Which railway suspension system carries trains across the city of Wuppertal in Germany?

The Wuppertal Schwebebahn carries trains on a suspended railway above the German city of Wuppertal.

The system opened in 1901 and uses cars that hang beneath a single rail supported by large steel structures. Most of its route follows the Wupper River, while part crosses streets in the city. The design allowed the railway to use limited urban ground space and avoid conflicts with roads and waterways.

The Schwebebahn is an electrically powered public transport system, not a conventional monorail running on top of a beam. Its suspended arrangement is its defining engineering feature. The railway has remained an important part of Wuppertal’s transport network while also becoming a major landmark.

Visitors sometimes describe it simply as a monorail, but that label can hide the crucial distinction: the vehicles run below the supporting track rather than above it.