Urban Transit Technologies - Suspended Vehicles - Index Page #2
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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.
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
Cabinlift - a technology that has been in continuous operation since 1975, connecting two hospitals in Germany.
POMA technologies - includes several cable-supported systems
SIPEM - a German GRT technology that is operating at Dortmund University in Germany and is now in operation at Duesseldorf International Airport, 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
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.
Airtrain - a suspended, tethered aircraft being developed by a company in Wichita, Kansas, 1/15 scale model has been tested in a wind tunnel
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 - updated regularly.
Higherway Transport Research - a suspended, dualmode PRT concept that shows great promise
Hytran - a suspended monorail being developed by a group in Illinois.
JPods - a very small suspended system being developed in Minneapolis - very good slide show at their website
MISTER - small vehicles suspended from an elevated guideway, being developed in Poland, features a unique method of switching (aka cross-overs).
Monomobile - a dual-mode concept that uses small electric cars that can be connected to an overhead rail for movement in a suspended mode.
MonoMetro - a suspended monorail being developed in the U.K. - extensive, well-illustrated website. Contract for a project in Saudi Arabia expected to be signed in May, 2008
Project 21 - a monobeam transit technology that allows two-way travel on one guideway. A quarter-scale operating model was completed in July, 1996.
SkyCabs - a GRT system that uses a monobeam for two-way travel, now being developed in New Zealand
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 fuselagesSkyTrolley - a bus suspended from a steel box beam for mass transit applications, being developed in British Columbia, Canada
Transcar - a small suspended vehicle now being developed in Russia (in Russian only but some
illustrations are provided)
Unimodal (formerly know as the People Pod, later as SkyTran) - a maglev, high speed, personal transportation. A full-scale vehicle and test track are being built, as of 2008. development.
Zhonghua-06 -- a small, suspended, maglev system now under development in Dalian, China
Conceptual and More-or-Less Active
Computerized Ultra Light Overhead Rail (CULOR) - a suspended vehicle system concept still in an early stage of its development.
Electronic Guideway System (EGS) - a "quadmode" small, suspended vehicle concept
Integrated Transportation System (InTransSys) - a suspended pallet system (dual mode) capable of carrying a variety of vehicle types and containers. 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.
Pathfinder - a suspended personal rapid transit system (PRT) being developed by a group in Detroit, MI, USA.
Not currently active (November 2003)
Suggestions for improvement, extension or revision are welcome.
Last modified: July 04, 2009
