Cities with elevated railways running through the centre (2015, mover)

[shirleyeve]

I can think of two major global cities that have an elevated railway prominently running through the downtown area: Melbourne and Chicago.

I'm sure there are plenty more. Can anyone think of some? I guess Tokyo has its monorail, does that count?

Most cities have elevated railways and viaducts all through the suburbs, but I'm talking about one that runs through the CBD that makes quite an impression/is noticeable from street level.

Chicago's L Train:



Melbourne's elevated railway:

[recycled]

Berlin has an elevated main rail line running east west through the heart of the city. It is 4 tracks wide, with two S-Bahn urban rail tracks with third rail power, and two regional / long distance train tracks with overhead power. When it gets to the Hauptbahnhof / main rail station, it fans out to at least 6 tracks, then continues east to Alexanderplatz and the Berlin East Train stations with 4 tracks. When you are riding on the train, the view of the city is pretty good in many places, especially between the Hauptbahnhof and Alexanderplatz. Many of the S-Bahn urban rail lines in Berlin are elevated, in addition to the main east-west rail line. There is an oval shaped loop route of the S-Bahn that runs around the inner perimeter of Berlin that is a combination of grade level and elevated, and it intersects the east-west elevated route at two locations.

[NoHyping]

Bangkok does a modern couple lines.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_lYJr0wRnE

Chicago's much older L line as mentioned on tracking and its entry stations that date back to the 1800s.
It loops around the city's original downtown area and and with narrow station platforms close to some of the city's oldest early skyscrapers.
Then each line goes into the city in its various locations.
Trains are of the narrower version of older systems and not as quiet as some newer systems though fully computerized today.
There're updated conservatively to maintain more decades of use. Sadly the US does not do much in the way of new train systems.
Chicago concentrates on upgrades over expansions as always needing some the system also goes though backs of street.
Basically thru the alleys and gives then a more gritty perspective though neighborhoods.
Then areas thru medians of its expressways were utilized by past expansions. Still for a US city it is lucky to have the old relic still in use.
Most of Manhattans was removed leaving its subways. Its other Boroughs still have elevated lines in use. only a portion left in Manhattan is elevated.

Though once seen as a ugly relic and gritty eyesore. It is part of the character of the city of Chicago today. Here just in the original city centre is called the Loop and I believe by some original underground old trolley lines.
Then this elevated portion was their replacement in the late 1800's and survives today as many of NYC's in its Boroughs and Boston does and Philadelphia.
Just not in the old core as Chicago's as elevared.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4hQakdtczU

The CTA Chicago's L transit authority did a series of videos 2014 2015. This is the Orange line as called.
It starts in the video by the city's original smaller airport called Midway and goes through the original Core loop and further on its way.
The camera seems mounted outside the train and you do not hear the interior of the train automated announcements.

The video is 6-years old and not sure what new developments and buildings are where parking lots are here?
but many comments call it relaxing to watch and still shows the mix of old and new especially thru the core in the middle of the video.
So I used it as a nice sunny day too.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_r8nFIuBRQA

Some cities have monorail systems or elevated mostly outside of the city core and as a subway in the core.

2 of Chicago's L lines do enter subway portions in the core. Some utilize expressway highway medians at ground-level.

This Melbourne line appears to be similar to Chicago's L stretches in a expressway median. This appears ground-level.
I am not finding what portions for Melbourne are as elevated lines? Maybe someone else can.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytxKPsrfyQs

[easthome]

The railways into London are elevated because the city is obviously a lot older than the railway, they tend to be run along older brick arches though.

https://genius.com/Flanagan-and-alle...-arches-lyrics

[Brave New World]

Originally Posted by easthome

The railways into London are elevated because the city is obviously a lot older than the railway, they tend to be run along older brick arches though.

https://genius.com/Flanagan-and-alle...-arches-lyrics

The Docklands Light Railway (DLR) is also elevated.

[Rozenn]

Several metro lines have elevated sections in Paris; most notably line 6 and, to a lesser extent, lines 2 and 5.

https://youtu.be/r79Bt_O1w58

[Milky Way Resident]

If you're willing to consider monorails, then Kuala Lumpur has a line running through it's core. Sydney used to have a monorail as well, but it was discontinued in 2013.

[projectmaximus]

If Miami counts then it not only has one but two elevated systems through downtown. There's the metrorail (heavy rail extending to western and southwestern suburbs via downtown) and metromover (double loop urban circulator). I tried to find an image online and it was actually pretty hard so I gave up. Here's an ok one from Brickell, right on the edge of "downtown" but for all intents and purposes is downtown. It's cool cause it shows both systems, metrorail in the foreground and metromover in the back.

[Natnasci]

Vancouver's Skytrain. Bangkok took the same name. Not sure if they knew about Vancouver's, but often wondered why the names are the same.

Longest automated transit system in the world.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AWHsOma0ZM


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSstBd-WtiQ

[UrbanLuis]

Montreal will have some soon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYDGzR1aAzc



We actually have a section of elevated railways here in Winnipeg, but its not public transit.
https://www.google.com/maps/@49.8951...7i13312!8i6656