The Seattle Monorail

The Seattle Monorail is an elevated monorail line that runs a little over one mile along Fifth Avenue from Westlake Center to the Seattle Center.

It opened on 24th March 1962 for the Century 21 Exposition, a World's Fair being held at the current site of Seattle Center. Eight million people rode the monorail during the half year the fair was open; today, annual ridership is around 2.5 million.

At the World Fair (northern) end of the line, the Experience Music Project building was designed so that the monorail trains would pass through it.

Originally, the south end of the line was a large station in Westlake Park that formed a lid over the park. In 1988 the station was moved north a block with the construction of the Westlake Center shopping mall. In order to fit the design of the mall the tracks were moved closer together, such that nowadays there is only room for one train to occupy the Westlake Center station at a time. This design decision introduced a collision risk at the station that led to an actual collision in 2005.

At Westlake Station it is possible to interchange with the undergound / subway station of the same name which is served by the Central Link light rail line and major Metro bus lines. Westlake Center is also near the southern terminus of the South Lake Union Streetcar and numerous surface bus routes.

The monorail uses two "Alweg" trains - Red and Blue - which are are 122' (37.2 m) long, 10'3" (3.1 m) wide and 14' (4.27m) high. Each train can seat 124 passengers and can carry 326 standing passengers for a total of 450 passengers. They have a top speed of 50mph / 80 km/h.

The monorail has been very successful - both financially and in the popularity stakes. Despite their age the "Alweg" trains it uses still look futuristic. They are in fact not tied to any proprietary manufacturer and therefore whilst currently none are being built anywhere there would be no copyright issues if a transit manufacturer (or any other enterprising company) wanted to build more. OK, so the electrics and some other technical specifications would be of a more modern design, but the basic vehicle design could be copied and still remain forward looking.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Seattle
• Monorail
• Alweg

[ashita100]

thats cool

its such a shame that the prohibitive costs have kept monorails being more of a success outside places like Japan really

[citytransportinfo]

Yes its a shame, as apparently at one time a large network of such monorails was planned for the US west coast.

As I understand it, the reason why this dod not happen (in the USA) is because local politicians advised that if they were built they would be taken over by the state - as the USA has strict rules about public transit and who can provide it.

I'm hoping that someone with more knowldge will add a comment to explain this in greater detail.

Simon

[RocketRodder]

This is an ALWEG system, right? :O I like how it's tilty.

[Wig4]

@ashita100

Which prohibitive costs ??

Can you show up that a monorail cost more to build then classic rail ??

Total cost = land purchase, land USE (surface lost to other functions), construction cost of load bearing structures or tunnel excavations, construction cost of track and energy line cost, station building costs, PLUS average yearly maintenance cost of these fixed investments)

Compare with classic surface, underground or elevated track trains.

Now it's your turn.

Proove your point.

[MiStaVP05]

1 second ago

I love monorails! 

[sharonsharalike]

they don't. there are doors on both sides and the appropriate ones are opened at each stop.

[AbbeyLightRailway]

Reminds me of that Simpsons episode

[CooLDsteR]

If you look at right, there are hidden ramps below the gates that extend out.

It used to be one big terminus station, but about 20 years ago (in the interest of stupid businesses) they redesigned it by moving the outside track closer and creating one platform...

[CooLDsteR]

Great video. Thanks. I would've loved to ride it during the Fair.

The ride is a bit bumpy, mainly during turns, because I think it's just the technology of the old concrete.

[ashita100]

there was a rumour about a monorail planned somewhere in lincolnshire

[livestockdana]

at 7:10, how do people get on and off on the trains on the track on the left?