The last time I had a train in America, it left me angry and upset for four hours when we make a trip it will take half the time to drive. That’s not how trains should be. If you want to know how trains actually work and workthen you should look to Japan, where completed a lot of formulas to the point of even turning other vehicles into trains.
Right away, the country has a bus rail network that can operate on traditional rail lines and roads. Surprised. Bonkers’ new creation caught our attention by YouTuber Tom Scottwho has a knack for discovering wild public transport solutions around the world.
The The specific bus we are going to talk about is based in Shikoku, Japan, where it runs on the Asa Coast Railway. It’s a neat-creative search, and take a form similar to a classic American school bus when out on the road – specifically the boxy design with the hood protruding slightly forward like a muzzle. At first, all you see are regular bus wheels on each corner.
With this form, the DMV, which stands for Dual Mode Vehicle, can drive around town, stopping at bus stops to pick up passengers. like a regular bus would. But, when it arrives at a train station, that’s when Magic begins to happen.
When positioning on rails, a set of train wheels that fold down at the front, lifting the nose of the bus off the ground and pulling the front tire up. The second set of train wheels also folds down at the rear, while the rear tire remains in contact with the rails to provide force for the forward truss (train/bus combination). Scott explains that the conversion takes only 15 seconds to complete.
The DMV is then free to traverse an elevated rail line, which operators say would keep it out of the water should a tsunami hit the area – providing an important means of getting in and out during such a disaster.
Interestingly, only those who have even bus driver’s license and a train operator eligible to be able to drive the DMV, no steering wheel required when in train mode.
While the whole setup is pretty cool and seems like a great solution for the general public shipping problem, Scott is keen to point out that it’s really not the most practical solution to the transportation problems facing the region. It may have installed dedicated bus lanes in place of train tracks, or it may have just provided shuttle bus service between train stations.
However, the organizers claim that having a single, smaller vehicle cuts operating costs compared to running a longer train on their railway. Also, if I had the opportunity to take the train and bus or take a ride on a rig, I know which one I would rather take to get somewhere.
