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.

Historically, the Sydney Monorail was generally considered a financial and practical disappointment, which eventually led to its removal in 2013. While it was a futuristic symbol when it opened in 1988 for the Australian Bicentenary, it never achieved the passenger numbers required to be truly profitable as a standalone transit system. The monorail was criticized for being a "train to nowhere," as its single-loop track primarily served the tourist-heavy Darling Harbour and Chinatown areas but did not integrate well with the broader city rail or bus networks. Maintenance costs for the aging infrastructure and specialized parts were high, and the high ticket prices deterred local commuters. By the time the New South Wales government purchased the system from private owners in 2012, it was seen as an impediment to the redevelopment of the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre. The government decided that the cost of upgrading the system was unjustifiable, and it was dismantled to make way for a more efficient light rail network, ending its 25-year run as a quirky but ultimately unfeasible piece of urban infrastructure.