One of the biggest problems facing crowded cities today is transportation. If there is no existing subway or train system, building one can be extremely cost-prohibitive, not to mention disruptive to existing transit systems. The Shenzhen Hashi Future Parking Equipment Company has an idea that could address the issue at a tenth of the cost of installing a subway. It’s a train that straddles the existing highway.
While the train looks intimidating at first, it’s actually quite smart. Unlike a subway, which puts trains underneath roads, Shenzhen’s design requires minimal infrastructure, using the above-ground routes already constructed. Presumably, it requires only tracks on either side of the road to operate, and would run on solar and grid electricity. The cost for building it is estimated at 10 percent that of building an equivalent subway.
China has already commissioned a test section of 115 miles of track in Beijing’s Mentougou district to begin later this year. It will be interesting to see how it works out.
