Statement of the VVOWL on the "MONOCAB OWL" project
The MonoCab OWL project is one of the most innovative and exciting mobility projects of the REGIONALE 2022. Battery-electric monorail vehicles that are used automatically as on-demand transport on an (otherwise) disused railroad line - this is a real novelty both technically and as a transport concept in public transport. What is exciting about this is that the project does not fit into any of the "classic" public transport grids. It lies somewhere between SPNV, streetcars and call-sharing cabs - but it is automated and does not require a driver. For rural areas in particular, the project offers a great deal of potential for developing into a further pillar of intelligently networked mobility.
The Verkehrsverbund Ostwestfalen-Lippe (VVOWL) is very pleased to have played a part in the successful implementation of the MonoCabs OWL as a sponsor. It is to be seen as a forward-looking project with a major signal effect for rural public transport. It is also conceivable elsewhere to use MonoCabs on disused rail lines on which classic SPNV with its large vehicles no longer takes place due to a lack of demand potential. In this way, MonoCabs could help reactivate bidirectional mobility arteries and thus create the missing gap to regional and long-distance transport in rather sparsely populated parts of the country. Further development of this technical innovation is also interesting for bus transport, i.e., road-based public transport.
From the point of view of the VVOWL, what should be additionally emphasized about this project is the interaction of the various players from research and transport. More of this is needed in order to develop real innovations in rural mobility not only as a vision, but also to realize them in concrete terms.
The VVOWL wishes this project the necessary stamina, a lot of support and in the end also a successful implementation. The OWL region can already be proud of this project.