| Automated track-bound traffic |
|---|
 |
| Automatic train operation |
| Lists of automated train systems |
| Related topics |
This is a list of well-known automated transit networks suppliers.
| Automated track-bound traffic |
|---|
| |
| Automatic train operation |
| Lists of automated train systems |
| Related topics |
This is a list of well-known automated transit networks suppliers.
Currently, five advanced transit networks (ATN) systems are operational, and several more are in the planning stage. [1]
| System | Manufacturer | Type | Locations | Guideway | Stations / vehicles | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morgantown PRT | Boeing Vertol | GRT [*] |
| 13.2 km (8.2 mi) [3] | 5 [3] / 73 [2] | Up to 20 passengers per vehicle, rides are not point-to-point during low usage periods [2] |
| ParkShuttle | 2getthere | GRT [*] |
| 1.8 km (1.1 mi) | 5 / 6 | 3rd generation GRT (Group Rapid Transit) vehicles accommodate up to 24 passengers (12 seated). The vehicles operate on-schedule during peak hours, at a 2.5 minute interval, and operate on demand during off-peak hours with passengers summoning a vehicle by pressing a button on the platforms. The third generation of vehicles, introduced in 2021, is designed to allow extension of the route on to ordinary roads running in mixed traffic. |
| CyberCab | 2getthere [4] | PRT |
| 1.5 km (0.9 mi) | 2 / 20 [5] | Initial plans called for automobiles to be banned, with PRT as the only powered intra-city transport [6] (along with an inter-city light rail line. [7] In October 2010 it was announced the PRT would not expand beyond the pilot scheme due to the cost of creating the undercroft to segregate the system from pedestrian traffic. [8] [9] Plans now include electric cars and electric buses. [10] In June 2013 a representative of the builder 2getthere said the freight vehicles had not been put into service because they had not worked out how to get freight to and from the three freight stations. [11] |
| ULTra PRT | ULTra | PRT | *  London Heathrow Airport, United Kingdom (June 2011) | 3.8 km (2.4 mi) [12] | 3 / 21 [13] | The Heathrow PRT system became operational in 2011, connecting Terminal 5 with a long-term car park. [14] In May 2014 BAA said in a draft 5-year plan that it would extend the system throughout the airport but this was dropped from the final plan. |
| SkyCube [15] | Vectus | PRT | *  Suncheon, South Korea (September 2013) [15] | 4.64 km (2.9 mi) [16] | 2 / 40 [15] | Connects the site of 2013 Suncheon Garden Expo Korea to a station in the wetlands "Buffer Area" next to the Suncheon Literature Museum; [17] the line runs parallel to the Suncheon-dong Stream. [18] Stations are "on-line." |
* GRT stands for Group Rapid Transit which use larger capacity vehicles. Morgantown PRT and the ParkShuttle are quasi-PRT system because they lack some PRT features such as 100% on-demand service.
| System | Manufacturer | Type | Locations | Guideway | Stations / vehicles | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ULTra PRT | ULTra Ultra-MTS | PRT | *  Chengdu Tianfu International Airport, China (due to open 2021) | 4.8 km (3.0 mi) [19] | 4 / 22 [20] | In 2018 it was announced that a PRT system would be installed at the new Chengdu Tianfu International Airport to connect a remote car park to the terminals. [21] The airport opened in June 2021 but it as of July 2021 is not clear if the PRT has opened. [20] |
The following table summarizes several well-known automated transit networks (ATN) suppliers based on a comprehensive list from 2020. [22]
| Location | Supplier | Active? | Status | Capacity (seats+standing) | Guideway | Suspended/ supported | Propulsion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 United States | Boeing Vertol / Alden Self-Transit Systems | No [*] | Revenue service | 20 (8 + 12) | concrete | supported | rotary motors |
| United Kingdom | ULTra (1995- ) | Yes | Revenue service | 4 | concrete | supported, rubber wheeled | rotary motors |
 Netherlands | ParkShuttle III 2getthere (1995- ) | Yes | Revenue service | 24 (12+12) | roadway (asphalt/concrete) | supported, rubber wheeled | rotary motors |
 United Arab Emirates | CyberCab 2getthere (1995- ) | Yes | Revenue service | 4 | concrete | supported, rubber wheeled | rotary motors |
| South Korea | Vectus (TDI) | Yes | Revenue service | 6 | steel | supported | track mounted linear motors (prototype), rotary motors (S. Korea) |
 Mexico | Modutram (2009- ) | Yes | Full prototype test track | 6-8 | steel | supported, rubber wheeled | hybrid electric [23] |
 Germany | Cabintaxi (1969-1979) | Yes [*] | Full prototype test track (dismantled) | 3,12,18 | steel | both, solid rubber wheels | linear motors |
| United States | Swyft Cities (2018-) | Yes [*] | Single seat prototype test track | steel cable & steel curves/switch points | steel / rubber (?) | rotary motors | |
| United States | Glydways (2016-) | Yes | Linear test track with station | 2 | roadway / concrete | supported, rubber wheeled | rotary motors |
 South Africa | Futran | Yes | Test track with bulk cargo vehicle [24] | 6-8 [25] | steel | suspended | rotary motors |
| United States | Spartan Superway (2012-) | Yes [*] | half scale prototype vehicle and partial guideway, various scale models [26] | ? | steel | suspended | ? |
| United States | Skytran (1990-) | Yes | mockup, bogie test track, partial test track | 2 | steel | suspended, magnetic levitation | linear motors |
| United States | JPods (2000-) | Yes | prototype vehicle and partial guideway | 1-6 | steel | suspended | rotary motors |
 France | UrbanLoop (2017- ) | Yes [27] | Full prototype test track | 1,2 | steel | supported, rubber wheeled | rotary motors |
| United States | ecoPRT (2015- ) | Yes | prototype vehicle [28] | 2 | steel | supported, rubber wheeled | rotary motors |
 Poland | Metrino PRT (MISTER) (2007- ) | Yes | prototype vehicle and partial guideway | 5 | steel | suspended | rotary motors |
| United States | Cybertran | Yes | prototype vehicle and scale models | 6 - 32 [29] | steel wheels on steel rails | supported | rotary motors |
| United States | ROAM (1997- ) | Yes | Mockups of vehicle and guideway | 4 | stainless steel | supported, rubber wheels | electric motors |
 Japan | Zippar (2018- ) [30] [31] | Yes | mockup, partial test track | 1, 4 - 12 [32] [33] | steel for ropeway(Funitel), [33] concrete for monorail [34] | supported(ropeway), suspended(monorail) | electric motors |
| United States | RailPlane (2012- ) | Yes | scale model (dual mode) | ? | concrete | supported | rotary motors |
| United States | SNAAP (2016- ) | Yes | concept | ? | 1 | supported | ? |
| United States | Taxi 2000("SkyWeb Express") (1981-1993,1999-2018) [35] | No | prototype vehicle and partial guideway, scale models | 3 | steel | supported | linear motors |
| China | Tubenet Transit System (2001-2019?) | No | Full prototype test track [36] | 2+child | steel (enclosed transparent tube) | supported | electric motors |
| Poland | EcoMobility (2009-2015) [37] | No [38] | Mockups (Full scale and half scale) and scale models | 4 | steel | supported | linear motors |
 Austria | Coaster (1999-2008) | No | Full prototype test track (dismantled) | 6 | steel | supported | rotary motors with rack and pinion |
| USA | Aerospace Corporation (1968-1976) | No | 1/10th scale model [39] | 4 (model) (GRT analyzed) [40] | steel/aluminium | supported | linear motors |
| USA | staRRcar (Alden Self-Transit Systems) [*] | No | Full prototype test tracks (dual mode [*] & exclusive ROW) | 2 (dual mode),4,6 | concrete/steel | supported, rubber tires | rotary |
| United Kingdom | Cabtrack (Autotaxi) [41] (1967-1972) | No | prototype test track [*] and 1/5th scale model [42] | 4 | concrete/steel | supported, rubber tires [43] | rotary |
| USA | Transport Technology Inc (TTI) (1960s-1975) [44] | No | prototype test track | 4,6 [44] | concrete/steel | supported / air cushion | linear motor |
| Japan | CVS (1968-1983) | No | Full prototype test track (dismantled) | 4 | concrete | supported, rubber wheels | rotary motors |
| France | Aramis (1969-1987) | No | Full prototype test track (dismantled) | 4 / 10 | concrete | supported, rubber wheels | rotary motors |
| United States | PRT2000 (Raytheon) [45] (1995-2000) | No | Full prototype test track (dismantled) | 4 | steel | supported | rotary motors |
 Australia | Austrans [46] (1990-2006) | No | Full prototype test track (dismantled) | 9 | steel, steel wheels | supported | rotary motors |
| United States | Monocab/ROMAG, displayed at Transpo '72 (1969-1978) | No | Full prototype test track (dismantled) | 6 | concrete / steel | rubber wheels (Monocab), maglev (ROMAG) | rotary motor (Monocab), linear motor (ROMAG) |
| United States | Uniflo [47] (1961-1973) | No | Full prototype test track (dismantled) | ? | ? | supported / air cushion | pneumatic mounted in guideway |
| United States | Mitchell Transit Systems [48] (1967-2003?) | No | scale test tracks with 1 pax vehicle [49] | 2 | steel | suspended and supported designs, rubber wheels [50] | rotary motors mounted in guideway |
 India | AutoBOTS | Yes | analyzed and simulated | 2 | steel | supported | ? |
| United States | Tri-Track | Yes | vehicle mockup. analyzed and simulated (dual mode) [*] | 4 | concrete/aluminium [51] | supported | linear motor/rotary motor. track assistance for acceleration |
 Sweden | GTS Foundation | Yes | analyzed and simulated | ? | ? | suspended | magnetic motors |
| Sweden | Beamways (2008-) | No | analyzed and simulated | 4 | steel | suspended, steel wheels for support, rubber wheel for traction | rotary motors |
| United States | PRT International (ITNS) | No | analyzed and simulated | ? | ? | supported | linear motors |
| France | Supraways (2015-) | Yes | Concept | 7-9 | steel | suspended | electric motors |
| Germany | Dromos (2019-) | Yes | Concept | 2 | roadway | supported | rotary motors |
| United States | Vuba (2018-) | Yes [52] | Concept | ? | steel | suspended | rotary motors |
| United Kingdom | Beemcar | Yes | Concept | 4-5 | carbon composite | suspended | linear motors |
| United States | GlidewayPRT | Yes | Concept with patents | ? | steel | supported or suspended | ? |
| United States | Transit X (2015-) | Yes | Concept | 4-5 | ? | suspended | rotary motors |
| Sweden | Skycab | Yes | Concept | 4 | ? | supported, rubber wheels | electric motors |
 New Zealand | Skycabs [53] | Yes | Concept | 16 (8 + 8) | ? | supported | ? |
| United States | Interstate Traveller | Yes | Concept | ? | ? | supported, magnetic levitation | ? |
 Denmark | RUF | Yes | Concept (dual mode) [*] | ? | ? | supported | ? |
 Canada | Lofty Taxi | Yes | Concept | 2,4 | steel | both, steel wheeled | linear motors |
 Finland | BM Design-"BubbleMotion" (2010-2015) | No | Concept with patent application | 2-3 | steel round pipe | supported | rotary motors + track assistance on climbs |
 Russia | Transcar/Транскар | No | Concept with patents | 2 | steel | suspended | rotary motors |
| Sweden | Flyway | No | Concept | 1-30 | ? | suspended, rubber wheels | electric motors |
| Finland | Finland Techvilla [54] | No | Concept | 4 | ? (enclosed transparent tube) | supported, rubber wheeled | rotary motors |
| Russia | Flexitaxi [55] [56] | No | Concept | ? | ? (enclosed transparent tube) | supported | pneumatic (vehicle in tube) or electromagnetic [57] |
| United States | Pathfinder Systems [58] [59] | No | Concept / cabin mockup | 4-5 | steel, steel or concrete supports | suspended | rotary motors, battery powered |
 Norway | InnoTrans SporTaxi | No | Concept | ? | steel | supported, rubber wheels | rotary motors or linear motors |
* Boeing Vertol's successors are not marketing the Morgantown PRT system and are no longer making transit vehicles .
* CabinTaxi is not undergoing further development but a US firm holds rights to the patents and is marketing the system.
* The Alden staRRcar system was the basis of the Morgantown PRT. However it also developed separate models.
* The Cabtrack test track used battery powered vehicles but the production model was planned to have power supplied by a bus-bar in the guideway
* Vehicles in "dual mode" systems can use the specialized guideway or ordinary roads.
* Spartan Superway is a non-commercial, ongoing research program staffed by multi-disciplinary students organised by the engineering department of San Jose State University.
Personal Rapid Transit (PRT), also referred to as podcars or guided/railed taxis, is a public transport mode featuring small low-capacity automated vehicles operating on a network of specially built guideways. PRT is a type of automated guideway transit (AGT), a class of system which also includes larger vehicles all the way to small subway systems. In terms of routing, it tends towards personal public transport systems.
A people mover or automated people mover (APM) is a type of small scale automated guideway transit system. The term is generally used only to describe systems serving relatively small areas such as airports, downtown districts or theme parks.
An automated guideway transit (AGT) or automated fixed-guideway transit or automatic guideway transit system is a type of fixed guideway transit infrastructure with a riding or suspension track that supports and physically guides one or more driverless vehicles along its length. The vehicles are often rubber tired or steel wheeled, but other traction systems including air cushion, suspended monorail and maglev have been implemented. The guideway provides both physical support, like a road, as well as the guidance.
Cabinentaxi, sometimes Cabintaxi in English, was a German people mover development project undertaken by Demag and Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm with funding and support from the Bundesministerium für Forschung und Technologie. Cabinentaxi was designed to offer low-cost mass transit services where conventional systems, like a metro, would be too expensive to deploy due to low ridership or high capital costs.
Morgantown Personal Rapid Transit is a personal rapid transit (PRT) system in Morgantown, West Virginia, United States. The system connects the three Morgantown campuses of West Virginia University (WVU) and the city's downtown area.
The Las Colinas Area Personal Transit System is a people mover system that serves the Las Colinas area of Irving, a suburb of Dallas, Texas. The system has four passenger stations and a maintenance & control center, and is run by two cars, one for each route. The system uses automated guideway transit technology, although for the moment it is driven manually, and exists primarily for the benefit of office workers and a few local residents.
Ultra is a personal rapid transit podcar system developed by the British engineering company Ultra Global PRT.
John Edward Anderson is an American engineer and proponent of personal rapid transit.
Masdar City is a planned city project in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates. Its core is being built by Masdar, a subsidiary of Mubadala Development Company, with the majority of seed capital provided by the Government of Abu Dhabi. Designed by the British architectural firm Foster and Partners, the city relies on solar energy and other renewable energy sources.
The Stansted Airport Track Transit System (TTS) is a fully automated people mover system which operates within London Stansted Airport in the United Kingdom.
LTV's (Vought) Airtrans was an automated people mover system that operated at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport between 1974 and 2005. The adaptable people mover was utilized for several separate systems: the Airport Train, Employee Train, American Airlines TrAAin and utility service. All systems utilized the same guideways and vehicle base but served different stations to create various routes.
The Alden staRRcar, short for "Self-Transport Road and Rail Car", was a personal rapid transit (PRT) system designed by William Alden in the 1960s. It originally envisioned small electrically powered cars suitable for short distance trips at low speed within urban areas, which could optionally merge onto tracks that would provide power and guidance for high-speed travel over longer inter-city distances. It was one of the earliest dual-mode vehicles to be proposed, and one of the earliest to be actually built.
ROMAG was a personal rapid transit (PRT) system produced by the American company Rohr, Inc. It featured a linear induction motor that was arranged to provide both traction and suspension in a magnetic levitation system.
The HUD Reports were a series of studies in mass transit systems, funded by the Urban Mass Transportation Administration (UMTA) department of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The HUD reports were extremely influential in the development of the personal rapid transit (PRT) concept, small pod-like vehicles that automatically travel from point-to-point in extended networks. Their publication in early 1968 sparked off PRT development projects at dozens of companies around the world. In spite of intense interest in the early 1970s, political winds shifted and today there is only one HUD-inspired PRT system in commercial operation, the Morgantown PRT in West Virginia.
The Computer-controlled Vehicle System, almost universally referred to as CVS, was a personal rapid transit (PRT) system developed by a Japanese industrial consortium during the 1970s. Like most PRT systems under design at the same time, CVS was based around a small four-person electric vehicle similar to a small minivan that could be requested on demand and drive directly to the user's destination. Unlike other PRT systems, however, CVS also offered cargo vehicles, included "dual-use" designs that could be manually driven off the PRT network, and included the ability to stop at intersections in a conventional road-like network.
Minitram was an automated guideway transit system studied by the Transport and Road Research Laboratory (TRRL), part of the UK Department of the Environment's Ministry of Transport. The system was based on small, completely automated tram-like vehicles of about 25 passengers that could be connected together into three-car trains to increase capacity. Proposed designs were submitted by Hawker Siddeley Dynamics (HSD) and EASAMS. HSD's system used rubber wheels and EASAMS' steerable steel ones, but the projects were otherwise similar and notably shared a linear motor for propulsion and most braking. A series of failed sales efforts in the UK and to the GO-Urban system in Toronto, combined with decreased government spending in the 1970s, led to the concept being abandoned.
The Advanced Transit Association (ATRA) is a non-profit organisation whose purpose is to encourage the development and deployment of Automated Transit Networks, including personal rapid transit systems. ATRA was formed in 1976 and in 1988 published a report that became an essential factor in increasing the credibility of the personal rapid transit concept.
Innovia APM is a rubber-tired automated people mover system (APM) currently manufactured and marketed by Alstom as part of its Innovia series of fully automated transportation systems. The technology was introduced in 1963 by Westinghouse and has been improved over three generations. The Innovia APM 100, Innovia APM 200 and the latest Innovia APM 300. The license to use the technology has also passes hands several times, from Westinghouse to AEG in 1988, to Adtranz in 1996, to Bombardier Transportation in 2001, and most recently to Alstom in 2021.
The Heathrow Terminal 5 Transit is an automated people mover system (APM) at London Heathrow Airport in the United Kingdom. It operates in the Heathrow Terminal 5 complex and conveys air passengers between the main airport terminal and its satellite buildings.
In the 1990s, the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) planned to fund the construction of a personal rapid transit (PRT) system in Rosemont, Illinois. Raytheon had been contracted to build the system. The project was cancelled in October 1999. Rosemont had been selected in 1993 by the RTA be home to a demonstration PRT system. Five other municipalities in the suburban Chicago metropolitan area had submitted unsuccessful bids to be host to the PRT project. The system would have been the first-of-its-kind, utilizing smaller vehicles than the existing Morgantown Personal Rapid Transit. The project marked the first serious activity related to PRT construction since Morgantown Personal Rapid Transit.
Heathrow Pod, began public service in 2011 and will carry around 500,000 passengers per year from the Terminal 5 business car park to the main terminal.