Tor LillqvistRE: https://ec.social-network.europa.eu/@EUCommission/115615338012219281
#Gadgetbahn alert! From the European Commission even. I seriously hope they don't pour too much of taxpayer money into this.
Oddly enough this "Monocab" seems to be a German innovation? I thought it was mainly the French that come up with craziness like this...
Rainer Zufall@tml From a German perspective, it feels like one of the hare-brained ideas by the Bavarian conservatives (CSU).
Few years ago, their Munich councillors demanded a landing pad for flying cars at the central station. (Unfortunately, this is not a joke.)
Few years ago, their Munich councillors demanded a landing pad for flying cars at the central station. (Unfortunately, this is not a joke.)
Wonder how this thing passes through switches, if the wheels have flanges on both sides?
... and in some comments I found online, the response to that question was "it is for use on abandoned single-track lines without any switches". D'oh. Longer single-tracked lines need switches for passing loops to allow trains going in different directions to pass each other. And they typically have sidings for cargo handling etc.
A double-tracked line in theory needs less switches but usually has such anyway, to allow trains to switch track in case one track is being worked on.
And if this is only for abandoned single-track lines, what then when such a line reaches a larger city where it connects to lines still in use? Surely they are not suggesting that these contraptions would run on regular in-use railways mixed with normal trains?
Ylönën@tml I think I've seen some video on the topic. This does not look good. A single minibus has got greater capacity and with this you lose both capacity and any positive sides of a train.
@tml RE: https://mastodon.social/@phl/115615580279078688
Here it is
@paavi And the argument "it is cheap, you can run those on abandoned lines" is bullshit, of course. I wouldn't want to run those on track that hasn't been maintained in decades, with sleepers crumbling, and rails barely attached any more. So you will need to invest in a thorough renovation of the track anyway.
David Weir@tml I was going to reply that this felt like an April fool. Glad there’s a hashtag for stuff like this.
@tml The worst thing is no forward view. Surely the greatest benefit of automatic trains is being able to sit at the front and watch (cf. London’s DLR which I commuted on for a year and never got bored on).
I AM BANKSY ☕ / 🗑🔥@tml
Could be worse... Could be a Hyperloop?
Could be worse... Could be a Hyperloop?