Sentosa Monorail

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This article is about the former loop system that closed in 2005. For the current system that connects to the Singapore mainland, see Sentosa Express.

Sentosa Monorail
Overview
LocaleSentosa, Singapore
Transit typeStraddle-beam monorail
Number of lines1
Number of stations7
Operation
Began operation23 February 1982; 43 years ago (1982-02-23)
Ended operation16 March 2005; 20 years ago (2005-03-16)
Operator(s)Sentosa Development Corporation
Number of vehicles16 trains
Technical
System length3.6 mi (5.8 km)[1]

The Sentosa Monorail was a

Von Roll of Switzerland, who also built the Singapore Cable Car
.

Commencing operations on 23 February 1982, the line initially opened with only five stations, running in a clockwise loop. In 1987, the Ferry Terminal Monorail Station began operations when the Sentosa Ferry Terminal opened that year. In 1991, the line changed to an anti-clockwise direction after the Underwater World Monorail Station commenced operations, when Underwater World opened that year. It operated several 16-car, non-air conditioned trains in a unidirectional anti-clockwise single loop through seven stations located around the western half of the island. The monorail rides were initially charged at S$3 for adults and S$1.50 for children. The trip was later made free for passengers, who could ride the system as often as they wished throughout their stay on the island. Four of the stations have two platforms; for such stations, the Spanish solution was implemented, where passengers alight at one platform and board at the opposite platform.

History

Background

Plans for the monorail were first announced in June 1979 by the

US$5.52 million) and take 18 months to construct it, with the system planned to use 6 monorail carriages.[3] According to an SDC spokesman, the monorail system was the "most appropriate choice" of transport when the SDC was choosing what type of transport to choose, which included electric cars and trailer buses.[4] However, it criticised by a nature lover writing to the New Nation in December, where they wrote that building the monorail would disrupt the peace of the island and the monorail itself would be a "gimmick".[5] The SDC responded to the letter a month later, assuring that the monorail would be "as quiet and pollution free as possible" and not a "gimmick".[6]

Construction and opening

External media
image icon Artist's impression of the Sentosa Monorail Source: The Straits Times
image icon Advertisement of United Engineers congratulating Habegger Thun Source: The Straits Times
image icon The Sentosa Monorail under construction Source: The Straits Times

In February 1980, it was announced that the contract for the design and the installation of the monorail would be awarded to

US$4.9 million) and it was expected for the construction period to be 20 months.[8]

Site surveys commenced in the same month, with piling works expected to start in the middle of March.

US$7.57 million).[17]

Initially expected to be completed in April 1982, it was completed two months before schedule at a cost of S$16 million, and opened on 23 February 1982.[18] Four intermediate stations along the line at several locations around the island were opened on 1 December the same year. This resulted in the bus service to these locations being terminated, and the monorail thus became the main mode of transport around the island.[19] As a result of the monorail's opening, as well as the opening of several other attractions, the number of visitors to Sentosa also shot up, increasing to 1,067,192 visitors from 567,567 visitors over the same period in the previous year.[19]

Closure

Due to the rapid modernisation of the island, maintenance problems, increasing costs, and declining popularity as visitors started complaining that the ride was slow and uncomfortable,[20] the Sentosa Monorail ceased operations on 16 March 2005 to make way for the new four-station Sentosa Express monorail. Much of the track and all of the rolling stock were sold as scrap for S$350,000. A subsequent assessment showed that some of the butt welds did not match the specification of British Standards.[21] Parts of the track and some of the monorail stations were repurposed for other uses,[20] such as the "Surrender Chamber" at Fort Siloso, a restaurant being developed at the Central Beach, and the SDC Office was rebuilt and converted into a bar. Gateway was demolished when the line closed and Ferry Terminal was demolished in March 2007 to make way for Resorts World Sentosa.[citation needed]

Stations

Map
Map of route and stations

There were no terminal stations for Sentosa Monorail.

  • Station 1: Ferry Terminal – Opened in 1987; closed in 2005; demolished in March 2007
  • Station 2: Underwater World – Opened in 1991; closed in 2005; subsequently repurposed; demolished in 2017 together with Underwater World
  • Station 3: Fort Siloso (first station to be closed down) – Opened in 1982; closed in 2005; subsequently repurposed
  • Station 4: Cable Car – Opened in 1982; closed in 2005; subsequently repurposed
  • Station 5: Central Beach / Palawan Beach – Opened in 1982; closed in 2005; subsequently repurposed; demolished in 2022
  • Station 6: SDC Office / Ficus – Opened in 1982; closed in 2005; subsequently repurposed; demolished in 2022
  • Station 7: Gateway / Causeway / Visitor Arrival Centre – Opened in 1982; closed and demolished in 2005

References

  1. ^ "Down memory lane – Sentosa Monorail". Archived from the original on 22 May 2017. Retrieved 6 May 2017.
  2. ^ Marican, Zarinah (28 June 1979). "Monorail for Sentosa". New Nation. Singapore. Archived from the original on 9 March 2018. Retrieved 9 March 2018 – via NewspaperSG.
  3. ^ Tsang, Sau Yin (29 June 1979). "Sentosa monorail tender open to all". The Business Times. p. 12. Retrieved 11 April 2025.
  4. ^ "Sentosa to have $12m monorail system". The Straits Times. 29 June 1979. p. 10. Retrieved 11 April 2025.
  5. ^ Nature Lover (2 December 1979). "Monorail menace". New Nation. p. 6. Retrieved 11 April 2025.
  6. ^ Tong, Suit Chee (6 January 1980). "Monorail more than a gimmick". New Nation. p. 9. Retrieved 11 April 2025.
  7. ^ "Sentosa signing".
  8. ^ a b "SENTOSA MONORAIL".
  9. ^ "Monorail tour 20 months away".
  10. ^ "Health resort, food?".
  11. ^ "More exciting plans in store for Sentosa".
  12. ^ Wong, Alice (17 December 1980). "New ferry terminal to be built on Sentosa". The Straits Times. Singapore. Archived from the original on 3 March 2018. Retrieved 3 March 2018 – via NewspaperSG.
  13. ^ "Work on Sentosa monorail goes full swing".
  14. ^ "Sentosa is keen on building kids' park".
  15. ^ "Monorail ride on Sentosa draws near".
  16. ^ "Round the island on rails".
  17. ^ "SENTOSA PROJECTS".
  18. ^ Lau, Karen (20 February 1982). "Monorail all set to roll into service". The Straits Times. Singapore. Archived from the original on 3 March 2018. Retrieved 3 March 2018 – via NewspaperSG.
  19. ^ a b Suit Chee, Tong (16 December 1982). "Why the monorail and Sentosa go hand in hand". Singapore Monitor. Singapore. Archived from the original on 3 March 2018. Retrieved 3 March 2018 – via NewspaperSG.
  20. ^ a b "Former Sentosa Monorail". www.roots.gov.sg.
  21. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)CF.1943-5509.0000889. Archived
    from the original on 24 April 2021. Retrieved 6 May 2017.
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