Gadgetbahn
{{short description|A term used for impractical public transport modes}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2023}}
File:Monotrilho SP (3).jpg (the São Paulo Metro Line 15 pictured) is frequently regarded as a gadgetbahn.{{Cite web|url=https://fosbr.org.uk/does-bristol-need-a-gadgetbahn/|title=Does Bristol need a gadgetbahn?|first=Tim|last=Weekes|date=February 16, 2023|website=Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways}}]]
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 {{lang|de|Bahn}}, meaning "railway".{{Cite web |title=Catbus» Blog Archive » What's a Gadgetbahn? |url=https://www.cat-bus.com/2017/12/gadgetbahn/ |access-date=2023-02-06 |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2018-04-03 |title=Gadgetbahn: seductive charms vs. the reality |url=https://leonard.vinci.com/en/gadgetbahn-seductive-charms-vs-reality/ |access-date=2023-02-06 |website=Leonard, foresight and Innovation by VINCI |language=en-US}}
History
{{expand section|date=February 2023}}
The term originated in the 21st century,{{Cite web |title=Personal Rapid Transit – Cyberspace Dream Keeps Colliding With Reality|url=http://www.lightrailnow.org/facts/fa_prt001.htm|website=Light Rail Now|date=March 2004|access-date=2023-04-01}}{{Cite web |title=Heading into 2006...It's a Rail Transit World!|url=https://www.lightrailnow.org/features/f_lrt_2005-12a.htm|website=Light Rail Now|date=December 2005|access-date=2023-04-01}} mainly used within the online public transport sphere on Twitter and YouTube.{{Citation | surname = Martin | first = Reece | language = en-CA |title=Trackless Trams: Yet Another Gadgetbahn |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjKG0Lw1uFc |access-date=2023-10-21 }}{{better source needed|date=October 2023|reason=This claim requires a citation to a secondary source.}} However, such systems existed even before the term was coined. See individual articles for systems for details.
{{multiple image
| image1 = MumbaiMonorailStation.jpg
| caption1 = Mumbail Monorail Bhakti Park station
| image2 = Kandarpada metro station.jpg
| caption2 = Mumbai Metro Kandarpada station
}}
The problems about cost effectiveness and reliability can be 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 per 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. Studies on the Mumbai Monorail problems led to abandon all other monorail projects in India.
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.{{cite web|url=https://www.planetizen.com/node/70|title=Conventional Rail vs. 'Gadgetbahnen'|publisher=Planetizen|author=Michael D Setty, Leory W Demery jr|date=2002-11-25}} Comparing the mentioned Mumbai Monorail with the elevated Mumbai Metro shows that construction is not much different as both use pillars in the central median of main roads to ease development in an existing urban environment.{{cite web|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/358387719_Rethinking_the_space_of_infrastructure|title=Rethinking the space of infrastructure|author=Himanshu Burte|publisher=Indian Institute of Technology Bombay|via=Researchgate|date=February 2022}}{{cite web | url=https://thewire.in/urban/failure-of-mumbais-monorail-holds-lessons-for-urban-planners-everywhere | title=Failure of Mumbai's Monorail Holds Lessons for Urban Planners Everywhere|publisher=The Wire India }}
Examples
Modes of transport that have been cited as gadgetbahns include:
- Gondola lift{{Cite web|last=Zumbrun |first=Josh |title=Uphill Climb: Cities Push Gondolas on Skeptical Commuters |url=http://www.wsj.com/articles/uphill-climb-cities-push-gondolas-on-skeptical-commuters-1465237251 |access-date=2023-02-06 |website=WSJ |language=en-US}}
- Hyperloop{{Cite news |last=Kovacs |first=Adam |last2=Westbrook |first2=Adam |date=2022-10-13 |title=Opinion {{!}} Elon Musk Has Some Bad Ideas for Mass Transit. We Have Solutions. |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/13/opinion/elon-musk-boring-loop.html |access-date=2023-02-06 |issn=0362-4331}}
- Monorail
- Cabinentaxi{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vca3EF4C5xU|title=Why We Lost The World's Only Double-Sided Monorail|publisher=The Tim Traveller|via=Youtube|date=2025-05-01}}
- Personal rapid transit{{Cite web|first1=Michael|last1=Setty|first2=Leroy|last2=Demery|year=2002|access-date=2023-10-16|title=Conventional Rail vs. 'Gadgetbahnen'|url=https://www.planetizen.com/node/70|website=Planetizen}}{{cite web|first=Ken|last=Avidor|year=2014|access-date=2023-10-16|title=Minnesota Gadgetbahn – When the Future of Twin Cities Transit Was Up in the Air|url=https://streets.mn/2014/09/22/minnesota-gadgetbahn-when-the-future-of-twin-cities-transit-was-up-in-the-air/|website=Streets mn}}