Riding high in Germany on the world's oldest suspended railway

Why suspended rail is rare / technical tradeoffs

• Commenters dispute the claim that suspended systems are inherently quieter; some report the Wuppertal line as “quite loud” due to sway and wheel–rail angles.
• A major drawback is “lock‑in”: suspended stock can’t easily transition to ground-level or underground track, unlike elevated conventional rail.
• Structures work mostly in tension, needing large steel box beams and complex joints, versus simpler concrete viaducts in compression.
• Tight cornering is one reason to consider suspended or monorail systems, but normal rail already manages curves via wheel/axle geometry; benefits are debated.

Use cases, cost, and alternatives

• Wuppertal’s steep, narrow valley and river corridor make an over‑river suspended line unusually suitable.
• Elsewhere, commenters say a concrete viaduct with standard trains, or straddle-beam monorails, are typically cheaper and more flexible.
• Monorails can be cheaper than fully elevated conventional lines but more expensive than surface rail; junctions and tunnels are technically and financially painful.
• Lack of standards and single‑vendor dependence for monorails/suspended systems raise long‑term maintenance and spare‑parts concerns.

Noise, safety, and maintenance

• Safety record is seen as strong: only one major fatal accident in over a century, attributed to maintenance failures rather than design.
• Discussion highlights the importance of night‑time maintenance, end‑of‑shift safety checks, and tracking “near misses” to prevent repeats.
• The famous baby elephant fall is treated as a quirky historical footnote.

Aesthetics, shadows, and urban form

• Strong split on appearance: some see the structure as grotesque over a river; others prefer it to burying waterways in culverts or freeways.
• Debate over shadows: one side calls them a blight; others argue the slim profile is far less intrusive than full elevated roads or rail.
• Old vs modern cityscapes trigger a broader argument about car-centric redesign, wartime destruction, architectural ornament, and costs.
• Side thread compares historic horse‑manure problems with modern car pollution and noise.

History, longevity, and uniqueness

• Commenters clarify that the Schwebebahn predates the unified city of Wuppertal; it was jointly planned by the earlier municipalities.
• Its continuous use since 1901 is compared to other very old rail and bridge infrastructures that remain central today.
• Suspended systems are extremely rare worldwide; currently only a handful operate, mostly in Germany, Japan, and China.

Cultural presence, tourism, and logistics

• People share first encounters—from thinking it was a roller coaster to seeing it in comics and YouTube travel videos.
• Some recommend combining visits with other rail/monorail trips in Japan or clubbing in Wuppertal.
• One tangent describes difficulties using an Interrail pass on an international ICE, with expensive on‑train seat reservations.