A monorail is defined as a guided transport system where the rigid load carrying element is substancially wider than the support track.
For many people an elevated railway, one running on bridges, is a monorail. Elevated railways are not monorails because the load carrying element is not substancially wider than the track.
Monorail Benefits
Monorails are normally elevated above the normal road surface. In the the USA this is referred to as the grade level, often shortened to grade. Elevating any transport system gets it above the previously installed systems, in most cases roads but it can include rail and water. It is the ability to stride across an existing environment that makes elevated systems attractive. Unfortunately they also become an integrated part of the horizon. Not so much of a problem in built up areas, but it can be in more open areas.
A monorail system has the advantage that the outline can be sustancially less than that of other guided transit systems. Being elevated has a number of advantages as well including:
- Complete seperation from existing systems, and very difficult to trespass on.
- Only the support system base takes up land areas. This means that a monorail sytem across agricultural land does not divide the land into seperate areas. Except for the well spaced pylons there is continuity of space.
- An elevated monorail can cross ecologically sensitive areas, wet or dry, with minimum disturbance. In fact monorails are often used in Zoos and Leisure Parks because of this separation.
- An elevated monorail can be built across areas liable to flood. This ensures continuity of transport during times of flood.
- Narrower monorail track is less sensitive to environmental conditions. A suspended monorail system using an enclosed support track has protected track making it a suitable system for difficult environments.
- Weather resistant transport system, especially for suspended systems.
