Background on Pop-Up Metro
Pop-Up Metro is an initiative intended to
expand the size of the rail transit market by allowing metropolitan areas
with existing light-density rail freight lines to establish demonstration
operations of a rail transit system on a rapid timeline and for the cost
that they might otherwise pay for a consulting study.
Pop-Up Metro
will lease trains, platforms, battery charging kit and an integration
package, including operating and maintenance regimes.
A Pop-Up
Metro demonstration operation, based on Vivarail battery trains, is in the
process of being established in the USA and will be operational and
available to demonstrate proof-of-concept in early 2021.
An additional benefit of Pop-Up Metro is proof-of-market in addition
to proof-of-concept, thus substantially reducing the risk of the
traditional approach of building the system first and then seeing if the
market exists.
Introduction to Pop-Up Metro USA
from TransAction Conference October 20, 2020
(Video length 00:18:43)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFyRcbL6-N8&feature=youtu.be
download presentation slides
(PDF 5 MB)
Background on Vivarail
Founded in 2012, Vivarail's primary
objective has been to build a new type of passenger rolling stock for
urban, commuter and rural railways across Britain, based on conversion of
former London subway trains (D78) into ground-breaking Class 230
D-Trains.
Vivarail is led by retired Chiltern Railways
chairman Adrian
Shooter and includes a development team with a combined 200+
years' experience in railway engineering and operations.
Vivarail
is based at a rail-connected site in central England with full
manufacturing facilities and a dedicated 4km test track.
In August
2014, RDC purchased a 50% interest in Vivarail in association with its
management team.
The
Class 230 DEMU prototype made its debut operating as a special shuttle
service from Honeybourne to Long Marston for visitors attending the Rail
Live 2017 event. The middle car demonstrated a range of seating options,
spacious toilet, WiFi and USB sockets.
"Riding the Class 230 Vivarail D-Train"
(Video length 00:07:51)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTdrtRmSUO0&feature=em-share_video_user
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