The Jurong Bird Park Panorail was a loop

monorail A monorail (from "mono", meaning "one", and "rail") is a railway in which the track consists of a single rail or a beam. Colloquially, the term "monorail" is often used to describe any form of elevated rail or people mover. More accurately, ...

system which ran within the

Jurong Bird Park Jurong Bird Park is an aviary and tourist attraction in Jurong, Singapore. The largest such bird park in Asia, it covers an area of on the western slope of Jurong Hill, the highest point in the Jurong region. It is one of the parks managed by ...

in Singapore. The system was constructed by Vonroll Transport Systems of Switzerland, which also built the

Sentosa Monorail The Sentosa Monorail was a monorail system which served as the main means of transportation on the island of Sentosa in Singapore, and has been replaced by the new monorail system, the Sentosa Express. The system was constructed at a cost of S ...

and

Singapore Cable Car The Singapore Cable Car is a gondola lift providing an aerial link from Mount Faber (Faber Peak Singapore) on the main island of Singapore to the resort island of Sentosa across the Keppel Harbour. Opened on 15 February 1974, it was the secon ...

. Construction began in November 1990 and the system was launched by President

Wee Kim Wee Wee Kim Wee ( zh, s=黄金辉, poj=Ûiⁿ Kim-hui, p=Huáng Jīnhuī, first=s,poj,p; 4 November 1915 – 2 May 2005) was a Singaporean journalist and diplomat who served as the fourth president of Singapore from 1985 until his resignation in ...

on 11 April 1992. The monorail system used four fully air-conditioned four-car trains which travelled around the park in approximately 11 minutes. It ceased operations in 2012 and was replaced by a trackless tram service.

History

Jurong Bird Park Panorail entering a station in October 2009

A monorail system was first mooted in 1988 when the

still utilised diesel trams to ferry visitors around the park. On 21 June 1990, a sign promoting a monorail development with two stations and four trains was sighted at the park. The proposed monorail would be Singapore's second monorail after the

which commenced operations in 1982. In September 1990, the executive director of the park, S.Thiruchelvam, said that a monorail would run silently and not emit pollution as it would be powered by electricity. It was also intended to facilitate closer contact between visitors and the birds. The system was planned by Swiss engineering company Vonroll Transport Systems and construction began in November 1990. Its viaducts were painted in green to blend in with the natural environment. It was budgeted at with a stipulated opening date in September 1991. An unveiling ceremony for the trains was held on 16 September 1991. The system was also announced as a "panorail", a portmanteau of "panoramic" and "rail". It was launched by President

on 11 April 1992, the 21st anniversary of the park. Part of the panorail's route entered an

aviary An aviary is a large enclosure for confining birds, although bats may also be considered for display. Unlike birdcages, aviaries allow birds a larger living space where they can fly; hence, aviaries are also sometimes known as flight cages. Av ...

, which was promoted as "the only one of its kind in the world". Four trains, with a four-car setup, ran at 3-5 minute frequencies between stations. The trains were fully air-conditioned and ran in a loop around the park, with each loop taking approximately 11 minutes. A recorded commentary was played during the journey detailing places of interest. Its tinted windows extended from the knees to the roof. Stations were equipped with a single lift for handicapped visitors and train seats could be lifted for wheelchairs to back into. The panorail ceased operations in 2012. The panorail was still listed on the official website as of 14 April 2012, but was replaced by a trackless tram service listing by 3 May 2012.

Stations

The panorail had three stations: * Main Station, near the entrance and amphitheatre * Lory Station, near the Lory Loft * Waterfall Station, near the Waterfall Aviary and

Jurong Falls Jurong Bird Park is an aviary and tourist attraction in Jurong, Singapore. The largest such bird park in Asia, it covers an area of on the western slope of Jurong Hill, the highest point in the Jurong region. It is one of the parks managed by ...

References

External links

* {{Rail transport in Singapore 1991 establishments in Singapore Boon Lay Panorail Monorails in Singapore Railway lines opened in 1991 Railways of amusement parks in Singapore Von Roll Holding people movers