The China Bus-Train

[Deleted]

Remember that Chinese elevated bus which ultimately turned out to be a scam?

Now, China introduces a trackless bus-train, the Autonomous Rail Rapid Transit (ART).



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Chris Date | CMPD
Twitter: twitter.com/cmpd_date

[ServerKing]

Sorry OP, sounds great but can't see your post

[bn12cny]

Yes in living Beijing I know about this. There is a scheme going on and one will be operated in Shunyi District north of Beijing Capital Airport. (live about 45 minutes away), the west side of Beijing have very limited subway lines so this is a welcome move.

[snoggle]

Nothing really new to be honest apart from the rapid battery charging which is something the Chinese are keen on. This is just an optical guidance technology. Such systems have been trialled in France and one or two other places. They are renowned for having a serious of technical issues because the vehicles tend to run in precisely the same position and are heavy. This means they progressively destroy the carriageway by creating huge ruts in the road. The system then has to be abandoned while the carriageway is repaired meaning you need ordinary buses to replace the whizzy system. Very few optical guidance systems have been built subsequently because of the enormous bills that early adopting towns and cities have faced in coping with immature, expensive and unique technology.

If you want a tram system then just built a tram with rails and overhead power collection. It is an old, mature and well understood technology with a world wide proven track record. If you want to run trolleybuses or electric buses then build them to the proper size (not as big as a multi section tram) and give them appropriate priority. Again well understood technology with an understood track record.

I just don't get the need to keep reinventing things that already exist but making them worse in their new incarnation.