Urban Transit Technologies - Suspended Vehicles - Index Page #2
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-Site Index -- Compare 100+ Technologies and Concepts
Of Historical Interest
Cabintaxi - a German Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) technology that features both supported and suspended vehicles, of several sizes. It was developed in the 1970's but detailed information about it is currently available from an American company.
Cabinlift - a technology that has been in continuous operation since 1975, connecting two hospitals in Germany.
As of November, 2010, the functions of the hospitals has been changed and the system has been shut down, as it is no longer needed to connect the hospitals.ELAN - a German "skyhook" concept developed in the late 60's
Flyda - an urban mass transit monobeam concept devised in the U.K. in the early 1980s that provides for two-way travel on one guideway, elevated, at grade or in tunnel. Flyda is no longer in business. It's patents have expired and are now in the public domain.
ROMAG - a suspended (or supported) GRT-scale technology that used linear induction motors for propulsion and maglev for suspension, developed by the Rohr Corporation, in the early 1970s.
Currently Operating
POMA technologies - includes several cable-supported systems
SIPEM (aka H-Bahn 21) - a German GRT technology that is operating at Dortmund University in Germany and at Duesseldorf International Airport, where it is known as SkyTrain. However, so far as is known, SIPEM is no longer offered as a product by Siemens.
Wuppertal Monorail - started operating in 1901 in Germany - now carries around 50,000 passengers per day on a 13.3 km line. Centenary celebration was held in 2001!
Under Active Development
Note: For some current and very innovative thinking about the design of suspended PRT systems, see Dan's OpenPRTSpecs blogspot
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Aerobus - a suspended mass rapid transit technology developed orginally in Switzerland and now being marketed by a company in Houston, Texas, USA. Project now under construction in China, begun in 2004 but not completed. Company is still active and hopeful of making a sale in 2016
Beamways - a suspended, small vehicle, being developed in Sweden
Beem Car - a GRT suspended vehicle being developed in the U.K. - to use composite materials
Flyway - an effort by SwedeTrack in Sweden to develop and deploy a suspended vehicle that can be lowered to the ground, thus avoiding the need for station structures - a large, lively and informative website - has not been updated recently.
Futran - a PRT type system being developed by a firm located in South Africa - early stages as of 2017
JPods - a very small suspended system being developed - very good slide show at their website
cTrain (Catepillar Train) - both suspended and supported, elevated, individualized, group, transit, unique attributes
Lofty Taxi PRT - an over and under concept somewhat like Cabintaxi, being development in Toronto, 40 pp presentation
Metrino-PRT - small vehicles suspended from an elevated guideway, being developed in Poland, features a unique method of switching (aka cross-overs). Updated video now available
Monomobile - a dual-mode concept that uses small electric cars that can be connected to an overhead rail for movement in a suspended mode. Test track in the Cincinnati area now being planned.
MonoMetro - a suspended monorail being developed in the U.K. - extensive, well-illustrated website. Contract for a project in Saudi Arabia was signed in May, 2008, but is currently inactive. Someimes described as a modern version of the German Wupperthal system.
Overhead Train - Large suspended vehicles, serving people and freight, good video provided for details, based in the Netherlands
Shweeb - suspended small vehicles (capsules) using human-powered propulsion on a monorail-type guideway, from New Zealand, awarded $1 M prize from Google in 2010
SkyCabs - a small group system that uses a monobeam for two-way travel, now being developed in New Zealand
SkyRide Technology - suspended, small, human-powered, open-air vehicles using a monorail-type guideway
Sky Train - an overhead suspended light rail technology being developed in Clearwater, Florida
Sky Tram - a suspended mass transit concept that would make use of old airplane fuselagesSuperway - a low carbon PRT project underway at San Jose State University, full scale prototype has been developed, details in on-line white paper
http://www.supraways.com/ - a low carbon PRT project underway in Fance - being designed for markets in the EU,
Swift Tram - a Group Rapid Transit concept, switchable with off-line stations, two vehicle sizes
TransitX - under development in Boston, seeking investors, several applications have been identified in Boston area
Unimodal (formerly known as the People Pod, currently as SkyTran) - a maglev, high speed, personal transportation concept. A full-scale vehicle and test track are being built, as of 2016, in Tel Aviv, Israel. If successful, expansion in Israel and world-wide is expected. For a 2016 press release about the Sky Tran demo project, click here.
Ultimate PRT - link to overview, a PRT concept that includes lowering/raising vehicles, 31 meg paper provides details. No website. Patent applied for 2016. Contact the inventor if interested leehspecker@gmailcom in more details and illustrations. Oaklahoma, USA
Zhonghua-06 -- a small, suspended, maglev system now under development in Dalian, China. No additional news or contact information is available in 2016
Conceptual, More-or-Less Active or Dormant
Computerized Ultra Light Overhead Rail (CULOR) - a suspended vehicle system concept still in an early stage of its development.
Integrated Transportation System (InTransSys) - a suspended pallet system (dual mode) capable of carrying a variety of vehicle types and containers. Inactive - was being developed in Colorado, USA.
MIX - a small vehicle system that operates on conventional streets for short trips and can also be suspended from a cable for longer distance travel - designed to be a combination of the bicycle, PRT and electric car. No longer active.
Pathfinder - a suspended personal rapid transit system (PRT) that was being developed by a group in Detroit, MI, USA. Not currently active (November 2003)
Project 21 - a monobeam transit technology that allows two-way travel on one guideway. A quarter-scale operating model was completed in July, 1996.
Spanish suspended PRT, US Patent 8735865,High capacity, steerable small pods, conceptual only, as of August, 2013
Suggestions for improvement, extension or revision are welcome.
Last modified: October 01, 2018
