The Las Vegas Monorail is a seven-station, 4-mile, monorail system that operates on an elevated guideway and provides access to nearly every major hotel and attraction on the Las Vegas Strip. Passengers are transported the entire length of the system in air-conditioned comfort in just under 15 minutes. It features the first fully-automated control network system for driverless operation and incorporates fail-safe protection throughout the software and equipment, making it one of the most technologically advanced urban transportation systems in the world. It is also the nation's first metropolitan transit system funded entirely through fare box collections and advertising revenue.

 

It began with a brilliant idea...
The Las Vegas Monorail system began as a joint venture between the MGM Grand and Ballys Hotel in 1993. The plan was to create an easy way to travel the one-mile stretch between the hotels–and eventually add stops along the way. In 1997, Clark County passed legislation granting a monorail franchise and paving the way for the private sector to own and operate a public transportation system. Nevada-based Liaise Corporation assembled a team to make it happen, including Bombardier Transportation, Carter-Burgess, Gensler & Associates, Granite Construction Company, Salomon Smith Barney and Transit Systems Management.

 

In 2000, with all the elements in place, the nonprofit Las Vegas Monorail Company was formed acquiring the original monorail system and infrastructure to develop, own and operate as the Las Vegas Monorail under the guidance of the board of directors appointed by the Governor of Nevada.

 

Bombardier Transportation, a Canadian company and one of the worlds largest transit system manufacturers experienced at turnkey operations, designed the original MGM-Bally's Monorail guideways and opened the Las Vegas Monorail system for service in 2004. They are contracted with operating and maintaining the trains, automatic train controls, and other control subsystems for the first five years with two additional five-year operations and maintenance options.

 

 

Granite Construction was responsible for the design, supply and installation of the civil and architectural elements for the Operations, Maintenance and Storage Facililty (OMSF), all of the stations and the guideway.