News
21/11/2023
Oxford, Witney and Carterton rail link feasibility study is published in full
So, the feasibility study requested by Witney Oxford Transport Group (WOT) and supported by OCC (into restoring a Witney to Oxford rail link) has been published in full. This obviously requires some comment. The consultancy firm, Cadenza, have explored the cost and viability in depth. However, despite coming to the conclusion that a (heavy) rail link is viable, I think it does the proposal more harm than good when examined. The viability conclusion is unsurprising (you mostly get what you're looking for in these cases). What cannot be ignored is that the proposal will come at huge cost - up to £900m!
The majority of this expenditure is brought about by the fact that the old rail alignment simply doesn't exist in so many places that a new route has to be found. Nowhere is this more problematic than in Witney, as explored in the 'High Cogges to Witney' section.
Having considered and discounted routes that avoid the town, two remain that have been included for cost estimations. Both
pass close to the A40 in the region of Ducklington Lane overpass, one to the north side and one to the south. The suggestion that this area would be a wise location for a Witney station has always been disputed by WestOx Monorail. The reasons are evident.
The 'northern' alignment would be required to pass over the A40 and the river Windrush then run through parts of the Station Lane industrial site on a 2.4km viaduct (!!!) which would start east of Stanton Harcourt Road. This option would definitely require the purchasing of a number of industrial units and "may require realignment of one side of the A40". The report suggests this could be used as a "catalyst to re-think the whole of the industrial area". After passing through Thorney Leys Business Park the line would cross over the A40 turning south west.
The second option that was costed runs along the southern edge of the A40 adjacent to the northern edge of Ducklington Lake. This option may require re-defining the edge of the lake and existing paths for walkers. At the western edge of the park the line transitions to a 1km long viaduct passing over the westbound off-ramp slip road. The big issue here is the existing westbound on ramp which curves round and rises to the height over the A40 as it passes over Ducklington Lane. The only solution is, as the report states, to provide a completely new way of accessing the A40 westbound carriageway. In addition, the report states that the Travelodge hotel and the Shell fuel station may need to be acquired for this southern option, with the Witney station most likely occupying the area that is now the hotel car park. In both options, the station would be
located at high level.
Considering just this one (albeit the most complex) section, the engineering undertakings are huge and costly. The other point to make here is that within the notes are a long list of 'cost estimate exclusions'. Included in the list are: stations; traction power; trains; costs associated with temporary or permanent land use beyond the railway footprint; diversion of watercourses or water bodies and diversion of existing infrastructure except for where explicitly stated. This is a billion pound plus project...at today’s prices. To be built in phases, you may not even be able to catch a train from Witney before 2036!
WestOx Monorail has always maintained a rail link can be established without such mammoth cost or disruption to existing businesses. We have suggested station locations and route alignments that were not even mentioned when exploring alternative options in this study. We have
CAPEX estimates from an international supplier that indicates our proposal would be a fraction of the cost concluded by this study. The (traditional) rail lobby has a loud voice and WOT will not consider anything other than their own proposal. I think, on cost alone, they've hit the buffers here.
The full study can be found at this link:
Carterton-Witney-Oxford Line SOC ‘Lite’
28/08/2023
Alstom consortium selected to deliver Dominican Republic’s first monorail system
- City of Santiago de los Caballeros to receive country’s first monorail
- The first Innovia monorail system contract signed by Alstom since acquisition of Bombardier Transportation
- Contract worth approximately €500 million for consortium, Alstom share worth approximately €370 million
Click below for full story:
Alstom consortium selected to deliver Dominican Republic’s first monorail system
19/06/2023
Bangkok Yellow Line monorail opens
THAILAND: The opening of the full length of the MRT Yellow Line monorail running 30·4 km from Lat Phrao to Samrong in the east of Bangkok with 23 stations was marked with a visit by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on June 19. Metro Report International report below
25/05/2023
Feasibility study for rail link between Oxford, Witney and Carterton is published
The case for a railway route connecting Carterton, Witney, and Eynsham to Oxford has been set out in a new feasibility study.
The preliminary strategic outline case for the Carterton-Witney-Oxford Rail Corridor (CWORC) was commissioned by Oxfordshire County Council, following proposals from the
Witney Oxford Transport Group.
The aim was to establish if there is a strategic need for the proposed railway line and to give an indication of the likely investment required.
The study has shown that building a rail link would be feasible and could be justified in transport strategy terms but identifies a number of planning and environmental issues. It also warns about the high financial cost and difficulty involved in undertaking such a project. However, if it went ahead, it would be predicted to be profitable.
01/11/2022
First Edition of IMA's Performance Specification for a Turnkey Mass Transit Monorail System released
Worldwide, around 80 percent of monorails fulfill ao transport task in public transit, and thanks to their economic advantages and shorter implementation times, the trend is rising.
Faced with an escalating demand for public transportation in metropolitan areas, transportation authorities are challenged to select a technology that will satisfy the often-conflicting demands of high capacity and reliable service, urban fit, minimized environmental impact and budget restrictions. In order to further promote the use of monorails, there is a particular need for a tool which enables the evaluation of monorails in comparison to other transport systems in the course of higher-level transport planning or concrete tenders.
With the “Performance Specification for a Turnkey Mass Transit Monorail System”, the International Monorail Association has developed just such a performance catalogue for components, subsystems, vehicles and the infrastructure. It describes the performance of an entire monorail system in a way which enables users to understand what is possible and what can be requested. It also gives the vehicle and infrastructure supply industry a better insight into technology requirements and avoids system-specific isolated solutions. This performance-oriented standardization will ensure more competition along the supply chain and further strengthen the economic efficiency of the overall system.
This document is now the first official edition of the service catalogue. Around 25 international experts of various disciplines – for example, from vehicle technology, control and safety technology, infrastructure, civil and structural engineering, or very specific subsystems and components , were reviewing the latest document. Work began on the initial foundations for performance-based standardization back in 2014. Then, in 2019, a comprehensive review process started with the participation of additional experts and operators and concluded with commentary at the IMA‘s Monorailex 2021 industry meeting in Milan, Italy.
09/08/2022 - Metro Report International
THAILAND: Agreements have been signed for the construction of a branch off the Bangkok MRT Pink Line monorail to serve exhibition, hotel and retail destinations to the north of the city.
01/08/2022 - FROM DERBY TO THE PYRAMIDS
A great article on the amazing story of how Alstom in Derby are supplying completed monorail cars to Egypt
FROM DERBY TO THE PYRAMIDS
24/01/2022 - São Paulo orders 19 monorail trainsets
Metro Report International reports São Paulo’s Metrô has approved an order for 19 Innovia 300 monorail trains to be supplied by CRRC Puzhen Alstom Transportation Systems. This will expand the Line 15 fleet to 46 sets to enable a reduction in headways and handle the increase in ridership which is expected from planned extensions.The driverless monorail sets will be similar to Line 15’s current Innovia 300 fleet, at 86 m long with seven 3 150 mm wide walk-through cars. Each car will have four 1 600 mm wide doors.
The cars will have steel floors and extruded aluminium sides and roofs, with water-cooled permanent magnet traction motors.
Line 15 currently runs for 14·6 km between Vila Prudente and Jardim Colonial with 11 stations.
29/12/2021 - Monorail extended in São Paulo
A one-stop extension of São Paulo monorail Line 15 from São Mateus to Jardim Colonial was inaugurated on December 29, taking the operational length of the line to 13∙4 km.
https://www.railwaygazette.com/peoplemovers-and-monorails/monorail-extended-in-sao-paulo/60638.article
Witney Oxford Transport (WOT) group's application for funding is unsuccessful
In March 2021, pressure group WOT submitted an application for £50K of funding from the government's 'Restoring Your Railways Ideas Fund'. If successful this would have been used to fund a feasibility study into their proposal for a Carterton/Witney to Oxford rail link. Despite some local support, the bid failed and it's difficult to see how WOT can move beyond this setback, although an attempt is being made by the group to protect a rail route for the future. A Witney to Oxford rail line based on WOT's ideas seem as far away as ever.
An excellent onboard video from the newly-opened Wuhu monorail
It is a full 18 mins in length but please, if you have an interest in a rail link between Witney and Oxford, take a look. The stations are far larger than would be required for a West Oxon transit but the technology is suitable. The journalist interviews the chief electrical engineer and discusses the difference between this technology and traditional rail. Importantly, at 11:40, the engineer states that the monorail is cheaper to build than a steel rail option. Certainly, in the Witney to Oxford scenario, where a clear route for traditional rail does not exist, it would be far cheaper and easier to provide an elevated link along the margin of the A40.
03/11/2021 - Wuhu monorail begins operation
Utilising 28 six-car Innovia trains built in China under a joint agreement between Alstom and CRRC (identical to those being built at Alstom's Derby factory for Cairo), the 30.64km system is fully-automated.
TSB sets new record for medium-low-speed maglev on Chengdu test track
27/07/2021 - Egypt receives 1st 'INNOVIA monorail 300' train
Egypt News reports that the first monorail four-car trainset has arrived in the Port of Alexandria. Part of a deal to supply 70 trains, built by Bombardier Inc. (recently purchased by Alstom) in Derby, UK, they are automated and driverless. The INNOVIA monorail 300 system is equipped with Bombardier’s proven CITYFLO 650 communications-based train control solution.
The National Authority for Tunnels affirmed in March that the monorail section connecting 6th of October City with the rest of Giza governorate will be accomplished within two years instead of three.
Sources told Egypt Today that the project – whose capacity is 45,000 passengers - will start operation early in 2023, and that it will be operated and maintained by Bombardier Inc. for 15 years in return for a fixed annual payment.
10/05/2021 - A40 Public Engagement Exhibition announced by OCC
Oxfordshire County Council have announced an online 'public engagement exhibition' for views on the proposed A40 corridor improvements.
The proposals planned include dualling the road between Witney and a new Park & Ride at Eynsham and bus lanes between Eynsham and the approach to Wolvercote roundabout at Duke’s Cut.
WestOx Monorail are opposed to these schemes as we feel they will have little to no effect on A40 congestion. The cost is £180m. Based on ‘rough order of magnitude’ figures obtained from an established transit provider, that would be close to the cost to provide a Witney to Oxford transit system (based on Marconi Express)
Running (for the most part) on an elevated guideway alongside the A40, the system would operate on 20 minute headways between a Parkway station at Witney and a dedicated platform at Oxford station. This is one option although similar systems can be considered from other providers with years of experience in this area.
In recent council elections the leader of OCC, Ian Hudspeth, lost his position. He was instrumental in pursuing bus-centric policies and it is hoped that OCC may now think again and look at other public transport options.
Please use your voice to support an alternative use for this considerable funding to provide a modern, sustainable rail link between Witney and Oxford. Use the link below to have your say
24/11/2020 - Marconi Express monorail opens in Bologna
Metro Report International reports that the Marconi Express monorail between Bologna airport and the city opened on 18th November. The system, employing technology from Intamin Transportation Limited, runs on a 5.1km elevated track and features an intermediate station and maintenance depot at Lazzeretto. Photovoltaic panels provide up to 30% of the energy for operation.
A similar system could be employed to provide a link between Witney and Oxford
06/11/2020 - Oxford Mail reports on study into Witney - Oxford rail link
"Linking Oxford and Witney by a new railway could be a 'light in the dark' to the huge traffic jams on the A40. Plans to revive the railway between Oxford and the west of the county have been discussed before, as much of the old track bed on the way to Witney still exists. When Oxfordshire county councillors met on Tuesday they gave their backing to the idea of carrying out a study into whether a rail link from Carterton,Witney and Eynsham to Oxford could be doable, as part of a solution to traffic on the A40"
11/06/2020 - Maglev flies from Germany to China
Metro Report international reports the first ‘production’ version of Max Bögl Group’s urban maglev vehicle has been delivered from München airport to Chengdu on an Antonov Airlines 124-100 Ruslan aircraft. The two-car unit will be used on a 3·5 km guideway which Max Bögl and local partner Xinzhu have built to demonstrate the Transport System Bögl concept for a low to medium-speed maglev for urban use. The new Transport System Bögl transit looks like it could be a consideration for a Witney to Oxford rail link along the route alignment proposed by WestOx Monorail.
09/01/2020 - BYD gets the green light in Salvador, Brazil
A global announcement from monorail provider BYD informs that on January 3 the Salvador government approved the full preliminary design and authorized construction of the first BYD SkyRail in the Americas. The signing ceremony was held in an office of the local government, and the entire project’s construction is expected to kick off officially at the beginning of 2020. The entire seaside route will be 14.46 miles long and will feature 26 stations along its length. Phase-1 of the project will cover the first 11.93 miles of the route, with the additional 2.53 miles completed in Phase-2. Once finished, the line will be connected with Salvador’s other metro lines.
01/11/2019 - A £102m plan to turn the A40 into a dual-carriageway between Witney and Eynsham has been approved.
The government has today announced it has awarded the cash to Oxfordshire County Council. The authority submitted a bid in March for £102m from the Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF) to help extend the A40 dual carriageway from Witney to a proposed new Eynsham park and ride.
07/10/2019 - Transport System Bögl launch new website
A division of German company Max Bögl, Transport System Bögl
(TSB) design and build urban maglev transport systems. TSB have entered into an agreement with two Chinese companies with ambitions to implement this new technology in the region. TSB has completed over 83,000km of testing on the test track in Sengenthal, Germany and have now completed a demonstration track in Chengdu, China. Their elevated, environmentally friendly system could represent the future for urban public transport and would be perfect for a Witney to Oxford rapid transit. Details of their products can be found on their new-look website
below.
21/08/2019 - 'Rethink urged for A40 Park and Ride'
Witney Gazette front page story reports widespread concerns for Oxfordshire County Council's £180m plans for Park and Ride at Eysham and non-continuous bus lanes to ease congestion on the A40 between Witney and Oxford. West Oxfordshire District Council says it fails to provide opportunities to link up to the proposed 2,200 home 'Oxfordshire Cotswold Garden Village' (OCGV), north of Eynsham. Oxfordshire City Council has concerns that the west bound bus lane, which only runs part of the way to the Park and Ride at Eynsham will add to the perception of bus delays and discourage people from using the service. Other groups are furious about the proposals. Eysham Planning Improvement Campaign say the plans totally ignore the OCGV and, as proposed, provides "inadequate incentive to get people out of their cars".
20/07/2019 - Plans to re-open a rail link seem to have been dealt a serious blow recently
A motion that called for district councillors to support a railway between Witney and Oxford was voted down whilst county councillors admitted that £180m of planned expenditure on Park & Ride and bus lanes may have little effect on A40 congestion.
WODC are not prepared to give their backing to plans by Witney Oxford Transport group that propose a railway from Hanborough station to Carterton via a station at Ducklington. This is unsurprising. The idea to not consider a more direct route is a bizarre one. The suggested route is entirely speculative and the cost is unknown. Coucillors are also aware that no train or network operator has ever expressed a serious interest in a new Witney branch line.
Meanwhile, at an Eynsham meeting on the 12th July to discuss A40 upgrades, a representative from OCC told villagers to dampen their expectations about what could be achieved with £180m of planned infrastructure improvements.
The most viable method of re-introducing a rail link between Witney and Oxford remains the one that suggests an elevated rapid transit utilising the margin of the A40 and turning southwards at Duke's Cut to reach Oxford rail station. WestOx Monorail have cost estimates that suggest this could be achieved for around £200m. The link would terminate on the eastern side of Witney (with the possibility of extending to Carterton) and would be convenient for Eynsham, Cassington and Wolvercote, including the proposed development known as Northern Gateway. With 3,200 new homes coming to the area, including 2,200 at Eynsham it would be a far better use of the funds currently available. In fact, it is not unreasonable to suggest that some private funding may be forthcoming in order to realise what would be a groundbreaking project for the UK. Two transportation system providers that operate on a global scale have expressed interest and I'm sure that they would be delighted to get a foothold in the UK market which could prove extremely lucrative for them. Monorail rapid transit could hold the key to alleviating gridlock and improving the lives of citizens in many places across the country.
27/05/2019 - NASDAQ.COM reports - 'Bombardier named preferred bidder for €3 billion Cairo monorail project'
Subject to contract and final approval, Bombardier have been chosen to supply and build Cairo's two new monorail lines, Great news for the UK as the rolling stock will be developed and built in Derby. Hopefully one day they will be supplying a similar product for the UK.
18/05/2019 - The Washington Post reports - 'A Montgomery developer has a plan to ease traffic on I-270: Build a monorail'.
Montgomery County developer Robert Eisinger says he has found a fast, reliable and cost-effective way to ease traffic on Interstate 270: Get tens of thousands of motorists traveling from the outer suburbs to switch to a monorail between Frederick and the Shady Grove Metro station. Eisinger said he knows the word monorail conjures images of amusement park rides more suitable for ferrying passengers around Disney World than carrying commuters through the suburbs of the nation’s capital. But he said a consultant’s study, paid for by him and private contributors, found that a 27-mile monorail would be environmentally friendly and cost $3.4 billion — significantly less per mile than building a light-rail line or extending Metro’s Red Line. Most importantly, he said, a monorail would fit within the I-270 right of way, leaving homes and backyards untouched and sparing the state the potentially hefty expense of acquiring private property. Named 'The High Road Foundation' , the group's website details the proposal (incl. a great video presentation):
08/05/2019 - newcivilengineer.com reports - 'Monorail plans drawn up by London borough'.
Plans for a monorail system are being drawn up by Havering Council in East London, to improve north-south connectivity in the borough.
Havering Council chief executive Andrew Blake-Herbert revealed the plans while speaking at the Thames Estuary Development Conference. Announcing a new type of rail link as a “priority” for the borough, Blake-Herbert confirmed that plans for a monorail were being developed.
“Nothing goes north and south,” Blake-Herbert said. “The absolute priority is creating sustainable north-south transport infrastructure. We’re currently working on what a tram or monorail network would look like.” He added that the council is “not wedded” to Transport for London providing the mooted services, which could be furnished by a separate private operator.
Great video of the construction of the 'Marconi Express' in Bologna, Italy. Strictly speaking, the Intamin system is a People Mover rather than a monorail. However, if it is a viable solution for Italy, why not for the UK?
21/11/2017 - The LA Review-Journal reports that Clark County has granted approval for the 1-mile extension to the Vegas monorail, expanding its route from the MGM Grand to Mandalay Bay.
21/09/2017 - An article in LANEWS.ORG predicts the growth of monorail systems:
28/08/2017- Egypt's Daily News reports The National Authority for Tunnels (NAT) entrusted the technical supervision of implementing a new monorail’s first phase to the consulting office Khatib & Alami (K&A) with a contract worth EGP 251.3m.
The monorail line is 68 km long, including 61 km on land. It is expected to transport 340,000 passengers per day. The construction and operation costs amount to $1.3bn, including $739m funded by a 20-year Chinese loan a with five-year grace period. Once construction begins, the project will be completed within two years.
The new line is expected to cut down the time to move in the Cairo-Ismailia Road by 30%. It will also impact traffic and save around EGP 2.3bn per year.
Minister of Housing Mostafa Madbouly said in previous remarks that the line begins from Salam City and aims to connect Greater Cairo with the eastern suburbs of the city, along with Sharqeya governorate. It is expected to begin operating in 2020.
23/08/2017 - New elevated skytrains for Thailand. Global travel news site, eTurboNews, reports Bombardier Transportation has announced 2 contracts for its Innovia Monorail 300 system for 2 mass rapid transit lines in Thailand.
The contracts are with the Northern Bangkok Monorail Co. Ltd. (NBM) and the Eastern Bangkok Monorail Co. Ltd. (EBM), who will be responsible for the turnkey construction and 30-year concession of the new elevated lines which will improve the commute for over 400,000 people and visitors every day.
The contract with NBM concerns the new 34.5 km Khae Rai-MinBuri (Pink) Line to operate with 42 train sets and EBM’s contract comprises 30 trainsets for the 30.4 km Lat Phrao-Samrong (Yellow) Line.
The contracts also include providing the project management, systems engineering and integration, testing, and commissioning for the new trains and systems.
Bombardier will design and supply the mechanical and electrical elements for the 2 monorail lines, and will deliver 72 4-car INNOVIA Monorail 300 trains (288 cars) equipped with Bombardier Cityflo 650 automatic train control technology for driverless operation.
The trainsets will be manufactured at the Bombardier joint-venture Puzhen Bombardier Transportation Systems (PBTS) in China, working with Bombardier’s global Monorail Product and Engineering Experts.
05/07/2017 - Metro Report International reports escalating costs on Rotherham tram-train pilot scheme
21/03/2017 -
21/03/2017 - It is with sadness that we hear of the passing of Kim Pedersen on January 24th at the age of 64. Kim was the founder and driving force behind The Monorail Society
Due to Kim's hard work and dedication, the society boasts over 7000 members worldwide. The most enthusiastic advocate of monorail, his contribution to promoting awareness of monorail transport systems cannot be overststated. As a source of information, the Monorail Society website (
www.monorails.org) is unrivalled. In the early days of setting up WestOx Monorail, Kim was happy to assist and provide sound advice. We send our condolences to Kim's family at this sad time.
06/01/2017 - Wuhu, China
A variety of Chinese media outlets are reporting that the Wuhu municipal government has approved two monorail lines across the city.Line 1 will run 30.4 km have 24 stations. Line 2 will be 16.5 kilometers long with 12 stations The Wuhu government signed a monorail vehicle procurement contract with CRRC Puzhen Bombardier Transportation Systems. CRRC Puzhen Bombardier Transportation Systems is a 50-50 joint venture between Bombardier and CRRC. According to online reports from China, construction has already commenced. (courtesy of The Monorail Society)
28/12/2016 - Cebu, Phillipines
A group of Canadian, Chinese and Filipino investors have expressed interest in building a monorail for Metro Cebu and met with some local officials to float their idea. One of their selling points is that because a monorail’s columns will be much slimmer, hardly any road right-of-way problems can be expected.A representative of the group said the monorail is the long-term solution for the traffic in Mandaue, Cebu City and the whole Metro Cebu since this has several advantages compared to the light rail transit (LRT) and metro rail transit (MRT).In a press conference, Vice Mayor Carlo Fortuna, who served as the Mandaue acting mayor, expressed his appreciation for the monorail project. “Compared to LRT, it is more cost-efficient and aesthetically better,” Fortuna said. Based on the project overview of the investment group, the monorail can run on a slim concrete beam, with turning radius of 46 meters, not like MRT/LRT that has a turning radius of 200 to 300 meters. “The advantage of monorail is that the support column is only 1.22 meters diameter spaced apart every 20 to 36 meters. Because of this there will be minimal or no right of way requirement as the size of the support column is only the size of the average center island.”
07/12/2016 - Bangkok, Thailand
Two new commuter rail extensions confirmed. Both the Pink and Yellow lines will be monorail built by a private-public partnership including the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand. Sources say that Bombardier may be the supplier of 308 INNOVIA Monorail 300 train cars for the project. Both lines are over 30km in length. The MRTA said it chose to build monorail instead of heavy rail lines because it would have a lower environmental impact and cost slightly less. Official contract signing is expected in 2017.
