BIRMINGHAM MAGLEV OFF TO FLYING START

The world's first commercial maglev, scheduled for operation in April 1984, involves a double-track 0.62-km guideway linking the British Railways Birmingham station with the airport terminal. This people mover has a theoretical maximum capacity of 3200 passengers per hour in each direction, carried in a pair of two-car, 80-passenger trains operating on independent tracks and taking about 90 seconds for each one-way trip with a top speed of 40 mph. The electromagnets under each car are part of an attraction maglev system with sensors regulating vertical and lateral air gaps to assure ride quality and minimize power consumption. Trains are propelled and braked by linear induction motors under each vehicle. Automatic train operation controls the motors and magnetic levitation. The article also includes information on high-speed maglev tests in Germany and Japan. The Birmingham airport maglev was built by a British industrial consortium called the People Mover Group, with its research funded by the consortium, and by local and British governments.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/02624079
• Corporate Authors:

  IPC Magazine Limited

  King's Reach Tower, Stamford Street
  London SE1 9LS,   England 
• Authors:
  • HAMER, M
• Publication Date: 1984-3-15

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 25-27
• Serial:
  • NEW SCIENTIST
  • Volume: 101
  • Issue Number: 401
  • Publisher: REED BUSINESS INFORMATION LTD
  • ISSN: 0262-4079

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Airport access; Development; Linear induction motors; Magnetic levitation; People movers; Research; Technological forecasting; Technology
• Uncontrolled Terms: Research and development
• Geographic Terms: Birmingham (England); United Kingdom
• Subject Areas: Aviation; Operations and Traffic Management; Public Transportation; Research;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00384913
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: May 30 1984 12:00AM