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By Barbara Knecht

Riding (above) the rails

Light- and heavy-rail transit remains tremendously effective for frequent service in heavily traveled corridors. Intercity high-speed links have been contemplated in states as far-flung as California, Nevada, Florida, and Ohio, and are heavily used in Europe, China, and Japan. Denver and Dallas, Sacramento and St. Louis, among others, have opened successful light-rail surface systems within the past 10 years. Houston opened one at the beginning of this year. San Juan, Puerto Rico, will open a heavy-rail elevated and underground system this year, and upgrading and expansion continue on existing systems in New York, Chicago, and Boston.

The Calgary-based CPV Group designed a bold station for an expanded light-rail system in the Shawnessy suburb of Calgary. A series of concrete-shell canopies provide platform coverage. Each canopy section is naturally lit through the louvered clerestories and enhanced with indirect lighting. The modular forms respond to the modest scale and rhythm of the nearby residential neighborhoods.

However, current innovations in rail technology are focused on speed. For instance, magnetic levitation, or Maglev, is a system in which trains conquer friction’s drag with electromagnetic propulsion. The frequency, intensity, and direction of the electric current controls the train’s movement. One type of Maglev system, developed in Germany, is already in use in Shanghai, China, and another version is in development in Japan. With a top speed of 300 miles per hour, these trains are terrific for travel between neighboring cities, especially as an alternative to short-distance air travel.

The three components of the system include magnetic coils, which line a guideway (comparable to a traditional track); guiding magnets on the undercarriage of the train; and an electric power source. The magnetic coils along the guideway repel the train magnets and levitate the train .39 to 3.93 inches above the guideway. Electric power supplied to the coils alternates constantly, changing the polarity of the magnets, which pulls the front of the train and pushes it from the back along the guideway.

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