End of an era as Chester Zoo announces ‘final call’ for its monorail

Chester Zoo has announced that it will be decommissioning its popular monorail later this summer.

The monorail, which has stops by the lions and the elephants, offers the chance for visitors to see the zoo from above and travel between locations faster.

Since its installation back in 1991, it has helped transport millions of visitors – including the Queen – across the zoo.

However it will be an end of a much loved era later this year, with Chester Zoo confirming that “after much consideration” the monorail will be decommissioned at the end of the summer.

In its newsletter, Chester Zoo notes that its growth in the past few years means that the monorail doesn’t “even cover half” of its 125 acres.

Issues with system and train failures to the service are also described as proving “costly to maintain and unreliable for visitors.”

As a result, Chester Zoo say: “Sadly therefore, after much consideration, we have come to the decision to decommission it at the end of the summer.

“As we continue to develop ever more animal habitats within immersive zones, themed by geographic regions and habitat types, the monorail no longer fits our vision for a world-class modern zoo.”

Picture Chester Zoo: Old shot of the monorail back in glory days