The above-ground monorail system linking the orange and gray metro lines in the city's northeast will likely be closed and dismantled after an unsuccessful run of just eight years.
Deputy head of Moscow's transport department Evgeny Mikhailov gave the news Monday at a meeting to discuss the future of transportation infrastructure, saying the line was "designed poorly" and had underperformed, Lenta.ru reported, citing Itar-Tass.
The line, comprising six stations bridging the five-kilometer gap between the VDNKh and Timiryazevskaya metro stations, only carries 10,000 people per day. The line has been unprofitable since beginning operation in 2004 as a City Hall pet project. Construction on the line began in 2001 and cost $200 million to complete, media reports said.
City Hall said it would provide "corrective measures" for the people who rely on the monorail system.
