China-based Shenzhen Huashi Future Parking Equipment proposed developing an over-the-road bus that cars could drive underneath. The giant bus could carry 1,200-1,400 passengers at a time. Passengers could board and disembark using an over-the-road terminal, allowing traffic to continue underneath the bus while it is parked. Another option would be for passengers to board using a ladder built into the bus.
The company proposes two ways to operate buses safely: by installing rails on both sides of the lane, or by painting white lines on both sides of the bus and using autopilot technology. The rail method is preferred as it offers 30% energy savings.
And now China is planning a series of magnetic levitation trains capable of speeds of over 600 miles per hour, due to be introduced within the next few years. They plan to achieve this speed by running the trains inside sealed vacuum tubes, reducing friction to an absolute minimum. The trains themselves will be pressurized, like passenger airplanes.
While this isn't a new idea (there have even been proposals for a transatlantic maglev train), China is the only country on Earth that has any inkling of where it wants to go: China already has maglev trains in operation, and currently holds the world record for the fastest rail transport speed in the world at 313 mph. What's more, China just set the world record for conventional rail at 260 mph.
Isn't it time for UK companies and universities to re-engage in this kind of high-tech engineering?
