Sky-High Commuting: Fun Urban Maglev Train Concept

We all know that public transportation is a greener way to travel than driving personal vehicles, but there are plenty of arguments against taking the bus. An excruciatingly slow travel pace and an uncomfortable ride are just two of them. British designer Chris Hanley has come up with a public transport system that might help to address some of those concerns while providing a wildly futuristic ride for commuters.

The Maglev Public Transport System would use magnetic levitation (or mag-lev) technology to zoom carriages around the city. Skyscrapers would be the new boarding stations, so workers could get on an off right from the upper floors of their buildings. The “wings” of the carriages that grip the supports are able to rotate 360 degrees. This makes it possible for the carriages to zip around tight corners and travel through areas a conventional bus would never be able to go. And because it all takes place far above congested city streets, there’s no traffic to worry about.

While the wings are rotating, the carriages themselves stay completely level at all times. Passengers never feel the roller coaster-like movements helping them navigate the cityscape. The concept is geared toward the very crowded cities a decade in our future, so there’s plenty of time to work out the infrastructure that would support these maglev trains. But as far as quiet, fast, eco-friendly urban transportation goes, this seems like one of the best concepts yet.

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See more in Mass Transit or under Transportation. April, 2010.