The big problem with monorails is that they are almost always proprietary technology. So if you build a monorail for your transit system with one company, you’re locked into ordering replacement cars and maintenance from them as well. On the ither hands, trains are very cross compatible
Indeed. Alweg, the company that built the Seattle monorail is no longer in business. Any repairs have to be custom made since there are no off the shelf parts available.
@Hahlen The proprietary technology issue is real, but not insurmountable. Conventional trains had similar problems in the early days, with different rail sizes, shapes, materials, etc. Standards were settled on by trial and error. The same is happening for monorails, but over a much longer time frame.
It's not that much of a huge deal, especially when built by a company that builds many systems. Light Rail systems between cities are also different. The Dallas DART rail is a varient from a Japanese company. It's completely incompatible with anything in Japan. It's design is not used anywhere in the USA. Even in Japan, they have so many different trains, even thou they do pretty much the same thing.
@@CSLenhart You agree? Nice. I have 2 questions since you agree? Where would you build a new Houston Amtrak Station(+ name, cost and opening date)? And what Commuter Rail corridors would you create for the Bayou/Space City(Either independent or operated by METRO)?
Great video, I also think that simpsons episode did a lot to influence people’s opinions of monorails in the United States. Guarantee someone here in the comments will quote the character saying all the cities he’s sold monorails in.
@@hoonami139 Yeah. It's pretty depressing how much influnce pop culture has over decisions that should be based on quantifiable metrics and good engineering. But things currently seem to be trending in a better direction.
Unlike other airports that use rail systems, Houston's is totally hidden underground. There are signs for it but unless you know what to look for it's kind of hard to find. Also, as weird as it sounds a lot of people prefer using those tunnels to walk from terminal to terminal rather than riding.
@erikgustafson9319 There are ways that a monorail could be made to work, but the direction things are going don't really line up with that scenario. A great strength of monorails is being able to integrate into dense urban environments. The Sepulveda corridor doesn't play to that strength.
Lol, sure! Let's just blatantly ignore the droves of issues with monorail systems and focus on nostalgia to trick the public into investing 3-5x more of the limited transit funding into a monorail instead of a superior train system. How did that old song go? "Monorail! Monorail! Monorail!"
@TohaBgood2 I think you misunderstood my point. Each transit corridor has its own criteria. The costs and benefits get weighted differently for each local. This means there will be places where the strengths and weaknesses of monorails compare favorably to those of conventional rail. These situations may be few and far between in North America, but that shouldn't cause us to commence name-calling.
The big problem with monorails is that they are almost always proprietary technology. So if you build a monorail for your transit system with one company, you’re locked into ordering replacement cars and maintenance from them as well. On the ither hands, trains are very cross compatible
Indeed. Alweg, the company that built the Seattle monorail is no longer in business. Any repairs have to be custom made since there are no off the shelf parts available.
@Hahlen The proprietary technology issue is real, but not insurmountable. Conventional trains had similar problems in the early days, with different rail sizes, shapes, materials, etc. Standards were settled on by trial and error. The same is happening for monorails, but over a much longer time frame.
It's not that much of a huge deal, especially when built by a company that builds many systems. Light Rail systems between cities are also different. The Dallas DART rail is a varient from a Japanese company. It's completely incompatible with anything in Japan. It's design is not used anywhere in the USA. Even in Japan, they have so many different trains, even thou they do pretty much the same thing.
Proprietary... the perfect American solution then.
@@TexasCat99 light rail runs on standard tracks though.
Houston needs:
New Amtrak Station
Commuter Rail
and Red Line extension to airport
@brendanu1680 I agree. Those are much bigger needs than the airport subway.
@@CSLenhart You agree? Nice. I have 2 questions since you agree?
Where would you build a new Houston Amtrak Station(+ name, cost and opening date)? And what Commuter Rail corridors would you create for the Bayou/Space City(Either independent or operated by METRO)?
The Metro is extending the Red Line to Bush and the Purple line to Hobby! Its called MetroNEXT if you want to read about it.
Great video, I also think that simpsons episode did a lot to influence people’s opinions of monorails in the United States. Guarantee someone here in the comments will quote the character saying all the cities he’s sold monorails in.
@@hoonami139 Yeah. It's pretty depressing how much influnce pop culture has over decisions that should be based on quantifiable metrics and good engineering. But things currently seem to be trending in a better direction.
Unlike other airports that use rail systems, Houston's is totally hidden underground.
There are signs for it but unless you know what to look for it's kind of hard to find.
Also, as weird as it sounds a lot of people prefer using those tunnels to walk from terminal to terminal rather than riding.
@bpora01 After experiencing some of the rough corners the subway takes, I won't blame anyone for wanting to walk!
I guess BYD has picked up the mantle.
*Gadgetbahn Nationalism!!!*
Here before this blows up
The Vancouver Sky Train and the JFK Airtrain also use linear induction.
I hear those things are awfully loud.
What you opinion on sepulvida then
@erikgustafson9319 There are ways that a monorail could be made to work, but the direction things are going don't really line up with that scenario.
A great strength of monorails is being able to integrate into dense urban environments. The Sepulveda corridor doesn't play to that strength.
Lol, sure! Let's just blatantly ignore the droves of issues with monorail systems and focus on nostalgia to trick the public into investing 3-5x more of the limited transit funding into a monorail instead of a superior train system.
How did that old song go? "Monorail! Monorail! Monorail!"
@TohaBgood2 I think you misunderstood my point. Each transit corridor has its own criteria. The costs and benefits get weighted differently for each local. This means there will be places where the strengths and weaknesses of monorails compare favorably to those of conventional rail. These situations may be few and far between in North America, but that shouldn't cause us to commence name-calling.