Aerobus
Aerobus is a self-propelled electrically powered bus-like vehicle riding on a suspended overhead cable. The cable arrangement, similar to a suspension bridge, allows for long spans of up to 600 metres between pylons. The Aerobus system was invented in the late 1960s by Gerhard Mueller of the GMD Mueller aerial lift company in Switzerland[1]. The patents to Aerobus are currently owned by Aerobus International Ltd. of Houston, Texas, United States[2][3].
Installations
- 1970 – First test track in Schmerikon (Switzerland)
- 1975 – Test track sold and moved to Mont-Sainte-Anne (Canada) where it stayed in operation until 1992.
- 1974 New test track in Dietlikon (Switzerland).
- 1975 Temporary installation in Mannheim (Germany) with 8 cars and 2.2 million people transported in six months[4].
- 2000 – Chinese city of Chongqing awards a contract to Aerobus for a 2.6 km system with three stations that crosses the Yangtze and Jialing rivers in the downtown area, with pylons up to 300 ft high.[5] This was project was apparently cancelled, as the rapidly growing city installed bigger, more costly transit modes instead.
- 2007 – Final approval for construction[6] of a 4.2 km-long installation carried by eight pylons in Weihai (China). The system would connect Liugong Island with the mainland city of Weihei, with a large observation-tower station in the center. While originally unsuccessfully rushed to try to finish in time for the Olympics, according to a company spokesman in early 2009 construction is well underway on the $100 million Weihai line, with completion scheduled for 2011.[7]
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References