Aero-Train - a plane-like vehicle which travels at up to 220mph just 10cm above the ground. The vehicle uses a technology known as ground-effect which removes the friction that makes conventional rail transport less efficient and uses aerodynamics to reduce drag.
Its speed relies on aerodynamics similar to those used in a plane or a hovercraft, using the air as a cushion to prevent it from touching the floor. While currently in prototype, developers at the Tohoku University in Japan have already demonstrated the idea and hope it can be in public use by 2020. The Managing Director of Cascade, a forward thinking, ambitious and dynamic Marketing company based in Plymouth has commented on the revolution saying, ”It is very exciting, I can’t wait to see it develop further”
The trains operate just centimetres from the track's surface
And is held from the ground by a magnetic field and powered by motors that, without as much friction, allow it to go at very high speeds. “The steel wheel on steel rails has been in existence for nearly 200 years and it hasn’t fundamentally changed in all that time,” says Richard Anderson, managing director of the Railway and Transport Strategy Centre at Imperial College London. “There’s a momentum in the industry that steel rail is a juggernaut that can’t be stopped. It’s here to stay.” Around the world more and more high-speed networks are appearing, costing billions to develop with the promise of improved infrastructure and vast economic benefits. The UK plans to spend around £32bn on a new high-speed rail network connecting London with Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds and then Scotland. A source from Cascade has commented on the £32bn plans saying, “A High-Speed rail network that connects London with some major cities across England and into Scotland sounds ambitious, after safety, the amount of people that can travel is vital and I wonder if this is included or if it is a service that only few will benefit from”
And safety is the one thing that causes most concern among commuters.
With the general definition for High-Speed Rail being around 150mph, any minor malfunction could lead to catastrophe. The Managing Director of Cascade has said, “By cutting out a particular level of human involvement will undoubtedly lead to problems.” In July 2011, 39 people died in China when a high-speed train ran into the back of another which had stalled. This was meant to be impossible because of the electronic safety system that was in place. But in general, driverless public transport is believed to be around 30% more reliable than if it was being driven by a human.
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Newly formed in October 2011 to service a growing demand in the business development sector, Cascade offers a system of unique direct marketing solutions.
