Italy has successfully tested a revolutionary technology that allows a magnetic levitation vehicle to be able to move along an existing railway track without any modifications. A train prototype successfully completed, on March 12, a 2-kilometer route at a speed of 70 km/h on the Adria-Mestre route, within the framework of a test that was presented at the transport and logistics fair. sustainable LetExpo in Verona.
Until now, magnetic levitation trains, known as maglev (magnetic levitation), required the installation of special rails to float on railway tracks. However, for the first time, a maglev vehicle moves on conventional rails in operation, eliminating the need for specific rails for levitation using magnets a few centimeters above the tracks.
This pioneering technology developed by the Italian company IronLev is technically known as passive ferromagnetic levitation. With this system, the skids suspend the vehicle on the traditional rails, while wheels ‘hook’ to them to guarantee its stability and prevent any risk of slipping or derailing.
By applying levitation on rails of railway lines in use, this technological advance with a European seal provides notable advantages in terms of efficiency as a specific infrastructure is not necessary as is the case with the maglev trains that circulate in China and Japan and the Hyperloop. The absence of friction also provides a reduction in noise and vibrations, improving both the passenger transport experience and the efficiency in the transfer of goods.
“Some of our competitors have carried out tests on specific tracks built expressly to accommodate a magnetic levitation vehicle. “We have demonstrated that our prototype can be applied on a large scale, revolutionizing the railway transport sector, thanks to its technical simplicity, its versatility of use and its lower costs compared to similar systems,” said Adriano Girotto, president of IronLev, in statements. collected by the Ansa agency.
Precisely, the economic factor has until now been the main obstacle to the expansion of maglev trains. But with the first magnetic levitation test applied to an existing railway track, without the need to modify or integrate accessory elements, the situation could change. The prototype presented by IronLev could be applied in subways and high-speed trains, in addition to more sophisticated means such as Hyperloop.
In this sense, IronLev is already working with the objective of developing an additional motorized cart within two years to test a vehicle weighing up to 20 tons and speeds of up to 200 k/h. For now, the Italian company has begun to implement its technology in practical applications, using it to move large heavy windows, elevators, and transport loads in industrial environments.
In the following video you can see the test that IronLev carried out on the Adria-Mestre railway route, near Venice, where the operation of this innovative magnetic levitation technology applied to the existing railway line is shown.