Japan has introduced the world’s first Dual Mode Vehicle (DMV) in the town of Kaiyo which looks a lot like a minibus.
The minibus lookalike runs on normal rubber tyres on the road but it has steel wheels that are tucked away in its underbelly. These steel wheels descend when the DMV has to move on train tracks.
The DMV has a capacity of caring for up to 21 passengers and moves at a speed of 60km/h on rail tracks. On roads the speed of the vehicle goes up to 100km/h.
This dual-mode of transportation transit system was put into operation on 25th December 2021. It was initiated by the Asa Seaside Railway company.
THE MECHANISM & ROUTE :
When the DMV arrives at an interchange, transitioning from roads to rail tracks, rubber tyers in the front are lifted off the track and the rear steel wheels stay down to propel the DMV onto the rail track. This way the minibus effectively and easily changed into a train like a module on a rail track and it’s the first of its kind.
The small fleet of DMVs runs on diesel and comes in different colours. It runs along the coast of Shikoku, an Island in Southern Japan. It also connects several small towns & offer passengers attractive seaside scenery.
THE VISION :
This dual mode of transportation transit system was put into operation on 25th December 2021. It was initiated by the Asa Seaside Railway company.
The CEO of Asa Coast Railway company, which operates the DMV’s said, “the vehicles could help small towns like Kaiyo which comprises of aging & shrinking population where local transport companies struggle to make a profit”.
These vehicles were originally studied as a way to use electric cars as a mode of convenient intercity travel.
The company states that the DMV is lighter than a traditional train and it uses much lesser fuel. This way the maintenance is easier.
Asa Seaside Railway Company (ASRC) previously planned to introduce the service of dual-mode vehicles during the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics. They had to postpone it after the Transport Ministry recommended so. Changes where made on the welding on the arm which holds the retractable wheels.
CEO Shigeki Muira hopes that the project would encourage rail fans from all around the world to visit.
Other countries are yet to adapt to the model of Dual Mode Vehicle . Japan remains a step ahead in terms of technology. She has paved yet another path toward convenient traveling.
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