurement, construction and operation risks in a
monorail are higher than for Metro rail because of limited use (experience with operation) and
new technology.

With the increase in the construction technology of Monorail, it can reduce the use of city buses
in narrow and busy road and will provide comfort to the passengers because of its suitability in the
congested areas. As it connect the arteries and veins of the city and proves to be environmental
friendly it is going to replace various modes of transportation which affect environment. With the
increase in the population it is necessary for the advancement of transport technology in order to
provide systematic way of transportation in the near future; for which monorail can be the best
alternative.

B.V.M. ENGINEERING COLLEGE, DEPT. OF CIVIL ENGINEERING, ANAND, GUJARAT Page 26

 SEMINAR TOPIC: MONORAIL TECHNOLOGY
REFERENCES

1. www.google.com

2. www.wikipedia.com

3. Journal (New Building Materials and Construction World); NBM and CW

4. K. Kera et al., Next-Generation Needs of Railway Systems and Hitachis Approaches,

Hitachi Hyoron 81, pp. 208-214 (Mar. 1999) in Japanese.

5. K. Ishikawa et al., Straddle Type Monorail as a Leading Medium Scale Intercity Traffic
System for the 21st Century, Hitachi Hyoron 81, pp. 227-230 (Mar. 1999) in Japanese.

6.T. Kuwabara et al., New Solution for Urban Traffic: Smalltype Monorail System, Hitachi
Hyoron 83, pp. 519-522 (Aug. 2001) in Japanese.

7. Japan Monorail Association (JMA), Research on Urban Monorails Corresponding to Actual

Demand, (May 2000) in Japanese.

8.Anderson, S. D. et al. 1999, Constructability Issues for Highway Projects, Journal

of Management in Engineering, May/June, 60-68.

9.Mumbai: Phase II monorail to begin operations in June | The Indian Express/JAN17

10. www.Slideshare.com

B.V.M. ENGINEERING COLLEGE, DEPT. OF CIVIL ENGINEERING, ANAND, GUJARAT Page 27

 SEMINAR TOPIC: MONORAIL TECHNOLOGY

B.V.M. ENGINEERING COLLEGE, DEPT. OF CIVIL ENGINEERING, ANAND, GUJARAT Page 28