(The Associated Press circulated the following article on September 1.)
LAS VEGAS — The $650 million Las Vegas Monorail was shut down Wednesday after a mechanical problem caused a wheel to come off one of the cars, a company spokesman said.
Nobody was hurt in the incident, which happened as a train was traveling north toward the Las Vegas Convention Center, spokesman Todd Walker said.
The train limped slowly into the convention center station, and riders were let off, he said.
Walker said the monorail would reopen after inspectors deemed it safe. The company was offering refunds to people who bought tickets.
The monorail opened July 15 and averaged more than 30,500 passengers in its first 17 days of operation. The company has not released current ridership numbers.
The opening was delayed for nearly six months while officials worked out software glitches and other problems.
The monorail follows a Z-shaped, 3.9-mile route behind the Las Vegas Strip, stretching from the MGM Grand to the Sahara hotel-casino.