String Rail

[MrFSS]

Trains might be a reasonably cheap transport option - but rail infrastructure is very costly to build. Monorail, maglev systems and high speed rail are more expensive again - and prices really skyrocket when you have to build bridges, tunnels and winding mountain routes, or cover difficult terrain. Which is why Anatoly Unitsky's String Transport Systems look like they've got so much potential. The system uses solid steel/concrete rails, reinforced with extremely high tension steel wires, to provide an efficient and smooth rail system anywhere between 3 to 30 meters above the ground. It's earthquake, hurricane and terrorist-proof, and capable of supporting vehicle speeds over 500 kmh, too, making it a genuine high-speed rail alternative, for a fraction of the price of road or ground rail alternatives.

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[jis]

Great another goofy idea for FRA to burn money on should they so choose so that they can avoid building anything that actually works

1 to 5cm sag between support that will not cause a bump to be felt at the support? Right! Even a pantograph with that kind of sag in the contact wire would be bouncing and arcing all over the place at 300kph. And how is anything 30m above the ground going to be hurricane proof in any normal interpretation of the term is beyond me.

Of course considering the sort of crap that manages to get patents in the software area, I would not be surprised at all if this or anything else for that matter got a cart load of patents.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

They kind of lost me at "It's earthquake, hurricane and terrorist-proof..." I mean, seriously, is this a real article?

 

[leemell]

They kind of lost me at "It's earthquake, hurricane and terrorist-proof..." I mean, seriously, is this a real article?

I can see that it would not be nearly as susceptible to earthquake damage (bent, broken rails), I would not, however like to be riding on it when a quake hit. "Proof" anything is not in the real world. Hurricane and terrorist-proof, ridiculous.

 

[PerRock]

terrorist proof; how is it terrorist proof? I can see why they are claiming its hurricane and earthquake (although it really isn't) but terrorist!? hell the little blue post box on my corner isn't terrorist proof; and those things are usually still standing after hurricanes and earthquakes.

peter