Is the Las Vegas Monorail Dead? The Strange Answer • This Week in Gambling

There are rumors that the Las Vegas monorail is about to be shut down, or that it will be merged with a new transportation project. Which story is true? Yes, in a city that’s always changing, there are rumors that the Las Vegas Monorail will be shut down. So This Week in Gambling, we’re looking at what’s really going on… and the answer is stranger than you think!

It was just over a year ago that the folks running the Las Vegas Monorail asked for $12 million in cash… just to stay in business! They got their money, but then the rumors began. Now, there are two competing stories about what’s really going on with the Monorail. And the first rumor began right after the pandemic when the company operating the Monorail system went bankrupt and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitor Authority bought them out. It was then that the rumors of a Monorail shutdown began popping up on social media and in local newspapers with talk that the train system could be completely closed by 2028.

However, Monorail officials denied those stories, saying the trains would continue to run through at least 2035 and promising upgrades to key systems, including 100% cashless ticketing kiosks. But there was no discussion of extending the Monorail to Harry Reid Airport, which had been proposed and would have been good for business… because it would have been bad for local taxi, shuttle, and ride share services. So instead, the focus shifted to the underground Loop project. And this is where things get a bit more interesting.

The second rumor was reported by The Nevada Independent. They claim that the Underground project will merge with the Monorail, taking over those elevated track lines as an extension of the Loop. So, in the not too distant future, there could be Teslas emerging from the tunnels, then flying over Las Vegas traffic on what used to be Monorail tracks! Additionally, they say the Underground Loop system will connect to the airport. And in fact, it already does… even though their tunnels don’t reach the airport yet. Instead, vehicles emerge from the tunnels on University Center Drive and continue on surface streets… for now, as the airport tunnels are expected to be open later this year.

So, which rumor is true? And what is the bottom line with the Las Vegas Monorail? Well, like most good stories, the truth is somewhere in the middle. While it is true that the Monorail just received $12 million and they do plan to operate through 2035, it’s also true that they will merge with the Underground Loop. Instead of dismantling the Monorail, tracks will be repurposed by installing a pre-cast two-lane concrete roadway on top of existing pylons.

Current monorail stations will be modified into loop stations with the conversion taking place over the next several years and completed by 2035. So yes, the Las Vegas Monorail is dying, but not for another eight or nine years. In the meantime, you can still get around Sin City by using a cab or a ride share, a robotaxi or the Duece, and even the Las Vegas Underground. The only option not currently available is flying cars. But hey, they’re on their way…  sort of.