trains that pick you up without stopping

June 17th, 2008 post a comment (6) stumble it! by: karen

This is a concept for Singapore’s Metro Rail Line so that trains can pick people up without ever stopping. That sounds impossible, right?

Singapore Concept Train

The idea is that people who want to board the train get into a smaller car that piggybacks onto the moving train as it passes through the station. To get off, you get into the smaller upper car while on the train and it unhitches at the station. If what I just said was totally confusing to you, then you should watch this video clip to clarify. The clip is in Chinese (I think) but the graphics are self-explanatory and show how this concept would work.

click to view this video clip

Not only would this make overall train speed faster, since you don’t have to average in stopping times, but it would also be more energy efficient. Also, it’s super cool and futuristic.

You can read more about this concept, and its inventor Peng Yu-Lun, in this Taiwan Headlines article.

[via deputydog]

June 17th, 2008 post a comment (6) stumble it! by: karen

6 comments post a comment

1. Sasha | June 17th, 2008 at 1:45 pm

Coolest. Train. Ever. I want one!

I’m guessing it will be a while before MUNI/BART/futuristic high-speed California rail gets this, huh?
2. READYdot | June 18th, 2008 at 3:38 am

This will only work with a train that runs only in a straight line. Don´t see this train with the rails on the top making curves…
3. Ken | June 18th, 2008 at 4:11 am

Um, what is the use of the empty train below the thing that fetch people? I think this concept is still unclear and can’t implemented as a real services of next generation trains…
4. Ross | June 22nd, 2008 at 8:40 pm

I think the issue is that the people move from the top access vehicle to the bottom long-distance vehicle until they are ready to depart. However, the top vehicle and bottom vehicle would have to separate at each station. I think you wouldn’t want to be in the middle between them when the separation occurred, otherwise only part of you would be left at the station. (sigh)
5. Carolyn Gillis | June 24th, 2008 at 10:00 am

Ken. The train on the bottom would not have to be empty as I see it. It could be the people who are traveling the longer distances. Upper cabs would be for people going shorter distances. Also I suppose a well designed one of these could allow people to climb up and down from different level cabs once they are going safely…like we go from cab to cab in other trains. I think this is so cool..hope we get some on the East coast. I visited Singapore a couple of times..great place in many ways..tough in other ways. USA has our own problems needless to say.
I can imagine adaptations to let these go around curves. They would be straight where they need to engage probably though.
6. LC | July 10th, 2008 at 3:56 pm

READYdot…The train wouldn’t have to be in a straight line the whole time, just when passing through a station. And aren’t most train stations located on straight stretches of track anyway?