Google uses defunct monorail in office

(Photo: Paul Cowan / Google+)(Photo: Paul Cowan / Google+)

Google has always been on the cutting edge and encouraging innovations. I’ve been to the Chicago office of Google and there is a coffee bar, giant bean bag chairs and other funky concepts that make it seem more like a modern, hip hangout than a place of business.

Don’t get me wrong. It looks awesome – just different.

(Photo: Paul Cowan / Google+)(Photo: Paul Cowan / Google+)

Now Google has really outdone itself. It has purchased Sydney’s recently-defunct monorail to use in its Pyrmont, Australia, office as meeting rooms.

After the monorail shut down in June because of low ridership, Google Australia employee Paul Cowan jokingly sent a suggestion to the company’s facilities team suggesting that Google should buy the retired monorail to help its employees get around, according to a report in The Atlantic Cities.

Cowan had no idea his joke suggestion would be taken seriously.

Now, Google has two monorail cars in its office.

The cost of transporting and installing the carriages was about $250,000, The Sydney Morning Herald reports.

The carriages are being used for meeting rooms and have air-conditioning and televisions installed, according to the report.

To read all about the process on Cowan’s Google+ page, click here.