Sydney Monorail

The Sydney Monorail opened in July 1988. It was originally conceived in the 1980's as a passenger link between the new development of Darling Harbour and the Sydney CBD. They were stations at - • Harbourside Shopping Centre • Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre • Paddy's Market • Chinatown • World Square • Galleries Victoria • City Centre • Darling Park Sydney Monorail statistics - • The straddle-beam loop ran in an anti clockwise direction • The track was a steel box girder, 94cms wide at a minimum height of 5.5 metres • The steel columns were between 20 and 40 metres apart • The minimum curve radius was 20 metres • The maximum gradient uphill was 4.4% and 6.5% downhill • Power supply was 500 Volts AC via a conductor below the running plate of the track The Sydney Monorail received a great deal of criticism both before and during its operation. During July and August 2013 the monorail was decommissioned. Removal of the infrastructure began on 12 August 2013 to make way for the expanded Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre.Two carriages of the monorail and 10 metres of track will be preserved at the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney. Light rail was seen as being cheaper to build and was cost effective for commuters whilst servicing more passengers.