A monorail was a type of train, a vehicle used for ground transportation on Earth and other planets. Per its name, the vehicle traveled along one track. Some monorails used electric or biofuel propulsion and wheels, while others floated above the rail with maglev technology.
Monorail tracks were usually elevated above the ground. An underground monorail was a type of subway.
Specifics[]
San Francisco's monorails were built 12 meters above the ground. The track was one meter wide and contained a highly charged conduit. (TNG novel: The Best and the Brightest)
A forcefield protected the Lily Sloane Complex in San Francisco Bay from warp core breaches. During the four-minute ride on the monorail from Starfleet Academy to the complex, vehicle cars would penetrate this forcefield, producing a momentary sensation of falling before the car's gravitational field compensated. (TOS novel: Academy: Collision Course)
Old monorail systems across the surface of Vulcan moved cargo within automated tram cars. Manned stations provided manifests for its users, though many were unmanned. Newer systems used underground pneumatic tubes instead, which shunted cargo at high speeds without first having to load individual cars. (TOS novel: Unspoken Truth)
History[]
By the late 21st century, New York City had a monorail network and elevated highways. (ENT novel: Daedalus)
In 2228 in Elysium City, bureaucrats discussed whether pylons on the monorail support system were stable enough, but Heston Prescott solved the problem. (TOS novel: Burning Dreams)
In 2273, Admiral Heihachiro Nogura rode a maglev monorail from San Francisco to Atlanta, then to Druid Hills and finally to Emory University, at the request of James T. Kirk. (TOS - Crucible novel: Provenance of Shadows)
In 2284, after dating for two years, Tonia Barrows proposed to Leonard McCoy at a monorail station in San Francisco. He turned her down, though they eventually married in 2299. During a mind meld in 2312, Spock and McCoy relived the moment. (TOS - Crucible novels: Provenance of Shadows, The Fire and the Rose)
Saavik once visited an automated monorail station on the outskirts of ShiKahr on Vulcan. (TOS novel: Unspoken Truth)
In 2368, cadet Jayme Miranda hitched a ride on the back of a monorail car as it left the Starfleet Academy station for San Francisco. She lost her footing and fell, but was caught by a protective forcefield before crashing to the ground. The fall was witnessed by Guinan. (TNG novel: The Best and the Brightest)
Earth monorail station locations[]
- Atlanta
- Bruggeman-Johnson Medical Research Center
- Brooklyn
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Druid Hills
- Emory University
- Golden Gate Bridge
- Lily Sloane Complex
- Mojave
- San Francisco
- Sausalito
- Starfleet Academy
- Starfleet Command, plaza station
- Starfleet Military Operations
Other monorail locations[]
- Donico II, near the Donico Decorum and Diplomacy Corps building
- Dyson Sphere
- Elysium, in Elysium City
- Denari, in the capital city of New Irla
- Starbase Yorktown (Kelvin timeline)
- Vulcan, on the outskirts of ShiKahr
Appendices[]
Appearances[]
- TOS movie: Beyond
- TOS - Crucible novel: Provenance of Shadows
- TOS - Crucible novel: The Fire and the Rose
- TOS novel: Academy: Collision Course
- TNG novel: The Best and the Brightest
- TLE novel: Deny Thy Father
- TLE novel: Catalyst of Sorrows
References[]
- TOS novel: Unspoken Truth
- TOS - Constellations short story: "See No Evil"
- TOS novel: Burning Dreams
- TNG novel: Dyson Sphere
- ENT novel: Daedalus