Las Vegas Monorail
| Company type | Nonprofit corporation |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Founded | 1995 |
| Fate | Ownership assumed by Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority in 2020 |
| Headquarters | Las Vegas , United States |
Area served | Las Vegas Strip, Clark County, Nevada |
Key people | Curtis Myles (former president) |
| Products | Automated monorail transit service |
| Owner | Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (since 2020) |
The Las Vegas Monorail is an automated monorail transit system running along the Las Vegas Strip in Clark County, Nevada, linking prominent casinos within the unincorporated areas of Paradise and Winchester. Built at a total expense of $650 million, it was initially privately owned and operated by the Las Vegas Monorail Company until its bankruptcy in 2020. Subsequently, ownership was assumed by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, a governmental entity. In 2022, annual passenger numbers reached about 4.3 million, a decline from the 7.9 million peak recorded in 2007 before the recession. The monorail functions as a registered nonprofit corporation under Nevada statutes, offering public transportation services. Although the State of Nevada supported bond issuance for financing, no public capital was utilized for its construction.
1995–2002: MGM Grand-Bally's Monorail
Service commenced in 1995 under the name MGM Grand-Bally's Monorail, a collaboration between MGM Grand Hotel, Inc., and Bally's Grand Inc. This initial system connected the MGM Grand and Bally's properties using two refurbished Mark IV monorail trains originally from Walt Disney World. VSL Corporation was responsible for construction. The trains operated bidirectionally on each beam, with maintenance facilities located near Bally's station.
2002–present: Las Vegas Monorail
In 2002, the system was temporarily closed to undergo transformation into what is now known as the Las Vegas Monorail. The track was extended northward to reach the Sahara Hotel and south beyond the MGM property to accommodate possible future expansions. The original trains were replaced with nine new Bombardier Mark VI monorail vehicles.
Delays caused by testing setbacks and technical issues—including incidents involving parts detaching from trains—delayed passenger service commencement by nearly a year. The line officially launched on July 15, 2004, but safety concerns forced a closure lasting almost four months later that year; operations resumed on December 24 following necessary repairs. Each period of shutdown reportedly resulted in approximately $85,000 in daily lost fare revenue.
The monorail effectively handled large volumes of passengers during the 2005 Consumer Electronics Show. In July of that year, Transit Systems Management ended its operational role, transferring management to the Las Vegas Monorail Company led by President Curtis Myles, who previously served as deputy general manager for the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada. A feasibility study for extending service to the airport received approval later that same year.
On January 13, 2010, the Las Vegas Monorail filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection; this filing did not interrupt ongoing operations. The closure of the Sahara Hotel in 2011 contributed to decreased ridership in 2012; however, passenger numbers improved following the opening of SLS Las Vegas on that site in 2014.
Plans to add an infill station at Sphere were indefinitely postponed as of 2020, with discussions resuming only after the venue became operational.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the monorail again filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in September 2020. By December of that year, ownership had shifted to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA).
In 2024, reports emerged suggesting a possible shutdown by 2028 due to discontinued parts availability; these claims were denied by LVCVA officials who did not disclose detailed future plans. In May 2025, LVCVA CEO Steve Hill announced that $12 million in funding had been secured to maintain operations through 2035, highlighting the nearby New Las Vegas Stadium as an important factor. Following any eventual closure, plans call for integrating the existing monorail tracks into the Vegas Loop transit network.
Operations
The initial phase of the project, the monorail, begins at the MGM Grand located near the southern tip of the Strip and runs approximately parallel to its eastern edge. It makes stops at the Convention Center and Westgate Las Vegas before terminating at the Sahara hotel toward the northern end. Covering 3.9 miles, the journey lasts around fifteen minutes.
Positioned behind hotels and casinos on the east side of the Strip, the monorail often requires passengers to walk through casino interiors to access the Strip itself. This indirect route combined with ticket pricing has contributed to a slower rate of ridership growth.
System name and sponsorship
The system bears the name Robert N. Broadbent Las Vegas Monorail in honor of Robert N. Broadbent, who played a key role in gaining public and governmental backing; it opened soon after his death in 2003. The Las Vegas Monorail Company manages operations.
Funding is generated through ticket sales alongside corporate sponsorship agreements, with naming rights for seven stations and nine trains valued at multimillion-dollar levels. Hansens Beverage was the first to sponsor a train, promoting its Monster Energy product. Nextel Communications sponsored the largest station near the Convention Center, which featured a themed pavilion. After Nextel merged with Sprint in 2005, Nextel Central was renamed Sprint Central; however, Sprint Nextel concluded its sponsorship by early 2008.
Construction and planning
The design of the Las Vegas Monorail was created by Gensler of Nevada, while engineering was handled by local firm Carter & Burgess (now part of Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc.). The construction contract was awarded to California-based Granite Construction, Inc., a prominent civil contractor in the United States.
Bombardier Transportation developed both the vehicles and signaling systems, utilizing technology proven in monorail operations at Walt Disney World. Bombardier supplied the Mark VI Monorail trains used in both Walt Disney World and Las Vegas.
Stations
Stations listed from north to south:
| Name | Platform type | Coordinates | Photo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sahara | Side | Lua error: callParserFunction: function "#coordinates" was not found. | |
| Westgate | Island | Lua error: callParserFunction: function "#coordinates" was not found. | |
| Convention Center | Island | Lua error: callParserFunction: function "#coordinates" was not found. | |
| Harrah's & The Linq | Island | Lua error: callParserFunction: function "#coordinates" was not found. | |
| Flamingo & Caesars Palace | Island | Lua error: callParserFunction: function "#coordinates" was not found. | |
| Horseshoe & Paris | Island | Lua error: callParserFunction: function "#coordinates" was not found. | |
| MGM Grand | Island | Lua error: callParserFunction: function "#coordinates" was not found. |
Trains
The monorail fleet consists of nine fully automated Bombardier MVI trains, each composed of four cars, resembling the six-car Mark VI monorails formerly operated at Walt Disney World (which were manually driven until 2014). The guideway adheres to the "ALWEG" track specification.
At launch, service operated as the MGM Shuttle between MGM and Bally’s stations using two retired Mark IV trains from the Walt Disney World Monorail System for seven years before extending service.
Although bearing similarities to the original ALWEG design—such as that seen in Seattle—the Las Vegas trains incorporate unique suspension and propulsion mechanisms. The ALWEG Mark VI system employs two large inline truck tires per car that bear weight on a concrete guideway, accompanied by eight guide tires positioned on either side.
Each four-car train has a total capacity near 240 passengers (with seating for 80 and standing room for 160), roughly equivalent to two articulated buses. The highest speed attainable is , but this is reached only on a brief straight section along the route.
Downtown Las Vegas extension
Phase 2 initially envisioned expanding the line along Main Street into Downtown Las Vegas, with stops planned at the Stratosphere Hotel, Charleston Boulevard, Bonneville Avenue, and Main Street Station. Construction was anticipated to begin in 2005, with operations commencing in 2008. Nevertheless, the absence of federal funding in 2004 brought the project to a halt. On January 27, 2005, the federal authorities rejected financial support for the $400 million initiative.
The system targeted a January 2004 launch and aimed to cover its financial obligations by drawing between 19 and 20 million passengers annually. However, delays coupled with a four-month service interruption diminished revenue, playing a significant role in the refusal of funding for Phase 2.
Airport extension
The Phase 2 plan was modified to extend southward from MGM Grand Station to Harry Reid International Airport. This proposal encountered resistance from limousine and taxi services, which rely heavily on airport transportation business. Conversely, multiple hotel and casino proprietors along the Strip expressed preference for this airport extension over the downtown route.
On December 7, 2006, Clark County commissioners gave their approval for the airport extension proposal, although funding sources remained unspecified.
By September 9, 2008, detailed plans outlined an airport extension beginning at Terminal 3 with a stop near Terminal 1. The route would then continue along Swenson Street and Tropicana Avenue before reconnecting behind MGM Grand. This expansion, funded privately, would add approximately four miles to the system’s length, effectively doubling it.
Originally projected to be completed by 2012 using private investment, as of March 2011 the project remained in the planning phase and included a proposed station serving the UNLV campus.
In May 2015, the monorail operator shifted its priorities toward extending service to Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino and adding an infill station at Sands Expo & Convention Center. Meanwhile, the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada unveiled long-term plans for an underground light rail line beneath the Strip linking Downtown Las Vegas with the airport.
Mandalay Bay extension
In March 2018, Clark County Commission authorized an extension reaching Mandalay Bay, bringing monorail access closer to Allegiant Stadium. Construction was scheduled to commence in June 2018 with a targeted completion date of September 2020 to coincide with both the stadium opening and the inaugural season of the Las Vegas Raiders. By November 2018, plans had expanded to include two new stations: one at Mandalay Bay and another at the Sphere venue, aiming for completion by 2021. However, funding challenges surfaced in May 2019 causing delays in construction progress; as of March 2020 no definitive timeline exists for starting or completing this extension.