Appalling state of the monorail cabins

[ford91exploder]

This I agree with. Back in the 80s I toured Boston's Red line (subway) maintenance station as part of my internship with the DOT. Back then, the red line was considered the model for which other maintenance stations would copy. The trains were driven in over maintenance bays and two teams went to work on each and every train: one above for cleaning and items like lights/doors, even ads, and one in the pits for the power system, brakes, etc. They were able to scrub all the trains clean every night between shutdown and start up. I forget what those hours were, but to be sure it wasn't any longer than what Disney has, and they have more trains. When job cuts started coming along in the 90s, that's when the maintenance started dropping.

It's all about manpower. They don't even need to bring them into the 'roundhouse' (which isn't round, LOL) to clean.

Being from boston generally its 1AM to 430 AM when the red line shuts down for maintenance, If you are a regular rider you notice they STILL clean the cars every night because if you are an early AM rider the floors have been cleaned and you can tell

 

[Incomudro]

Those airport trains (they're not monorails by the way) are actually kept in very good shape. One set is as old as the Mark VI monorails and the other was refurbished around the same time WDW got the Mark VI's.

In this article the passenger they highlighted was actually shocked to learn how old they were. How shocked do you think someone riding a WDW monorail would be to learn it's a 25 year old train.
http://articles.orlandosentinel.com...lando-international-airport-airsides-shuttles

Perhaps WDW could send their maintenance/custodial management to the Orlando Airport to learn what they are doing right and apply it at WDW. After all they get high traffic and short downtimes just like WDW.

Interesting, thanks.
I didn't realize the Orlando Airport trains aren't monorails, my mistake.
In any event, yes Disney's got no excuse here.
Remember, that unlike an attraction one may be walking or riding through and conceivably miss flaws, on the monorail one is standing still and if they aren't looking outside - one has a lot of opportunity to notice their surroundings in the car.
The monorail should be a gleaming symbol of the park.
I can't imagine how WDW can't have an ample supply of panels, carpet, and parts to be readily swapped in place of damaged pieces.
Incidentally, I ride the NYC subway 5 days a week - and most of the cars are in great condition.
Decades ago they were a disaster.

 

[ford91exploder]

Interesting, thanks.
I didn't realize the Orlando Airport trains aren't monorails, my mistake.
In any event, yes Disney's got no excuse here.
Remember, that unlike an attraction one may be walking or riding through and conceivably miss flaws, on the monorail one is standing still and if they aren't looking outside - one has a lot of opportunity to notice their surroundings in the car.
The monorail should be a gleaming symbol of the park.
I can't imagine how WDW can't have an ample supply of panels, carpet, and parts to be readily swapped in place of damaged pieces.
Incidentally, I ride the NYC subway 5 days a week - and most of the cars are in great condition.
Decades ago they were a disaster.

It's a matter of the WILL to do it as NYC found out.

 

[Incomudro]

It's a matter of the WILL to do it as NYC found out.

Yes!
We New Yorkers spent much of our lives believing that it just had to be that way.
That graffiti filled, (inside and out) filthy, crime ridden subway cars with no AC was the best NYC was capable of.
Just accept it.
If NYC can do it, so can Disney.

 

[ABQ]

Being from boston generally its 1AM to 430 AM when the red line shuts down for maintenance, If you are a regular rider you notice they STILL clean the cars every night because if you are an early AM rider the floors have been cleaned and you can tell

During my discussion with WDW Customer service regarding the monorail condition, I brought up the T. As I rode the Red, Green, Orange and purple(commuter rail) daily for 15 years. Coincidentally, the customer service rep, Howard, had ridden the green line for 5 years.
I stated, how can the T, which claims to lose more money every year than the post office, keep their trains clean, at least to start the rush hour each morning, when WDW which prints money, cannot? He had no answer. Tried to pull the hours of operation line, to which I said, no excuse when you're profitable. I asked how Disneyland does it so well? He claimed they have shorter hours of operation there as well. I don't know if that's true as I'm not one who spends much time in Anaheim. Still, with less time to turn around a clean train, you just need more people. I kept going back to the same argument, they were able to clean them properly in the past with the same hours of operation, if not longer hours. As didn't we confirm Epcot used to stay open later then 9:30 back in the day? So at least that line was running longer than it does currently. I passed the OP's pictures on to them, they did look at them while I was on the phone. I did not claim they were my images, but just that they were taken this month.
One issue, and I'm not sure it was brought up already, is that WDW and DLR are sharing the same management of all rail systems, meaning monorail and steam trains at both parks overseen by the same department. He termed it "streamlining" which I giggled at and told him to just call it a cutback. He admitted these people do not ride the trains, either type. I informed him that ruling from an ivory tower is NOT good for customer satisfaction.

 

[Cesar R M]

You don't think having less time to maintain the trains is relevant? You can't buy extra hours during the day, so having all the money in the world won't help that.

Also, anyone who thinks that they can just take a train out of circulation for a short period of time without chaos ensuing, just go ahead and read the monorails down thread on this very forum.

.. still finding a way to excuse disney...
wow.. there are no words!

 

[lazyboy97o]

We're talking about appreciating good decisions, not poor ones. Refurbishing a train is a good decision. And I've found that the constant ******** and whining that permeates this current generation has done much more to ruin 'vacations' than anything Disney is doing.

Again, if you don't like what they're doing fine, but it does not give one the right to mock those that do. It just makes you look petty.

Maintenance should not be a decision. And waiting to the last moment is not a decision, it is having one's hand forced.

I have also not mocked anyone.

 

[raymusiccity]

Maintenance should not be a decision. And waiting to the last moment is not a decision, it is having one's hand forced.

I have also not mocked anyone.

I agree, but wouldn't categorize this threads theme that the monorail system is 'appalling'. I'd hazard a guess that 99% of visitors don't go looking for flaws, but are busy excitedly looking out the window at the Seven Seas Lagoon, passing resorts or sightseeing in general.

"As of 2013, the system is one of the most heavily used monorail systems in the world with over 150,000 daily riders,[1] surpassed only by the monorail system run by Chongqing Rail Transit in Chongqing, China, which holds the record for the world's busiest monorail system with over 500,000 riders per day on average on Line 3 alone."

I think it's remarkable that the interiors are holding up as well as they are, considering the abuse that present day riders inflict on them!

 

[Kman101]

It's cute how even with pictures, the defenders just refuse to admit there's a problem. That's why they get away with what they get away with. Gloomers and the dusters need to find a bit more of a middle ground. Sometimes it really isn't AS bad (certain things, the monorails are in horrible shape) as it seems but sometimes it really isn't as sunshine and roses as it seems.

Why can't some understand that years of neglect, heck, weeks or months of neglect lead to this. Why is that OK? Is it a small blip? Sure, but it's still an issue, an important one, in the grand scheme of how WDW is run.

 

[ToInfinityAndBeyond]

It's not the end of the world and it shouldn't ruin your vacation, but you're silly if you don't see the problems. Don't take the photograph's word for it? Go see for yourself. I still love Disney as much as I did 20 years ago. I just want clean, pretty monorails. Kthnx.

 

[Incomudro]

I agree, but wouldn't categorize this threads theme that the monorail system is 'appalling'. I'd hazard a guess that 99% of visitors don't go looking for flaws, but are busy excitedly looking out the window at the Seven Seas Lagoon, passing resorts or sightseeing in general.

"As of 2013, the system is one of the most heavily used monorail systems in the world with over 150,000 daily riders,[1] surpassed only by the monorail system run by Chongqing Rail Transit in Chongqing, China, which holds the record for the world's busiest monorail system with over 500,000 riders per day on average on Line 3 alone."

I think it's remarkable that the interiors are holding up as well as they are, considering the abuse that present day riders inflict on them!

At the risk of repeating myself; you don't need to look for the flaws.
They're readily apparent.
It makes the monorail look like something you'd expect at Great Adventure rather than Walt Disney World.
Again, the monorail represents the park.
They should be gleaming inside as well as out.

 

[wdw71fan]

The condition of the trains is only PART of the problem.. Take a look at the beam on the way into MK next time you are there.. There is an arrestor cable broken away from the beam that has been that way for nearly a year..

The problem is with the SYSTEM as a whole, not just the trains.. They are efforts (and funding) to get it addressed, but it's moving slow because as modern as the system may feel and look.. It's quite dated compared to newer systems.

 

[s8film40]

Of course if you think the cars are bad you should see the cabs.

 

[ABQ]

Of course if you think the cars are bad you should see the cabs.

With zero intent to diminish the tragedy which took place, this is probably an equal reason why they don't let guests in the cab any longer, no need to maintain it at all.

 

[raymusiccity]

At the risk of repeating myself; you don't need to look for the flaws.
They're readily apparent.
It makes the monorail look like something you'd expect at Great Adventure rather than Walt Disney World.
Again, the monorail represents the park.
They should be gleaming inside as well as out.

Even with your wished for level of maintenance, early morning riders will be happy.....but, carrying 150,000 riders in one day (including toddlers dripping and wiping), latecomers will be 'appalled' at all of the wear and tear. I think a generation ago, riders were more respectful of their surroundings. You could probably start a new thread of 'Monorail riders did what?....oh, yes they did!'

 

[s8film40]

Even with your wished for level of maintenance, early morning riders will be happy.....but, carrying 150,000 riders in one day (including toddlers dripping and wiping), latecomers will be 'appalled' at all of the wear and tear. I think a generation ago, riders were more respectful of their surroundings. You could probably start a new thread of 'Monorail riders did what?....oh, yes they did!'

I would be shocked to learn that riders could fade carpet, rub paint off of surfaces, tear seats, create water damage and grow mold all in the course of a day.

 

[Cesar R M]

Of course if you think the cars are bad you should see the cabs.

maybe they want these units to fall apart so they buy a new version?
I have no idea how they could let these units fall into disrepair that badly.

 

[dstrawn9889]

--- not keeping the cockpit glass sealed will do that kind of damage

 

[s8film40]

--- not keeping the cockpit glass sealed will do that kind of damage

Actually that's from a bad seal on the roof hatch, which explains the rust mixed in with the water damage since the hatch has metal parts.

 

[freediverdude]

They better not be doing this so that someday they'll have an excuse to shut down the monorails for good, or they will have a lot of angry Disney fans on their hands.