On the website of the Israeli business newspaper Globes there has been released an article with the heading «150 km/h Above the Ground: a New Eco-Friendly Way of Travelling Can Solve the Problem of Traffic Jams». The journalists spoke about the design of the SkyWay transport, the technical characteristics of passenger and cargo models and the prospects of the technology in the UAE. Read more in our summary.
Transport design
The authors of Globes noted that the interior of the passenger SkyWay is designed as a first-class aircraft salon. This similarity was achieved thanks to stylish lighting, background music, floor-to-ceiling windows and leather armchairs. According to the description, we can assume that we are talking about a tropical Unicar, which is currently being tested at the UST, Inc. Centre in Sharjah.
Technology Characteristics
According to the journalists, the SkyWay urban transport network will be able to transport 10,000 passengers per hour at a speed of 150 km/h. At the same time, during the tests, the transport moves at a lower speed for safety reasons.
In addition, the authors noted the advantages of the SkyWay cargo transport, the largest models of which are capable of transporting cargo up to 48 tons at a speed of 90 km/h.
SkyWay and competitors
As in many publications about the project, the Globes article mentions the similarity of the SkyWay transport with a cableway. However, unlike competitors, the range of SkyWay use is much wider. In particular, models of different configurations and purposes can be used on the same SkyWay transport infrastructure.
Another advantage is the low cost of construction. For example, 1 km of the string track will cost 15 times cheaper than 1 km of the metro. These savings are made possible by using less material.
Project plans and prospects
Among the immediate plans of the project is the construction of a 2.4-km track in the Centre of UST, Inc. in Sharjah. The construction is needed to test SkyWay at higher speeds and to demonstrate simultaneous operation of freight and passenger transport on the same line. We remind you that all intermediate supports for this track have already been installed.
According to Hussain Al-Mahmoudi, CEO of the Sharjah Research and Technology Park, on the territory of which the UST, Inc. Centre is located, the construction of the 2.4- km track will be a significant component in implementing the UAE’s development strategy.
In addition, Globes’ journalists cite the words of a representative of the UST, Inc. Centre who said that interest in the project is also shown in the United States and Canada. And already in 2024, the construction of the first target project in the UAE can be completed.
