The Merry Hill Monorail - Part 1

The first of two films which show the monorail which used to be at the Merry Hill shopping centre / retail park in the West Midlands and linked it with the nearby Waterfront area.
The monorail opened in 1991 but only operated until 1996, and in 2001 was shipped off to Australia.
The footage used in this film was taken over several visits, plus there are a few comparative scenes (only still images) which were sourced in April 2010.
The Merry Hill site is a former steel works and comprises of a large shopping centre plus several stand-alone retail units at various locations within the larger retail park. The monorail linked some of the peripheral retail units (Boulevard) with two stations serving the shopping centre (Times Square & Central Station) and one at an offsite location nearby (Waterfront East) where there was also a large overflow car park. The original plans included extending the monorail within the Waterfront area, with a terminus at a fifth station (Waterfront West), and then even further in to the West Midlands area, but none of these plans came to pass.
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Some 2013 footage of the disused Central Station can be seen here: (someone else's film) • Exclusive video from m...

[@georgetownsend6813]

I remember riding on that as a kid going Christmas shopping with my dad. It was the coolest thing ever when your 9 and still is.

[@Goodchappy]

I thought I was looking at the future when I saw this, I can't believe it has gone, what a waste.

[@Nastranai]

This really was before its time. I was only five when the monorail was closed, but I still remember journeying on it with my parents. Thanks for sharing this footage with us!

[@LearnToFly182]

What a crying shame this was not invested in. Just looking at some of the details and structures around the monorail and the car park makes you remember why as a kid, coming to Merry Hill was more than just shopping: it was a genuine experience and an event. Seeing how bland it is these days as it seems to succumb to online shopping is an absolute tragedy. The monorail was absolutely awesome and with the right planning would have transformed this shopping centre.

[@CitytransportInfoplus]

I agree - too much myopia amongst transport planners

[@KRPTV]

The circular lift at Central station has also now been replaced with a standard square shaped lift, shame really, as a child I also used to have a fascination with lifts as well as the monorail and the lift shown here at Central Station was one of my favourites!

[@PolishAviationStaffordshire]

Merry Hill became Merry Hell after that closed down!

[@notlob444]

I remember going on the monorail as a young man ...looking back now, this new travel mode in the black country was a bit like The Public is now .. Years will pass before we all forget about this long lost monarail ... love the two vidios....oh for got to say that when i worked on british rail i often went into merry hill (round oak then ) in my job ;>)

[@mildredsmittens]

Merry Hill was very cutting edge for it's time. As a teen I used to journey there on two buses from Wolverhampton (it took ages) to experience the future of shopping. I think the Richardson twins had big plans back then but most of their ideas never got funding/planning. I think they wanted the worlds tallest tower to be built there too if memory serves me correctly. Regarding the monorail - why did it need a driver? Surely this small system could have been automated? An added unnecessary cost.

[@jackroom6260]

is there anyway we can see the uncut version of this video? because i assume you had to walk around the shopping centre, so i would like to see what the place used to look like inside when they had the phileas fogg food court.

[@timma_j]

BRING BACK THE MONORAIL!!

[@richjj1978]

There is a building on the other side of the canal in waterfront west that may well have been the intended fifth station. Its a rather strange looking, mostly glass building directly opposite the bridge. It used to house a bar downstairs and I think it was briefly a gym upstairs. Its now an office. The design is very similar to some of the freestanding stations.

[@Ben_3113]

Interesting, I know the building you mean

[@thebrummierailenthusiasts5329]

I saw the remains of central station whilst I was down there and it was a shame that they closed it before I was born

[@AlisonBryen]

Haha! Remember using the merry hill monorail in the early 1990s! Fun times!!!! Didn't last five minutes though!

[@CitytransportInfoplus]

@Grecra02 They are! The Alton Towers monorail trains came from the 1986 Expo 86 in Vancouver, Canada. I have a little of those trains, but only on super 8 cine film, and not digitised.

[@whiteheadmark]

so stupid to have it removed big mistake

[@CitytransportInfoplus]

I agree... it should have been extended so that people can get to the shopping centre without travelling on congested roads by car or bus.

[@AlisonBryen]

citytransportinfo Would have been an excellent idea given what parking is like at Merry Hill...

[@niazpetkar53]

With the current metro system in Birmingham to the Black Country extension, they should have gone as far as Merry Hill

[@KRPTV]

I've lost count of how many times I have commented on this video now but every now and then I watch it just because of the nostalgia! Can't believe it has been over ten years now since this video was uploaded! A few things how changed now since then. 😁😁😁

[@andybarker8787]

Me too!

[@daveslawinski9522]

All you had to do was play rave music on the train and in the station, instant success you would have made millions.

[@cookski27]

👊😁👊

[@CitytransportInfoplus]

@Mr20938 I noticed that it had changed quite a bit when I visited the Merry Hill shopping centre last April. That was probably my first visit since the monorail closed, Simon

[@MarkGenner-xz4zu]

Merry Hill's 40th Anniversary Since 1985.

[@grumpyiam6300]

I imagine it now in the ‘Black Country Museum’.

[@trainrover]

I might've said this before, but virtually nobody remembers when muzak played throughout all our metro stations. We used to laugh at the c h e e s y instrumental renditions, covers of fortnight-old songs originally sung by AC/DC, The Eurythmics, or Madonna, etc. By the 1990s the copyright fees became too expensive for the MUCTC to cover.

[@gazzab3224]

I use to love travelling on this. Can't believe it's gone. Was supposed to be the future of transport. It was a big reason why I use to visit Merry Hill centre. Hardly ever go there anymore.

[@CitytransportInfoplus]

Apart from when filming this I've only been there once since the monorail closed. I also used to go much more.

[@MidlandNinja]

it only lasted about 5 years didn't it

[@Brian_rock_railfan]

great video liked why was the monorail taken down ?🚝🙂😢more monorails not less !

[@CitytransportInfoplus]

A big shame it was taken down - it should have been extended so that people could get to the shopping centre without the traffic congestion

[@seaside-dn8dp]

I honestly hate how corrupt and silly it was to get rid of the monorail. I wasnt born In the 20th century but why did they have to tear down the monorail to make way for a stinky motorway with buses and cars whitch are boring, less efficient and stupid. Not to mention bad for the environment. Why do people think that cars and buses are the answer and not monorails, trains and rail transport

[@CitytransportInfoplus]

I think that after the 1955 rail strike the civil servants and government set out the build up road transport as a way of preventing the country almost coming to a halt because of a train strike.

[@trainrover]

Because corporateers *must* triumph: welcome to America, pal.. .. . .

[@trainrover]

And if the corporateers do want to pet you with a railway option, then they saddle you with one tellingly devised with planned obsolesence, like the complementary metro system that's being built here. The people lapping the shittiness all up is what maddens you more.. .. . .

[@davidholden2658]

They didn't tear down the monorail and replace it with a motorway, it was only connecting a car park to a shopping centre. They tore it down because it kept breaking down and cost a fortune to keep repairing.

[@androidemulator6952]

..and we had it here in Sydney for a number of years.( thought it looked familiar..). Dismantled and sold quite recently. Now Sydney has gone back to trams (which, ironically, were themselves pulled up and dumped in the 1960s..).

[@gamercoolcraft4208]

I wish there was a protest around merry hill about *bring back monorail it was so good pls*

[@CitytransportInfoplus]

I think that the plan is for the Midland Metro tram to go to Merry Hill. But I have no idea when this will come to pass.

[@susievanhalen]

@@CitytransportInfoplus that would be amazing... will be ages though I bet, it's barely in edgbaston 😂

[@Simonoutdoors01]

I remember it from the 90's ;)

[@ivanahavitoff7308]

to improve the winter ambiance.......ambiance at merry hill???

[@CitytransportInfoplus]

LOL

[@AlisonBryen]

ivana havitoff everything has an ambience of sorts. ..even the firey pits of hell!

[@Sarge92]

in fairness merryhill in the 90s was a way different place i used to kind it magical as a kid theyd put up tons of decorarions at christmas there would be the huge tree with santas grotto beneath then there was the giant looney toons charecters in the one hall today its just sad they put up a handfull of lights and call it done

[@absentjake123]

Reminds me of the recently defunct sydney monorail.

[@CitytransportInfoplus]

they both used the same technology - I have a video on the Sydney system too. Filmed in 1991.

[@DandamanV]

Looks exactly the same!

[@kieranbaker9334]

It is the same one, i think i read somewhere it was used at the oasis centre in Sydney

[@tonybailey7037]

And the Monorail at the Oasis Centre in broadbeach in Queensland is now defunct as well. So, were the bits from merry Hill never used or did they become spare parts?

[@jackroom6260]

If u think this is cool checkout my video of what central station looks like now ( 30/5/2013 ) its really interesting !!!!

[@davidfearis7335]

I remember being on that monorail myself when I was just a toddler, the monorail should be here to stay to make life easier for everyone, it was the next closest thing you could get to riding on a train

[@CitytransportInfoplus]

It should have been extended, not closed. As it travelled 'off-street' it was immune to all traffic congestion.

[@markgenner5743]

Merry Hill Since 1985

[@TheTimmynatoRex]

Why did they even close it? This would be very useful nowadays, especially with the West Midlands Metro extension to Merry Hill under construction.

[@CitytransportInfoplus]

Alas but I did not film the Phileas Fogg food court, which if I recalll correctly was close to Times Square station. The staff near the station told me that whilst they could see no reason for my not filming the monorail, under no circumstances was I to take any photos - moving or still - of the food court. There was some sort of copyright, although I no longer recall the exact details. Elsewhere I had no such problems, I just set up my tripod and filmed away...

[@AlisonBryen]

citytransportinfo oh wow that was where the huge balloon was! It's all coming back to me now! Just like the fountain with the cast metal birds!

[@Mr1980BLUES]

Used to break down loads

[@sirjambon]

Such a symbol of 80's optimism to have a monorail in a shopping centre. Just brilliant

[@CitytransportInfoplus]

...and such a shame that its not still there!

[@egyptoverseasco412]

I still remember the cold air coming upon us. While opening the gate that keeps the station warm. Also the music and the sounds of the train

[@ellealcornpiano]

Who’s here in 2021?

[@CitytransportInfoplus]

@aaronblueyonder1 At one stage I heard Ravel's Bolero, this being the music Torvill & Dean danced to when the won the Olympic ice skating.

[@Thomasm3000]

Mono = One Rail = Rail

[@gazzab3224]

We went on this . Shame it's gone. We miss it. Supposed to be transport of the future.

[@GK1976A]

This is all very nice and futuristic, but I still don’t understand this obsession with monorails, trams, electric scooters etc. It’s no wonder we’re all lard arses now. Try using your legs once in a while. I always have done and will continue to walk from Stourbridge, where I live to Merry Hill. Even when carrying bags of shopping. I cannot stand the traffic, parking or shit public transport.

[@Shorts88898]

Who’s watching this video in 2020

[@philh8288]

2023 for some reason

[@passtheparcel2024]

I remembers, when they had the monorail. It was gonna be extended, but it didn't happen. Instead it was demolished a few yrs later. I visited there in the early 90s..l

[@Macho_Fantastico]

I went to do some work experience at Merry Hill and one of the staff told us these monorail cars are now operation in Japan. That was about ten years ago however. Still have fond memories of it as a kid. I believe it was removed due to safety concerns.

[@niazpetkar53]

The monorail was actually shipped to Australia not Japan back in the mid 90's

[@mysteriousmat]

This was big thing early 90s part of merry hill experience as kid this was very cool.very American feel.to it didn't last like most things in uk 🙄 somethings dint change grey skies!!

[@peanutismint]

this is amazing! Sad that it's no longer there. Great video tho, thanks!

[@PuffTastic]

this is fascinating to me, merry hill has seriously gone down recently it's just turned into a food court with minimal decorations which is extremely quiet compared to what I remember, the area where all the banks used to be is also completely boarded up now with one or two odd charity shops and banks there, I'm upset I wasn't alive to experience this not even close! I was born in 06 so the monorail was long shut.. I always used to wonder what the remains of the monorail were when I was younger but never actually looked it up until today, really sad to see what I missed

[@CitytransportInfoplus]

I've not been to this shopping centre since I filmed part two. I had no need to go there and without the monorail there was no 'usp' (unique selling point) to entice me to go there. As for shops ... there are plenty much nearer home!

[@ryannicholls8985]

Big mistake getting rid of it the centre was way better back in the day!

[@AintBigAintClever]

The bit heard at 5:28 is the theme from the Deer Hunter :)

[@theangletosideofsauce7070]

AintBigAintClever 5:28

[@wilfstor3078]

5:21 Any idea what that RNLI Lifeboat was doing on a trailer in the carpark?

[@vkman34]

But there are no drivers on Docklands Light Railway, never have been - there is a Passenger Service Agent (or Train Guard to you and me) who helps out and can deal with emergencies. The underground in Copenhagen has no staff on the trains at all.

[@larryhooverpedofilekillerc4177]

Hello,THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO,BUT THATS ALSO BY YOU PRESENTING THIS VIDEO. THANKS GOOD AFTERNOON.

[@CitytransportInfoplus]

Hello Daniel, thank you for your kind words. Simon

[@michaelturner4457]

I remember ridding on the Merry Hell Monorail in early 90s.

[@philh8288]

Well sir, theres nothing on Earth like a genuine bona-fide, electrified 6 car monorail- Lyle lanley; Lanley went on to sell the idea to dudley merry hill, by saying he'd sold monorails to, Brockway, Ogdenville North Haverbrook and he put them on the map!!!, He's probably, more famous the Springfield, monorail. Sadly ALL had a very similar outcome. Leaving the residents of Brierley Hill to deny there was ever a monorail!

[@CitytransportInfoplus]

Monorail technology is great, and these trains were nice enough, but I think they were the wrong design for the service. Their capacity was too low. Elsewhere there are much higher capacity monorail trains ... much more like duorail trains. Had higher capacity trains been used then maybe the system would still be there today - with not just with the originally planned extensions built but more extensions too! Even on this small system it was great to be able to bypass slow, congested road traffic

[@H56-e8o]

Merry hill is now merry hell

[@CitytransportInfoplus]

This explains the problems getting the Midland Metro funded, and why nowadays the only public transports serving the Merry Hill area are diesel motor buses, these being the least effective in getting people who have a choice to choose to use public transport.

[@CitytransportInfoplus]

@duxberry It is also possible that the monorail fell foul of government transport policies, which you may recall were to look at all transport modes (train, tram, bus, etc) and always choose the cheapest, no matter whether a different mode would do the job better.

[@susievanhalen]

Here I sit watching this, and enjoying it, thinking how people who didn't grow up here would think wtf why are you watching thisss?? 😂😂

[@EmArgh]

Looking back at this you can really see why it cost so much. A driver in each train, all the maintenance, and to be fair, it was served well by buses etc - I remember going there around 95/96 and it wasn't never full. Maybe on a Saturday at times, but it was barely used.

[@KRPTV]

I'd love to know where exactly they were planning on building 'Waterfront West', my guess is somewhere around the other side of the Waterfront buildings but I guess we'll never know now!

[@Mr1980BLUES]

It was/is on the other side of the canal opposite wetherspoons. Was a club, indian restaurant then a gym.

[@KRPTV]

@@Mr1980BLUES Oh right, by Weatherspoons do you mean The Waterfront Inn? So in other words if they had have built the station would you have been able to see it from the window if you were having a drink at The Waterfront Inn?

[@Mr1980BLUES]

KRPTV Yes, theres a bridge that crosses the canal (not the road bridge) and the station that would have been is directly opposite. Looks like its the Black Country Consortium now.

[@KRPTV]

@@Mr1980BLUES Ah yes I know where you mean, I've just had a look at it on Google maps. Thanks for that, I've been wanting to know that since I was a child! Did you have something to do with the monorail then?

[@Mr1980BLUES]

No I had no connection to it. Just local knowledge that it was going to be the next station till the whole system got abandoned.

[@dogsent]

When England wasn't quite as shit x

[@CitytransportInfoplus]

@Grecra02 They are! The Alton Tower monorail originated at Expo86 in Vacouver, BC, Canada, in 1986. Afterwards they were sold to Alton Towers. A similar monorail is used in Sydney, Australia. A film of these is planned, but whilst its in the queue it will be a few months before it is ready.

[@CitytransportInfoplus]

@CoachAlex1996 Its a long story - but essentially it was because no-one saw the value in it (my opinion).

[@gamercoolcraft4208]

When I was at merry hill I saw a sign waterfront east and somthing else I just don't know why was it related to this?

[@CitytransportInfoplus]

there was a car park at Waterfront east and this was useful as it was a little outside the main site so that the monorail train could be used as a park & ride.

[@aaronblueyonder1]

what was the music they played on the trains

[@elliotdevlin616]

you now have to walk to the retail park

[@cshotla1]

Great! But where is the rest of the journey, Verns & The Boulevard station?

[@CitytransportInfoplus]

When I made this film I was limited to 10 minutes duration, so the rest of the monorail had to be in a second film

[@AlexMetroman]

@citytransportinfo hmmmmm...that's a shame...was there a lack of ridership?

[@wayneheyes4934]

They need to put it back in!

[@CitytransportInfoplus]

yes!

[@eurogoalshow5071]

2020 anyone?

[@cookski27]

2021 👍

[@charlesgraham4622]

I think what would have made it sound futuristic, and that is if they had a robotic voice , announce all the stations!

[@ClementLeerobloxgamingvideo]

but wait there is Merry Hill Shopping Centre which opened in 1985 and the Monorail is opened in 1991 and the monorail was closed in 1996 and was demolised but central station was still seen on top of Marks and Spencers Store. The Bus station is at the Shopping centre and the Buses are here Now if someone is returning to Central London, How are they going to do?

[@CommandCubist]

I live 2 minuites away from this :D

[@reece3657]

Sfp70 Technology same

[@yixnorb5971]

I live 12 hours away from this.

[@philh8288]

​@@yixnorb5971 youre the luck one 😅

[@gamercoolcraft4208]

Lol at merry hill bus station they improved it but sadly some buses were removed

[@CitytransportInfoplus]

that is truly what people in positions of power call an 'improvement'. Make the place look nicer (ie: give it plenty of 'eye candy') but also make it less good at the main task it is supposed to perform.

[@gamercoolcraft4208]

citytransportinfo at least they had doors

[@bingola45]

Almost two centuries of development, and still nobody has found a use for the monorail.

[@passiton3801]

Yep, I remember going there in the early 90s an seeing it. Short sightedness by the planners. Britain doesn't like innovation..

[@AlexMetroman]

very good so far...may I ask why did it close down?

[@jamesfrench7299]

That looked far larger and more elaborate than Sydney's compact fairground ride of a system in comparison. You even had two ways in parts, only for all that infrastructure to be closed down for good after such a short time. Sydney's lasted 25 years 1988 -2013 and I took one last ride in 2013 and people were still marveling at it.

[@CitytransportInfoplus]

It looked larger but I think the Sydney line was longer. I was sad to see both this and the Sydney line close, and I wonder if Sydney had used the same high capacity monorail trains as in Seattle, USA then maybe it would have been seen in a more favourable light as a serious transport option.

[@gamercoolcraft4208]

I live minutes away from it or what I have to take a x96 from the bus station to take there

[@danknuggz7098]

Used to love merry hill as a kid, the monorail, discovery centre (if I remember the name correctly, now Matalan) the outside McDonald's with the dome play area at the back, the little water fountains inside I used to throw all my mom's coins in lol. Those were the times

[@CitytransportInfoplus]

I wish the monorail was still there! Perhaps with larger higher capacity trains and extended so that more people could get to the shopping centre on the monorail / avoiding traffic congestion.

[@390h8er]

Has anyone noticed the MHM logo on the platform at Waterfront East? It looks exactly like a GWR 'shirtbutton' roundel! Homage to the old GWR perhaps?

[@CitytransportInfoplus]

+390h8er it did seem 'out of place' that they used the symbol of a duorail steam engine as a logo for an electric monorail!

[@EliMaavich]

I remember riding this once as a kid. I wonder what happened 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@Westwoooooooood]

@mildredsmittens Same as mainline trains. Needed for emergencies essentially. i.e. pulling the emergency brake if there's no electrics. I would assume anyway.

[@duxberry1958]

so why was it cancelled dont tell me the idear was too good

[@CitytransportInfoplus]

@duxberry1958 I have heard talk suggesting that the 'elf n safety people were concerned about evacuation, and that there was a dispute between different organisations which owned the shopping centre, the Waterfront area and the monorail itself. What I do not know is exactly what is truth and what is heresay.

[@ClementLeerobloxgamingvideo]

But is not the buses There is Midland Metro in the midlands, London Midlands services from Brimingham Snow Hill and Brimingham New Street Stations in the West Midlands

[@gamercoolcraft4208]

Trams are in birmingham and wholverhampton or no

[@joyous196421]

It was dangerous .. my mum got left on the platform as we we all trying to get on ... imagine if that had been a child ...

[@CitytransportInfoplus]

that is not good - but it can happen on duo-rail railways too.

[@Lil_Lady_Gaga21]

This should come back at Intu Merry Hill Shopping Centre to be honest

[@gamercoolcraft4208]

Laura Stanley I haven't been on it I wanna try try try nowww

[@KRPTV]

Went to Merry Hill last Saturday and noticed that there is now a ceiling across where the lift shaft was so you can't even see up to the station now, I'm hoping that's not a sign that the station's going to be taken down.

[@CitytransportInfoplus]

That will be a shame, but it has been a very long time since the trains ran.

[@KRPTV]

@@CitytransportInfoplus I've always thought it would be a good idea if they made some other use for the station, like turn it into a cafe or something.

[@susievanhalen]

Random ship at 5:25...... 😂

[@gnhansen29]

I haven't seen many monorails like this that resemble the Sydney monorail.

[@CitytransportInfoplus]

I think there is still one at Alton Towers, which is a holiday attraction theme park. This monorail was originally at a six month visitor attraction in Vancouver, Canada called Expo86. I have some film of it there but its one of the things that is still to be published on KZbin.

[@CraigG91]

They look the same as the one's used at Alton Towers

[@aidan1585]

I think it was not very safe..

[@selphieerin4633]

Omg 😲 I went on the merry hill car park and saw the station (even though BHS is closed lol 😂) BTW I see it every time

[@CitytransportInfoplus]

I wish it was still open and had been extended, as originally planned.

[@gamercoolcraft4208]

Mini Unicorn I saw it on a bus near Sainsbury's or what It's just the 25 celebration of the monorail and put some peices there

[@JC-jw2kw]

The good old days when ENGLAND was ENGLAND. To be no more.

[@Paul2377]

John Childress Christ it wasn't that long ago! Lol.

[@JC-jw2kw]

Paul2377 I don't even remember adding this comment.

[@Paul2377]

John Childress No worries. I forgive you.

[@jackroom6260]

But did u record yourself going around the centre

[@socialdistance9602]

Its changed so much