Germany’s Cabinentaxi: The Double-Sided Monorail That Wasn’t Meant To Be
1 min read
Summary
The 1970s were a time when alternative transport solutions were flourishing amidst the global oil crisis.
One such option was the Cabinentaxi or C-Bahn, a people-mover concept featuring pods that rode on top or below a suspended track.
The system was tested over six years and performed well, but it was never rolled out commercially due to budget constraints.
Very few people have heard of the Cabinentaxi, but there is a Wikipedia entry and a dedicated German-language website on the technology.
The C-Bahn could be considered a precursor to modern personal rapid transport (PRT) systems, which offer on-demand travel between any two stations without delays.
This level of flexibility is not seen in today’s public transport, even with the advent of self-driving cars.
However, the economics of the C-Bahn system ultimately proved its downfall, raising questions as to whether a revival is possible in the future.
