Elevated railway

Some trains run on tracks high above the street.

These tracks sit on tall structures. They are made of steel, brick, or concrete. This helps trains move through busy cities. It stops them from hitting cars on the road.

Long ago, the first ones were built in London.

Later, many cities in the US used them too. Some trains even run without a driver. They use computers to move on their own.

These high trains are a smart way to travel.

Some trains run on tracks high above the street.

These tracks sit on tall structures. We call these structures viaducts. They are often made of steel, iron, concrete, or bricks. These tracks help trains move through busy cities. They keep trains away from cars on the road. This means trains do not have to stop for street crossings.

The first elevated railway was in London.

It used a brick viaduct with 878 arches. In the US, many cities started using them later. Chicago has a famous system called the "L." Some trains use only one rail. We call these monorails. Other trains hang from a rail. These are called suspension railways.

You can also find driverless trains. These are automated people movers, or APMs. They use computers to guide the train. They are very common at airports to help people reach their gates quickly.

An elevated railway is a special way to move people through a city. These trains run on tracks that sit high above the street level. The tracks stay up on structures called viaducts. These structures are usually made from steel, cast iron, concrete, or bricks.

This design is very helpful in busy urban areas. It prevents the need for many level crossings where trains and cars meet. By staying high up, the trains can move without stopping for street traffic.

There are many different ways these systems work. Some use a single rail to guide the vehicle, which is called a monorail. Other systems use a suspension railway, where the train hangs from a rail.

You might also see an automated people mover, or APM. These are driverless systems that use technology to guide the train. They often serve as loops or feeders in large places like airports. They help passengers reach their gates quickly and easily. Some systems even use magnetic technology known as maglev.

People have been building these railways for a very long time. The earliest one was the London and Greenwich Railway. It was built between 1836 and 1838 on a brick viaduct. This structure had 878 arches to hold the tracks up.

Later, the Liverpool Overhead Railway became the first electric elevated railway. It ran through the Liverpool docks from 1893 until 1956. In the United States, these railways became popular starting in the late 1860s. New York had a cable-hauled railway that opened in 1868.

Many famous cities around the world use these systems today. The Chicago "L" was built by different companies starting in 1892.

In Asia, Bangkok has the BTS Skytrain. Tokyo has the driverless Yurikamome line, which opened in 1995.

Many airports use APMs, like the PHX Sky Train in Phoenix. There is also the Docklands Light Railway in London, which opened in 1987. These systems help millions of people travel every day.

If you have ever visited a large airport, you may have seen one. Many airports use automated people movers to help travelers move between buildings. You might also see a monorail at a place like Disneyland. These systems are part of a larger group called rapid transit. They connect different parts of a city or a large building. They make traveling much faster by staying separate from the roads below. It is a clever way to use space in a crowded world.

An elevated railway is a transportation system where tracks are positioned above street level. These tracks rest on elevated structures known as viaducts. These structures are typically built from durable materials like steel, cast iron, concrete, or bricks. This design is essential for crowded urban areas. It solves the problem of level crossings. A level crossing is where a train track and a road meet at the same height. In busy cities, having too many crossings would stop traffic constantly. By moving the trains upward, the railway avoids interfering with cars and pedestrians on the ground.

There are several different ways these systems operate. One type is a monorail, which uses a single rail to guide the vehicle. Most monorails are elevated. Another type is a suspension railway. In these systems, the train hangs from a rail above it.

Some suspension railways, like the Shonan Monorail in Japan, are actually monorails by design. Another common system is the automated people mover, or APM. APMs are driverless, grade-separated mass-transit systems. They are often used as loops or feeder systems to help passengers move through large areas quickly. Many APMs, such as the Bombardier Innovia technology, use only one rail to guide the vehicle along its guideway.

Modern elevated railways can be categorized by their specific technology and purpose. Rapid transit and light rail systems are common for moving large numbers of people across cities. Some of these systems even use maglev technology. Maglev stands for magnetic levitation, and most maglev railways are elevated.

Another specific type is the people mover, which is frequently found at airports. These systems, like the PHX Sky Train at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, help travelers reach their gates. They are designed for efficiency in specific, high-traffic locations rather than covering an entire metropolitan region.

The history of elevated rail began in the 19th century. The earliest known elevated railway was the London and Greenwich Railway. It was built between 1836 and 1838. This railway sat on a massive brick viaduct containing 878 arches.

The London and Blackwall Railway also used a viaduct starting in 1840. In the United States, elevated railways gained popularity during the late 1860s. New York's West Side and Yonkers Patent Railway opened in 1868. This system originally used cables to pull the trains. By 1871, it was renamed the New York Elevated Railroad and began using locomotives.

As technology improved, electric power changed how these trains moved. The Liverpool Overhead Railway was the first electric elevated railway. It operated through the Liverpool docks from 1893 until 1956. In the United States, the Chicago "L" became a major system. It was built by several competing companies starting in 1892.

Other early American examples include the Boston Elevated Railway in 1901 and the Market–Frankford Line in Philadelphia in 1907.

Today, elevated systems are found all over the world. In Asia, the BTS Skytrain in Bangkok is a well-known example.

Tokyo also uses the Yurikamome line, which is a driverless system opened in 1995. Many cities in Africa and Europe also utilize these tracks. The Berlin Stadtbahn and Vienna Stadtbahn are major elevated systems in Europe. In the United States, the New York City Subway uses elevated tracks for about 40% of its total line length. This shows how important elevated structures are for managing massive urban populations.

Elevated railways connect to many different fields of engineering and urban planning. They represent a way to achieve grade separation, which means keeping different types of transport on different levels. This prevents accidents and keeps movement flowing. Whether it is a large-scale metro in Mexico City or a small airport shuttle in London, these systems are vital. They allow cities to grow upward and outward without being blocked by the streets below.