This is how attractive the future of local transport can look. The Sky Train was put into operation in Wuhan; it is a suspended monorail. The first trains were completed in 2022, test operations began in the spring and regular operations in the fall. But the railway is not finished yet. The current route of around 10 kilometers is to be expanded to 26 kilometers. Then the Sky Train would be the longest suspension railway in the world.
Train with a view
The peculiarity of the monorail train is the suspended position of the cabin under the tracks. It provides a clear view of the Optic Valley in the southeast of the city of Wuhan. The highlight are the glass floors of the train. China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC) built the trains. They have no drivers on board and can travel in both directions. In operation they reach 60 km/h. With trains consisting of two railcars, the system’s capacity is 10,000 passengers per hour. The trains could also be increased to three cars. CRRC says the cars are designed for both commuting and tourism. They have 270 degrees of visibility, which is intended to give passengers a new driving experience. The name “Sky Train” alludes to the flight-like experience.
Affordable transport solution
The Sky Train in Wuhan complements the railway network, but primarily serves tourist purposes, hence the glazed cabin floor. Monorails are widespread in Asia and especially in China. As a rule, however, the cabin does not “hang” under the track, but rather moves over it. Monorails are the continuation of the tram by other means. They have about half the transport capacity of a railway line, but are much cheaper. The biggest advantage is the elevated construction. A monorail takes up little space on the ground, but it can span existing streets and green spaces. The curve radii are smaller than with train tracks, and some of the stops are integrated into buildings.
Wuppertal’s suspension railway
CRRC is building another technologically advanced Sky Train. This train is being tested on a test track in Jiangxi Province. It is a magnetic levitation train that floats above the track on a magnetic cushion. The levitation effect is not achieved by electrical coils, but by permanent magnets. The train does not have to use any energy for the levitation effect, and at the same time the friction losses are zero. Until now, something like this was not possible with permanent magnets because they quickly lost their magnetic effect. If these trains prove successful in continuous operation, it would be a revolution in rail transport because moving around in this way uses a lot less energy.
Suspended monorail systems are not new. The suspension railway has been running in Wuppertal since 1901 – it is also a suspended monorail system. Despite the undeniable popularity of the Wuppertal Railway, such systems have not become established in Germany and Europe.