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Gadgetbahn

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The monorail (the São Paulo Metro Line 15 pictured) is frequently regarded as a gadgetbahn.[1]

Gadgetbahn is a neologism that refers to a public transport concept or implementation that is touted by its developers and supporters as futuristic or innovative, but in practice is less feasible or reliable, and more expensive than traditional modes such as buses, trams and trains. It is a portmanteau of the English word "gadget" and the German word Bahn, meaning "railway".[2][3]

History

The term originated in the 21st century,[4][5] mainly used within the online public transport sphere on Twitter and YouTube.[6][better source needed] However, such systems existed even before the term was coined. See individual articles for systems for details.

The problems about cost effectiveness and reliability can researched with system that were actually built. The Heathrow Ultra pods report that the elevated guideway did cost £30 million for 3.8 kilometres instead of the projected £3 million kilometre. The study on the Detroit People Mover shows that cost per passenger mile exceeded $3 while Detroit's busses operate at $0.82. Problems with the reliability can not only occur as extended teething problems but also with the limited supply of maintanance parts for the specialized vehicles. When proposing an evelated guideway system to avoid the cost of an underground deployment, systems get easily called gadgetbahn when an elevated railway on standard gauge tracks and light rail tram vehicles would have been feasible as well.[7]

Examples

Modes of transport that have been cited as gadgetbahns include:

References

  1. ^ Weekes, Tim (February 16, 2023). "Does Bristol need a gadgetbahn?". Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways.
  2. ^ "Catbus» Blog Archive » What's a Gadgetbahn?". Retrieved 2023-02-06.
  3. ^ "Gadgetbahn: seductive charms vs. the reality". Leonard, foresight and Innovation by VINCI. 2018-04-03. Retrieved 2023-02-06.
  4. ^ "Personal Rapid Transit – Cyberspace Dream Keeps Colliding With Reality". Light Rail Now. March 2004. Retrieved 2023-04-01.
  5. ^ "Heading into 2006...It's a Rail Transit World!". Light Rail Now. December 2005. Retrieved 2023-04-01.
  6. ^ Martin, Reece, Trackless Trams: Yet Another Gadgetbahn, retrieved 2023-10-21
  7. ^ Michael D Setty, Leory W Demery jr (2002-11-25). "Conventional Rail vs. 'Gadgetbahnen'". Planetizen.
  8. ^ Zumbrun, Josh. "Uphill Climb: Cities Push Gondolas on Skeptical Commuters". WSJ. Retrieved 2023-02-06.
  9. ^ Kovacs, Adam; Westbrook, Adam (2022-10-13). "Opinion | Elon Musk Has Some Bad Ideas for Mass Transit. We Have Solutions". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-02-06.
  10. ^ a b Setty, Michael; Demery, Leroy (2002). "Conventional Rail vs. 'Gadgetbahnen'". Planetizen. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
  11. ^ "Why We Lost The World's Only Double-Sided Monorail". The Tim Traveller. 2025-05-01 – via Youtube.
  12. ^ Avidor, Ken (2014). "Minnesota Gadgetbahn – When the Future of Twin Cities Transit Was Up in the Air". Streets mn. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
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