Tuesday, January 28, 2003
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

MGM-Bally's monorail makes last run

System halted to make way for new version

The MGM Grand-Bally's monorail cruises the tracks Sunday, its last night of operation. A replacement is expected to begin hauling passengers in January 2004. Photo by Craig L. Moran.

A little after 10 p.m. Sunday the MGM Grand-Bally's monorail made its final run.

On board were about three dozen passengers, equal parts Super Bowl revelers and hotel employees bidding farewell to the rail system they've operated for 7 1/2 years.

The monorail, a small but unique part of the Las Vegas transportation landscape during that time, was closed to make way for the larger and more modern monorail system scheduled to go into service early next year between Sahara Avenue and the MGM Grand.

"Life is full of progress, and bigger and better things, and you've got to make room for them," said MGM Grand employee Linda Bingham, who took the final run Sunday night. "But it's still sad."

The Las Vegas Monorail Co., which is building the $650 million resort corridor monorail system, has taken ownership of the MGM Grand and Bally's stations and their rails.

"It's like the changing of the guard," said Cam Walker, president of Transit Systems Management, the company overseeing construction and operation of the resort corridor monorail. "In a quiet way, it's a huge step forward."

Using monorails purchased from Disney World, the hotels opened the MGM Grand-Bally's monorail in June of 1995. Since then the system has carried nearly 40 million passengers along its less-than-one-mile length.

New Yorker Lou Serafini used the system on his frequent visits to Las Vegas over the years because he found it was the fastest way to get to some locations on the Strip.

"The casinos look like they're close together, but it's a hike when you're walking," he said before boarding the train Sunday night.

One piece of the MGM-Bally's monorail that won't become part of the new monorail system are the two 32-year-old trains, owned by MGM Grand and Bally's.

Some have suggested they be auctioned on the Internet, but officials aren't certain of their fate.

"There's really not much demand for them," said Kim Cimini, senior vice president of hotel operations at MGM Grand. "At this point in time they're just going to put it into storage."

Their replacements, which are expected to begin hauling passengers in January 2004, will be of the latest monorail technology, officials said.

They will offer a quieter and smoother ride than the old vehicles, will feature automatic doors and will accommodate standing passengers. The stations also will be brought into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

"There have been a lot of technological advancements in the last 32 years," said Transit Systems director of communications Todd Walker. "Take a 32-year-old automobile and compare it to what's on the road today; there's a big difference."

Another difference between the old and new: The yet-to-open monorail will operate without drivers. It's a fact that may have made Anthony Foster Las Vegas' last monorail jockey.

It was a sad Foster who, after taking several deep breaths, took the controls of the green and gold MGM Grand train and inched it into the station for the last time Sunday night.

He punctuated the moment with two blasts of the train's horn.

When informed the new monorail won't have drivers, Foster replied, "Maybe I'll move to Florida and work for Disney World or Disney Land."