Commute to work on the roller coaster train

A Japanese train based on a theme park ride could make getting around cleaner ? and more fun

THE green-and-white door slides shut and a man in a blue cap and beige overalls mutters into his walkie-talkie. He raises a blue-gloved hand to signal departure and we're off. The train's two carriages stutter into motion, trundling along the elevated rails before speeding up as they roll down the gently undulating track. The journey is short, smooth and almost silent - it's a mere 100 metres between "stations".

The Eco-Ride train feels like a ride on a roller coaster - and that's pretty much what it is. In a few years' time, this cheap and energy-efficient train could be ferrying passengers around areas of Japan devastated by last year's tsunami.

Developed at Tokyo University's Institute of Industrial Science (IIS), with the help of amusement ride firm Senyo Kogyo, Eco-Ride works in the exactly the same way as a theme park roller coaster. By turning potential energy into kinetic energy, it coasts along its tubular tracks without an engine. The train's speed is controlled by aerodynamics and by "vertical curves", sections of track that form the transition between two sloping segments. The Eco-Ride is set in motion and slowed at stations via rotating wheels between the rails that catch a fin underneath the train.

When fully installed, Eco-Ride would ply a route, ideally circular, at speeds of up to 60 kilometres per hour. The idea is that Eco-Ride will use its own inertia to get up most slopes but may on occasion need to be winched up steeper inclines. If it was first lifted to a height of 10 metres, the train could comfortably cover a distance of 400 metres, says its developer, Yoshihiro Suda, director of the IIS Advanced Mobility Research Center.

The lack of any engine makes carriages extremely light, so the energy required to propel them is small and the emissions low. Plus there is no need for the expensive, bulky infrastructure that usually accompanies the building of new train tracks.

"This is probably the ultimate energy-saving transportation system," says Suda. A number of municipalities in Japan have shown an interest in the system, including communities hit by last year's devastating earthquake and tsunami in the Tohoku region in the north-east, he says. Other uses could be feeder routes between other transportation networks, or communities and college campuses located beyond what might be considered a reasonable walking distance, he added. Suda expects the first Eco-Ride to be in operation sometime in 2014.

The prototypes that scuttle down the track at the leafy suburban test facility in Chiba already look good to go, and efforts have been made to create a genuine travel experience. Having climbed up the steps to the makeshift platform I hand in my Eco-Ride ticket - on it are printed the date and time of departure and a request to be ready to board 5 minutes prior to departure. A poster at the station explains various technical aspects of the system and includes a computer-generated image of an Eco-Ride winding its way among city skyscrapers and above the cars and pedestrians below (see top right).

That might seem a bit far off but Eco-Ride would be perfect for the area around Tohoku, hit hard by last's year tsunami, says Masao Kuwahara at the university there. "Tohoku is a largely undulating region and with many residential areas being relocated to higher ground while workplaces are near the sea, a transport system that relies on gravity is perfectly suited to the topographical conditions," he says.

Yet, there are those who believe there is still some way to go before the system will be trundled out for real. "In terms of its simplicity and eco-friendliness, I think the idea of using a roller-coaster-like vehicle to transport people is remarkable," says Takayuki Morikawa at Nagoya University. "However, recently there are trains that are able to regenerate energy when braking or travelling along downhill gradients, so I think it is necessary to scrutinise which of the two is more efficient."

But for others, the simple fact that they are riding a roller coaster - albeit a slower one - gives Eco-Ride instant glamour.

"Imagine having a roller coaster ride as part of your commute to work," says sales account manager Yumi Ito, who tried Eco-Ride at a recent open day. "Now that would brighten up your day."

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