Karnataka government dusts off monorail file

At long last, the state government moved in favour of operating a monorail in the city, as well as in other districts like Hubli and Dharwad. This was confirmed by the minister for information and infrastructure Santosh Lad. a day after chief minister Siddaramaiah evinced interest to operate bullet trains from the city.

If all goes well, the project will be taken up under a public-private partnership model, and a Malaysian company has shown interest to take up the project in Bangalore and Hubli-Dharwad, Lad said, adding the proposed monorail is expected to cover a distance of 35 km in Bangalore and 25 km in Hubli-Dharwad.

The minister said it was too early to estimate the exact cost of the project. It could be about Rs100 crore to Rs 120 crore per kilometre, he added.

“A clear picture will emerge on the total cost of the each project within a month.”

When asked whether it was the same company from Malaysia that evinced interest to take up the monorail project when the BJP government was at the helm of affairs, the minister said he was not aware of it.

What is monorail?
Monorail is a single rail serving as a track for passenger or freight vehicles. In most cases, the rail is elevated, but monorails can also run at grade, below grade or in subway tunnels. Vehicles are either suspended from or straddle a narrow guideway. Monorail vehicles are wider than the guideway that supports them.

How does it differ from other rail systems?
Other rail systems require the conventional steel dual rails on a massive wide guideway or track. Conventional trains or Bangalore Metro are not monorails, since they use a dual-rail track.

What advantages does it offer?
Monorail advocates argue the monorail guideway takes up less space and is ideal for congested cities. It is also less disruptive to traffic as it can also be constructed faster. The Las Vegas monorail took only seven months to build. Also, it is cheaper to operate, since the rubber tires get little wear running on smooth guideways.

Which countries have monorail?
There are 65 monorails in the world. In Asia, Japan has 10, China 5, South Korea 3, Iran and Singapore 2 each, India (Mumbai), Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, UAE and Thailand have have one each. Europe has 14, US 10, Brazil 3, Australia 2, and Africa and Canada 1 each.

How much does it cost?
The cost per km of monorail track depends on the topography. The flatter the surface, the cheaper it is. Hitachi’s Palm Jumeirah monorail in Dubai cost The Bombardier MVI system in Las Vegas cost $54.3million per km.

What is the future of monorail?
Maglev (magnetic levitation). The US Federal Railroad Administration defines Maglev as “an advanced technology in which magnetic forces lift, propel, and guide a vehicle over a guideway.” Powerful magnets provide propulsion and lift. With most maglevs, there are no wheels touching the track surface. The train “floats”, not rolls.

(Source: The Monorail Society)

Monorail for Bangalore, the story so far
Project first conceived in 2005

The state government commissions RITES in August 2005 to conduct traffic and transportation study and propose plan of action for easing traffic congestion in the city

RITES’s plan includes 137-km-long Metro Rail including HSRL; monorail on 60 km

In 2007, government takes a serious look at the monorail project

Cabinet commissions a monorail proposal on April 3, 2009

Scomi-Geodesic from Malaysia submits DPR in June 2010 proposing a 58-km-long monorail four corridors and with 55 stations, with the system integrated with other modes of transport, including the Bangalore Metro

Scomi’s plan included inter-change stations near Sujatha theatre, Rajajinagar, near Hudson Circle and St John’s Hospital and three depots.

The government sought several clarifications from Scomi.