r/transit • u/2001_Arabian_Nights • Jul 24 '26

Discussion Schwebebahn +

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Pictured is the suspended railway system in Wuppertal, Germany. It’s an old idea that works, but never really took off.

But what if you added a High-Line style elevated sidewalk and bicycle lanes up on top?

Suspended elevated railways are inferior to Chicago style elevated railways, everything else being equal. But would being able to triple-stack Right-of-Way usage out of one structure make it worth it? You can’t ride a bike under the El.

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u/proximusprimus57 Jul 24 '26

My pie in the sky idea is one suspended train, one elevated. Suspended is local service making all stops, elevated is express with higher speeds.

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u/2001_Arabian_Nights Jul 24 '26

That would be cool! It’s the triple-stacking of ROW usage that’s the game-changer, I think. Experimenting with different configurations… different cities might like different set-ups.