New Solution for Urban Traffic: Small-Type Monorail System

Abstract

In Japan, the first urban straddle type monorail system, Tokyo Monorail, was put into operation in 1964. Since then, three more monorail systems have been constructed with the active participation of Hitachi in Kitakyushu, Osaka, and Tama. A monorail system is now being constructed in Okinawa; it is scheduled to start operation in 2003. The straddle type monorail can be constructed using the space above public roads without disturbing everyday traffic. Monorail trains with rubber tires are environmentally friendly and produce little noise and vibration. The straddle type monorail has become an important part of the urban public transportation system, chiefly because of its many advantages over other transportation means including the subway. These advantages include (1) improved environment, (2) a shorter construction period, and (3) lower costs. Thus, the monorail system in Japan is an effective solution to environmental problems and traffic congestion in urban cities, which also stimulates local economy. The demand for urban monorail systems has recently begun to come from smaller local cities where the daily ridership is much lower than that in Tokyo, Osaka, Kitakyushu, and other major cities in Japan. To enhance the financial viability of monorail construction in smaller cities and to construct smaller monorails, the Japan Monorail Association (JMA) set up a research committee to investigate the development of a small monorail. This committee, mainly headed by Hitachi, carried out comprehensive research of the market demand for monorail systems and initiated the development of a compact monorail. Hitachi developed a number of new design elements including an articulated bogie to enable trains to negotiate sharp curves. We also worked to design a compact and light monorail that makes use of next-generation signal systems. These basic elements can also be used for other people-mover systems in amusement parks, airports, and business complexes.

Dynamics Study of Straddle-Type Monorail Vehicle With Single-Axle Bogies-Based Full-Scale Rigid-Flexible Coupling Dynamic Model

“…The urban railway system has advantages of large capability and low air pollution. The development of urban railway transit system is an effective solution, which has been adopted by a great deal of cities [1]- [3]. The straddle-type monorail vehicle with single-axle bogies is a medium-traffic elevated rail transit system with the advantages of smaller curve radius and lower noise than the subway.…”

Fatigue Behavior of Prestressed Concrete Beam for Straddle-Type Monorail Tracks

“…With the fast expansion of modern cities, different types of urban rail transit systems have been developed to address the increasing challenge of traffic congestion [1]. Monorail transportation systems have been widely used in medium and small cities as well as hilly cities [2,3] owing to their excellent climbing ability, lower noise, and shorter construction period [4]. Monorail transportation systems can be classified into two categories: (1) straddle types, and (2) suspension types [5], according to how the monorail vehicle is operated.…”

Multibody simulation of a rope-driven automated people mover

“…1,2 Frequently, the vehicles are designed for a specific application and for this reason an accurate simulation of the actual operating condition is necessary. In the literature, several papers deal with the feasibility and control of APMs as transportation systems, [3][4][5][6] while few papers deal with the dynamic simulation of the APMs. In Weidemann, 7 a review on the multibody simulation of a railway vehicle is presented, where classical train and metro layouts are almost uniquely considered which do not have rubber wheels and are usually self-propelled with on-board motors.…”