Alweg was a German transportation company known for its development of straddle-beam monorail technology.
History
thumb|Disneyland-Alweg Monorail System, pictured in 1963
Alweg was established in January 1953 by Swedish industrialist Axel Lennart Wenner-Gren as Alweg-Forschung, GmbH (), based in Fühlingen, a suburb of Cologne in West Germany. The company originated from the Verkehrsbahn-Studiengesellschaft (), which had presented early monorail designs and prototypes the previous year. The name "Alweg" is derived from Wenner-Gren’s full name. Both systems remain in operation, with Seattle's still using original Alweg-built trains.thumb|Turin MonorailAnother Alweg monorail system was constructed in Turin for the Italia '61 exposition. The line ceased operation shortly after the exposition ended and was later damaged by fire in the late 1970s, reportedly due to vandalism. It was dismantled in 1981, and its northern station was repurposed as an office building.
In 1963, Alweg submitted a proposal to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors for a privately funded monorail system in the county. The plan included design, construction, and operation of the system at Alweg's financial risk, with construction costs to be recouped through fare revenue. The proposal was ultimately rejected. Some sources attribute the decision to opposition from automotive and petroleum industry interests, including Standard Oil of California and General Motors. Author Ray Bradbury, a supporter of the proposal, later criticized the city's decision to develop a subway system instead.
In the 1960s, Alweg licensed its monorail technology to Hitachi, which continues to manufacture monorail systems based on the design.