Sydney's Sad Monorail Only Became Popular As It Was Shutting Down For Good

Sydney's deeply unpopular monorail made its final trip on June 30. And in a classic twist, its last weekend turned out to be unexpectedly profitable.

The 25-year-old monorail system has long been known for having low ridership and offering little convenience in its path through the city center. But nearly 16,000 people lined up to ride in its final weekend, according to The Daily Telegraph. Another 1,500 entered a contest to be one of 48 riders on the train's last ride. All told, that constitutes a 210 percent increase in ridership over the same period last year. The government of New South Wales plans to donate the final weekend's proceeds, about $70,000, to five children’s charities, including Make-A-Wish Australia and the Children’s Hospital at Westmead.