A monorail is a railway system in which the track consists of a single elevated rail, beam or track with the trains either supported or suspended. The term is also used to describe the beam of the system, or the vehicles traveling on such a beam or track. Many monorail systems run through crowded areas that would otherwise require expensive tunneling or dangerous level crossings. Aside from mass transit and people mover systems, a large number of smaller monorails have been built in amusement parks and at zoos.
Operational monorails These are lists of operating monorails that are open to the public. Only true monorails (vehicle wider than track) are included; see people mover for a list of monorail-like systems. There are also other monorail type systems used for human transportation not included, such as slope cars, mining monorails and farm monorails.
Operational monorails – transit, people movers Systems used primarily for passenger transportation, characterised by enclosed cars, multiple stations and open on a regular basis. Monorails associated with amusement parks that have enclosed cabins and multiple stations are generally included here.
Location Country Name Opened Stations Length Type Construction type São Paulo Line 15 (São Paulo Metro) 2014 11 Urban Straddle-beam Innovia Monorail 300 Line 17 (São Paulo Metro) 2026 8 Urban Straddle-beam BYD SkyRail Beijing Line S1 (Beijing Subway) 2017 8 Urban Maglev Changsha Changsha Maglev Express 2016 3 Urban MaglevChongqing Line 2 & Line 3, Chongqing Rail Transit 2005 70 Urban Straddle-beam Hitachi Large Airport Monorail APM Line 2025 2 2.36 km (1.47 mi) Airport (airside) Straddle-beam Hitachi Large Fenghuang Fenghuang Maglev 2022 4 People mover (tourist-type) Maglev Shanghai Shanghai maglev train 2002 2 High speed Maglev Transrapid Wuhan Optics Valley Suspended Monorail 2023 6 People mover (tourist-type) Suspended SAFEGE Wuhu Wuhu Rail Transit 2021 36 Urban Straddle-beam Innovia Monorail 300 Yinchuan Yinchuan SkyRail Line 1 2018 8 Other Straddle-beam BYD SkyRailCairoEast Nile Monorail202622UrbanStraddle-beam Innovia Monorail 300 Dortmund H-Bahn Dortmund 1984 4 People mover Suspended SIEPEM Dresden Dresden Suspension Railway 1901 2 Funicular Suspended Double-flanged Düsseldorf Düsseldorf SkyTrain 2002 4 Airport (landside) Suspended SIEPEM Rust "E.P. Express" Europa-Park 1995 4 Amusement park Straddle steel box beam Von Roll/Adtranz Wuppertal Schwebebahn 1901 20 Urban Suspended Double-flanged Mumbai Mumbai Monorail 2014 17 Urban Straddle-beam Scomi Rail Bologna Marconi Express Monorail 2020 3 People mover Straddle steel box beam Intamin Tokyo Tokyo Monorail 1964 11 Urban Straddle-beam Hitachi Medium Naha Okinawa Urban Monorail 2003 19 Urban Straddle-beam Hitachi Medium Western Tokyo Tama Toshi Monorail Line 1998 19 Urban Straddle-beam Hitachi Large Chiba Chiba Urban Monorail (2 lines) 1988 18 Urban Suspended SAFEGE Aichi Prefecture Linimo 2005 9 Urban Maglev Kitakyushu Kitakyushu Monorail 1985 13 Urban Straddle-beam Hitachi Large Kanagawa Prefecture Shonan Monorail 1970 8 Urban Suspended SAFEGE Osaka Prefecture Osaka Monorail (2 lines) 1990 18 Urban Straddle-beam Hitachi Large Urayasu Disney Resort Line 2001 4 Amusement park Straddle-beam Hitachi Medium Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur Monorail 2003 11 Urban Straddle-beam Hitachi Medium (Scomi Medium) Singapore Sentosa Express 2007 4 People mover (tourist-type) Straddle-beam Hitachi Small Daegu Daegu Metro Line 3 2015 30 Urban Straddle-beam Hitachi Large Incheon Incheon Airport Maglev 2016 6 Urban Maglev Wolmido Wolmi Sea Train 2019 4 People mover (tourist-type) Straddle three-line rail (originally Inverted T "Urbanaut") Bangkok Yellow Line & Pink Line 2023 55 Urban Straddle-beam Innovia Monorail 300 Ashgabat Ashgabat Monorail 2016 3 People mover Straddle steel box beam Intamin Dubai Palm Monorail 2009 4 Urban Straddle-beam Hitachi Medium Alton Towers Alton Towers Monorail 1987 2 Amusement park Straddle steel box beam Von Roll/Adtranz Bay Lake, Florida Walt Disney World Monorail System (3 lines) 1971 6 Amusement park Straddle-beam Bombardier M-VI Las Vegas Las Vegas Monorail 2004 7 Urban Straddle-beam Bombardier M-VI Newark, New Jersey AirTrain Newark 1996 6 Airport (landside) Straddle steel box beam Von Roll/Adtranz Anaheim, California Disneyland Monorail 1959 2 Amusement park Straddle-beam Disneyland-ALWEG Jacksonville, Florida Jacksonville Skyway 1989 8 People mover Straddle-beam Seattle Seattle Center Monorail 1962 2 Urban Straddle-beam ALWEG Large Aiea, Hawaii Pearlridge Skycab 1977 2 People mover Straddle Inverted T
Operational monorails – sightseeing, amusement park rides, zoo monorails
Systems characterised by one station and/or open cabins and that are not primarily for point-to-point transportation. Ordered by country (click headings to re-sort). Location Country Name Opened Stations Length Type Lichtaart Bobbejaanland Monorail 1961 3 Amusement park Gramado Aldeia do Papai Noel Monorail 2009 2 Amusement park Granby Granby Zoo monorail 1980 1 Zoo Vaughan Treetop Adventure, Canada's Wonderland 1998 1 Amusement park Shenzhen Window of the World Monorail 1993 3 Amusement park Liupanshui Yeyuhai Monorail 2019 2 Other Ningbo Romon U-Park monorail 2015 2 Amusement park Zhangjiajie Zhangjiajie National Park monorail 2 Other Xi'an Xi'an Qujiang Sightseeing Monorail 2015 11 Other Xishui Xishui Forest Train 2020 5 Other Shanghai "Ocean Shinkansen" (海洋新干线), Happy Valley Shanghai 1 Amusement park Shanghai Jinjiang Action Park (two rides) 1 (x two) Amusement park Lingshui "Flying to the Sea", Hainan Ocean Paradise 2020 3 Amusement park Fenggang Other Billund Legoland Billund monorail 1 Amusement park Helsinki Linnanmäki Monorail (Maisemajuna) 1979 1 Amusement park Rang-du-Fliers Parc Bagatelle Monorail 1983 1 Amusement park Sélestat Walygator Parc monorail 1989 1 Amusement park Saint-Pourçain-sur-Besbre Voyage over the World, Le Pal 1996 1 Amusement park Dolancourt Dragons Volants, Nigloland 1996 1 Amusement park Plailly Espions de César, Parc Astérix 1998 1 Amusement park Les Avenières Monorail, Walibi Rhône-Alpes 2017 1 Amusement park Dennebroeucq Xotic, Dennlys Parc 2020 1 Amusement park Lower Saxony "Einschienenbahn", Rasti-Land 1978 1 Amusement park Soltau Heide Park 1985 1 Amusement park Rust monorail, Europa-Park 1990 2 Amusement park Heroldsbach "Suspension Railway", Thurn Castle Adventure Park 1 Amusement park Brühl Würmling Express, Phantasialand 2010 1Amusement park Rust Volo da Vinci, Europa-Park 2011 1 Amusement park Indramayu Regency Indramayu Monorail 2018 1 Amusement park Listowel Lartigue Monorail, (Lartigue restoration) 2003 1 Other Ravenna Mirabilandia Monorail 1992 1 Amusement park Lazise Panorama Tram, Movieland park 2006 1 Amusement park Kitakyushu Mini Monorail, Itozu no Mori Zoological Park 1 Zoo Miyoshi, Tokushima Oku Iya Valley Tourist Monorail 2006 1 Other Nagano Monorail, Johyama Zoo 2012 1 Zoo Nagoya Sky View Train, Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens 1987 2 Zoo The Hague Drievliet Amusement Park Monorail 1968 1 Amusement park Hellendoorn Hellendoorn Amusement Park 1977 1 Amusement park Rhenen Ouwehands Zoo 1978 1 Zoo Kaatsheuvel The People of Laaf Monorail 1990 1 Amusement park Hardenberg Slagharen Amusement Park 1978 1 Amusement park Zator Dragon Adventure, Energylandia 2019 1 Amusement park Zator Magic Flying, Energylandia 2017 1 Amusement park Zator Planes, Energylandia 2014 1 Amusement park St Petersburg Around the World, Divo Ostro 2016 1 Amusement park Yalta / Dandelion Drift, Dreamwood 2018 1 Amusement park Salou & Vila-seca Coco Piloto, Port Aventura 2011 1 Amusement park Seville Zum-Zum: Las Abejitas, Isla Mágica 2012 1 Amusement park Johannesburg Johannesburg Exhibition Centre monorail 2010 1 Other Daejon National Science Museum Maglev Train 1993 1 Other Mudeungsan Mudeungsan Monorail 2 Other Guanxi Flying Horse, Leofoo Village Theme Park 1 Amusement park Dashu District, Kaohsiung E-DA Theme Park Monorail 2010 2 Amusement park Pattaya Pattaya Park Beach Resort Monorail 1 Amusement park Thanyaburi, Pathum Thani Dream World Monorail 1 Amusement park Dubai Adventure Time - The Ride of OOO, IMG Worlds of Adventure 2016 1 Amusement park Beaulieu, Hampshire National Motor Museum Monorail 1974 2 Amusement park Flamingo Land Flamingo Land Zoo Monorail 1984 1 Zoo Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach Monorail 1987 1 Amusement park Flamingo Land Flamingo Land People Moover 1990 2 Amusement park Ingoldmells Toucan Tours, Fantasy Island 1995 1 Amusement park Staffordshire Get Set Go Tree Top Adventure, Alton Towers 1996 1 Amusement park Romsey Queen's Flying Coach, Paultons Park 2018 1 Amusement park Fazeley Winston's Whistle Stop Tour, Drayton Manor Theme Park 2013 1 Amusement park Lancaster, Pennsylvania Dutch Wonderland 1966 1 Amusement park Ocean City, New Jersey Gillians Wonderland Pier MonoRail 1965 1 Amusement park Sacramento, California Cal Expo Monorail 1968 2 Amusement park Hershey, Pennsylvania Hersheypark Monorail 1969 1 Amusement park New York, New York "Wild Asia Monorail" Bronx Zoo 1977 1 Zoo Marshall, Wisconsin Little Amerricka monorail 1990s 1 Amusement park Wildwood, New Jersey Flying Galleons, Morey's Piers 1997 1 Amusement park Gilroy, California "Sky Trail Monorail", Gilroy Gardens 2001 1 Amusement park Jefferson, New Hampshire The Skyway Sleigh, Santa's Village 1 Amusement park Fairfield, Ohio Jungle Jim's International Market Monorail 2014 2 Other Amarillo Sky Rider, Wonderland Park (Texas) 1 ~ Amusement park Allentown, Pennsylvania Snoopy's Rocket Express, Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom 2011 1 Amusement park Kansas City, Missouri Snoopy's Rocket Express, Worlds of Fun 2011 1 Amusement park Shakopee Snoopy's Rocket Express, Valleyfair 2011 1 Amusement park Doswell Snoopy's Rocket Express Kings Dominion 2013 1 Amusement park Da Nang "Sun World Monorail", Asia Park 2016 1 Amusement park Ho Chi Minh City Đầm Sen Park monorail 1 Amusement park
Under construction
Physical construction work has started on the following monorails (sorted by opening dates):
Africa Country City Name of system Opening Length ReferencesCairoCairo Monorail Line 2 opens in 202743.8 km
Americas Country City Name of system Opening Santiago de los Caballeros Santiago Monorail 2026Monterrey Metrorrey Line 4 2026 Metrorrey Line 6 2026 Panama City Panama Metro Line 3 2027
Asia Country City/Region Name of systems Opening References BengbuBengbu Metroscheduled for 2023, construction suspendedChengduDayi Air-Railoriginally scheduled for 2021, construction suspendedEnshiEnshi Qingyunya Sightseeing Railway 2021Guang'anGuang'an Metroscheduled for 2020, construction haltedGuilinGuilin Metroconstruction suspended, 1 station completedHanchengSimaqianci to Guchengnanmenunknown (construction began November 2016)LiuzhouLiuzhou Metroscheduled for 2022, demolished (with 1 station being finished)QingyuanQingyuan Maglev2024ShandongQufu to Zouchengconstruction halted 2018, 50% complete Dholera Ahemdabad Dholera SIR Monorailunknown Riyadh KAFD monorail unknown
Proposed monorails
Maglev proposals can be found on the list of maglev train proposals.
Africa Algeria Proposals have been made in the city of Algiers in 2023, construction will start in early 2026.
South Africa Several proposals have been made for a Monorail system in South Africa including one in Johannesburg metropolitan area, one in Durban and one in Cape Town.
Americas Cayman Islands In 2022 a monorail was proposed by members of the public to the island administration that monorail could be a method to help with traffic problems gripping the U.K. Overseas Territory of the Cayman Islands.
Mexico