On its final run after 25 years of operating, Sydney's monorail will finally be of benefit to some.
Described by the NSW Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian as a "fad" and a "white elephant," the monorail last night departed on its final loop between Darling Harbour, Chinatown and the city's centre.
Forty-eight special ballot winners were allocated a ticket for the monorail's last loop.
A Transport for NSW spokesman said the ballot system was due to the "record crowd numbers" waiting to ride the monorail.
"The queues are crazy at the moment," he said late on Sunday.
It has never had so much interest and after all these years it seems the monorail may actually assist the community it was built to serve.
All proceeds from ticket sales over the weekend will go to five children's charities.
Camp Quality, CanTeen, Make-A-Wish Australia, The Children's Hospital at Westmead and Youth Off The Streets are expecting to receive $10,000 each.
In August work will begin to dismantle the monorail's infrastructure.
After it's been de-rigged two monorail carriages and 10 metres of the track will be preserved in Sydney's Powerhouse Museum.
Most of the 1,500 tonnes of steel and 400 cubic metres of concrete involved will be recycled.
