One of the distinct advantages of monorail is getting around obstacles allowing a greater facility than conventional trains. Mainly in urban areas, the ground surface is occupied by large amounts of infrastructure, services and traffic corridors. When density increases, it becomes difficult to raise transport supply.

Since specific sites are used, monorails enable to truly rethink transport networks without having to submit to existing infrastructures constraints.

From a regional and intercity (urban) connectivity perspective, since monorails use specific sites, they do allow to truly rethink transport networks without having to submit to existing infrastructures constraints. Therefore, an intercity monorail will link downtown much faster than any other means of transport because it can run without having to reduce its speed due to heavy traffic, or because it has to borrow other corridors like train passageways where there is slower vehicles.

A non-upside down technology

Monorail technologies can be divided into two different approaches. An on-the-rail resting shuttles, such as in Walt Disney World, or rather like that of Mumbai shown above, on the right side, in white and red.
Or suspended from a track, like Düsseldorf’s shuttles, shown here below, on the left side, in green.

The conventional suspension system

The most common type of modern systems for suspended monorails are SAFEGE, taken from the name of the firm that first developed a demonstration site in 1960. A special feature of this suspension monorail is the guide rail’s configuration. This is a bogie (a suspended undercarriage system) moving in a rail-like open box below. So far, applications of such a system have been predominantly urban and speed hardly goes beyond 70 km/h.
Studies by the University of Montreal, Polytechnic schools and HÉC (Hautes Études Commerciales) undertook substantially the same principle but proposed the use of in-wheel motors rather than conventional electric motors. MGV Technology won’t remain on such type of rail but rather on an inverted T-shaped central rail. This rail will safely be protected from bad weather by a dome.

Wuppertal, the oldest monorail in service

It’s in Wuppertal, Germany where we can take a suspension monorail with the greatest number of years in service. Imagine, this monorail is operating since 1901. It’s also a tourist attraction of great reputation.

High Speed

In rail transport, high speed is defined by the need for onboard instruments. Indeed, there comes a point where the vehicle movement is so fast that it’s virtually impossible for an operator to properly read the fixed road signs. Speeds that define high speed systems are not standardized, but generally means speeds above 200 km/h.

There is no suspension high speed monorail. This is what the Coop MGV intends to develop in the future.

The very famous French TGV (high speed train) enables increasingly higher operating speeds that varied according to the generation of trains and rail configuration. Today, many are those high-speed trains that can reach a commercial speed peak of 320 to 350 km/h. However, due to the weight of trains, weather and constraints or physical unforeseen events of the journey, they cannot constantly run at full speed, which substantially reduces the actual average speed.

Currently the fastest trains in service are Maglev Monorails (from magnetic levitation). They can travel at speeds up to 500 km/h. There is no suspension monorail at high speed. This is what Coop MGV intends to develop in the future.

MGV Secrets

In real life, the sinews of war is based on a project that can be achieved at low cost. Technologies allowing such savings mainly rise up from two issues:

• the use of powerful and lightweight shuttles that can reduce infrastructure construction costs, 
• the use of existing rights of way reducing costs of expropriation.

One of the technologies supporting such performance primarily lay down on the use of in-wheel motor, which allows both a compact and powerful engine, and is perfectly compatible with the principle of autonomous shuttles.
MGV is based on the use of autonomous shuttles rather than trains. This provides the system remarkable advantages such as flexibility and cost optimization of construction and operation.

MGV is based on the use of autonomous shuttles rather than trains. This provides the system remarkable advantages such as flexibility and cost optimization of construction and operation.

The Use of Shuttles

MGV is based on the use of autonomous shuttles rather than trains. This provides the system remarkable advantages such as flexibility and cost optimization of construction and operation.

The shuttles are coordinated and follow each other at certain pace. This can significantly reduce the burden on support structures, the weight and amount of infrastructure required over hundreds of kilometers, extensively lowering down construction costs.

Finally, using shuttles allows to meet more needs than other type of public transport struggle to :

• adapt to a fluctuating demand
• serve smaller cities, while being committed  to   serving major cities
• maximize the public transport’s profitability (when lower volumes are needed)

For example, at peak periods, grouping them at first, but having them circulating within programmed intervals (every 5 minutes, for example), they adapt to fluctuations of demand. They can therefore serve smaller cities while being committed to serving major cities (as a stop in Drummondville on the Montreal-Quebec circuit would do). During periods of low traffic, the number of shuttles available should be reduced to maximize the profitability of public transport. The shuttle remains an interesting transportation for users who can count on a quick and continuous service offer regardless of the moment it’s needed, the network’s point of departure or its destination.

Some other existing monorails’ videos