Fixing monorail: A patch job or major overhaul?

A year ago, Santa Claus heralded the revival of the Seattle Center monorail, returning to service after a fire seven months before. "A wonderful train set to have under the Christmas tree for Seattle," one monorail official called it.

This winter, the monorail is on layaway, damaged in a crash of the twin trains near Westlake Center on Nov. 26.

No date has been set for reopening, though a report on proposed repairs is due in a few days.

City officials will face hard choices. Should they restart the line after some quick repairs? Or should they invest millions in safety features — even rebuild portions of the line — to assure reliable service for several decades?

Seattle Monorail Services (SMS), the private company that operates the city-owned trains, says they aren't severely damaged. But even before the collision, Seattle Center director Virginia Anderson told the City Council some maintenance was deferred because the city expected the system to be demolished to make way for a new Ballard-to-West Seattle monorail, the Green Line.

When voters rejected the new monorail Nov. 8, the old monorail was given new life.

City Councilman Richard Conlin, transportation committee chairman, believes the council should consider safety issues before reopening the line. But an independent council inquiry looks unlikely because members seem engaged in other issues, he said.

Councilman Peter Steinbrueck expects political pressure for a restart soon, but said, "this being the second incident in two years, it has significantly raised public concern in the safety of the system — one has to wonder, what's next?"

Westlake Center merchants rely on monorail tourists, and the line is beloved by many locals. In a good year, the monorail carries 2 million people and generates more than $800,000 profit to split between the city and the operating company.

Stu Rolfe, a partner in SMS, said the city should reopen the line soon to generate ticket revenues to fund long-term maintenance.

He said the cash available for upgrades also depends on an insurance claim from last year's fire.

The city and SMS have yet to settle a dispute over insurance payments. In a federal court case, insurers argue they were responsible to pay only for direct losses from the fire, while SMS seeks a $4 million insurance payment that would cover a state-ordered investigation, as well as electrical and fireproofing work on both trains.

Here are some options for the city, some more affordable than others:

Body-and-fender work

All eight cars were gouged but could be fixed quickly because local firms have repair experience.

"I'm optimistic the line can be returned to service, in good working order," said Bill Patz, chief executive of Pacifica Marine, a potential contractor that has fixed the monorail before.

Some of the metal spindles that hold tires in place were bent. But the monorail's unique drive systems, known as bogies, are in good shape, Rolfe said. And Einar Svensson, a structural engineer for the monorail in 1962 who sometimes advises SMS now, said he noticed damage to floors of both trains, but it looks fixable.

Rolfe gave no cost estimate, but when asked if it falls between $1 million and $2 million, he said, "I don't think you're far off."

Run one train

A repeat of the collision — in which the trains sideswiped each other at a point where the tracks converge — could be avoided if only one train runs at a time, said Conlin.

Ridership is low enough most days for a single train to suffice, but the city relies on both to move crowds during Northwest Folklife Festival, Bumbershoot and New Year's Eve.

Even while using both trains, Rolfe said some fairly cheap safeguards are available, such as adding a second traffic signal north of the existing light near the Westin Hotel. (The driver of the southbound train, who allegedly failed to stop at the signal, has been fired.)

Unless the city eliminates the pinch point by moving the tracks, Steinbrueck would want an automatic braking system that would stop the trains if the driver makes a mistake.

Crash-prevention computers

Electronic devices are capable of triggering train alarms, stopping trains or operating trains without drivers.

A state-of-the-art, driverless system costs about $1 million for a one-mile line such as Seattle's, but the cost could hit $5 million to install on the monorail's old motors, said Dale Keller, marketing manager for Pittsburgh-based Alcatel, a worldwide train-control supplier.

Rolfe said he is committed to keeping a driver, which a company manual calls "a unique ambassador to the city."

Parts or new trains?

The Blue Train sports a decal saying it has exceeded 1 million miles since 1962.

SMS soon will propose a maintenance fund of up to $5 million to replace parts that wear out every five to 10 years, said Rolfe. "Our contract is through 2015, and my expectation is this should be running much longer than that," he said.

Svensson said Seattle is overdue to buy a smaller, driverless train, and a second train when funds allow. Trains that Hitachi offered for the Green Line were $8 million each.

Realign the tracks

The pinch point near Westlake Center station has been ridiculed, but fixing it is expensive. Several columns would need to be moved, a change that would require the Westlake Center station to be replaced. (For perspective, Green Line stations were to cost about $10 million each.)

Deputy Mayor Tim Ceis said the city would seek a cheaper way to assure safety. "As far as re-engineering the line, that's probably one of the more extreme options out there," he said.

Kim Pedersen, president of The Monorail Society, urged the city to remove a second hazard by elongating the tracks so there's room to stop if a train overshoots the station platform. In 1971, 1979, 1980 and 1987, trains hit abutments at a terminal.

He predicted: "Realistically speaking, I think they'll fix the system as is and throw in some additional safety protocols. It's the cheapest and quickest way to get back running."

Activist Geof Logan issued a letter urging the council to consider demolition of what he considers an obsolete system.

But there's no broad movement to scrap it. Jack Mackie, an artist who campaigned against perceived blight from the Green Line, said he'd rather not spend tax money to uproot existing columns on Fifth Avenue.

"It would be nice if somebody cleaned the pilings periodically, cleaned the beam," he said. "This is an opportunity for some spring cleaning."

Mike Lindblom: 206-515-5631 or mlindblom@seattletimes.com.