Wiktionary
n. A train that is supported on a cushion of air (in the manner of a hovercraft)
Wikipedia
The Aérotrain was a hovertrain developed in France from 1965 to 1977. The lead engineer was Jean Bertin.
The goal of the Aérotrain was similar to that of the magnetic levitation train: to suspend the train above the tracks so the only resistance is that of air resistance. Consequently, the Aérotrain could travel at very high speeds without the technical complexity and expensive tracks of magnetic levitation.
This project was abandoned in 1977 due to lack of funding, the death of Jean Bertin, and the adoption of TGV by the French government as its high-speed ground-transport solution.
The Aerotrain was a streamlined trainset introduced by General Motors Electro-Motive Division in the mid-1950s. Like all of GM's body designs of this mid-century era, this train was first brought to life in GM's Styling Section. Chuck Jordan was in charge of designing the Aerotrain as Chief Designer of Special Projects. It utilized the experimental EMD LWT12 locomotive , coupled to a set of modified GM Truck & Coach Division 40-seat intercity highway bus bodies . The cars each rode on two axles with an air suspension system, which was intended to give a smooth ride, but had the opposite effect.
Aerotrain may refer to:
- Aerotrain (GM), a passenger train built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division
- Aerotrain (KLIA), an automated people mover in Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Malaysia
- AeroTrain (IAD), an automated people mover at Washington Dulles International Airport
- Aérotrain, a hovercraft train developed in France
- Aerotrén, an automated people mover at Mexico City International Airport
- AeroTrain, an tiltrotor aircraft proposed by Karem Aircraft
The Aerotrain is an automated people mover (APM) system located within the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia.
Opened in 1998 along with the airport, the Aerotrain system consists of two stations, one in the Main Terminal Building and the other in Satellite Building A. The system is the only means of transport for passengers between the two terminals.
Upgrading works on the Aerotrain had caused the service to be suspended between November 1, 2010 and March 15, 2011. Passengers were transferred between the Main Terminal Building and the Satellite Building by bus shuttles during the upgrading period.
AeroTrain is a underground people mover system at Washington Dulles International Airport. It was scheduled to open in fall 2009, but was delayed until 2010 in order to complete reliability tests. It opened to Dulles employees on January 20, 2010, and opened to passengers January 26, 2010. The system mostly replaced the mobile lounges that transport passengers from the concourses to the Main Terminal. The system cost about $1.4 billion and also includes a new security screening mezzanine. The system utilizes 29 Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Crystal Mover vehicles as its rolling stock.
The AeroTrain transports passengers between the Main Terminal building and Concourses A, B and C. From the Main Terminal Station, trains travel to Concourse A and Concourse C in one direction, and Concourse B in the other direction. The track map for AeroTrain is shaped like a fishhook, with the Main Terminal station at the bottom. The Aerotrain runs 4 three-car trains from 5:00 AM to around 3:00 PM from which seven three-car trains run from 3:00 PM until 11:00 PM. From midnight to 5 AM there are usually two three-car trains but sometimes only one three-car train. There are supposed to be no more than two minutes between trains, and trains transport passengers to the concourses in about two minutes, at 40–42 miles per hour (The mobile lounges travel about fifteen miles per hour).
Since the existing Concourse C/D (built in 1985 and renovated in 2006 to extend its life for 8-10 more years) is a temporary concourse, the Concourse C station has been built at the site of the future permanent Concourse C/D, and is connected to the existing concourse by an underground walkway.
There are also plans for future expansion of the system. The AeroTrain can be expanded to include stations for the future Concourse D, two stations for an additional midfield Concourse (Concourses E and F), and a South Terminal. Once fully built out, the trains will run in a two-way loop around the airport.