Space Age Magnetic Trains for Tel Aviv by 2014

A space age levitating train system developed at NASA’s Ames Research Centre could be providing luxury ‘private’ public transport in Tel Aviv by 2014.

SkyTran is working with the Israeli government and municipal authorities to develop the system which would see individual two-person pods travelling by magnetic induction along a guide rail following existing power lines.

The system does not run to a timetable - pods may be summoned on demand via a smartphone app, and travel direct to the traveller’s destination at up to 150 mph! Traffic is controlled by computer, and pods move onto side rails to pick up or set down passengers, thus avoiding delays to following pods.

The ride is smooth and quiet, as the magnetic induction technology means that pods “float” on a bed of air, never coming into contact with the rail. This also means friction is non-existent, significantly reducing maintenance wear and tear.

The system is environmentally friendly, using sustainable power sources. Development costs are $9 million per mile, compared with $100 million for a light rail system and $20 million per mile for a bus lane. Ticket costs are anticipated to be competitive with Tel Aviv’s sherut (taxi van) service.

Israel was chosen as the ideal beta site because of its open attitude to technology and Tel Aviv’s significant congestion problems.