01045963

Component

https://doi.org/10.3141/1995-03

http://scholar.google.com...rkus&publication_year=2007

Results of the Swissmetro European Market Study are presented. Swissmetro is a proposed high-speed passenger ground transportation system that would operate magnetically levitated trains in underground tunnels with reduced air pressure by using linear motor technology. The market study considered the market feasibility of constructing Swissmetro on potential European corridors. It evaluated technology, market conditions, European policy, investment costs, and risks associated with the project. The study conclusion was that there is not sufficient market potential for the Swissmetro system in European long-distance transport. The main problems with Swissmetro identified in the study were the long time necessary to bring the technology to commercial deployment; the lack of obvious corridors (most high-demand corridors will be served by high-speed rail by 2020); strong competition from other modes, such as air and high-speed rail; European Union policy of supporting an interoperable system of rail lines; Swissmetro’s high capital and operating costs—plus the risk that these costs may be significantly underestimated—and Swissmetro’s long construction time.

01079034

English

pp 17-26

2007

Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board

9780309104210

Print

Figures (4) ; References (18) ; Tables (3)

Air pressure; Feasibility analysis; High speed ground transportation; High speed rail; Magnetic levitation; Market assessment; Megaprojects; Rail transit; Railroad transportation; Subways

Europe; Switzerland

Economics; Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; Railroads

TRIS, TRB, ATRI

Feb 8 2007 6:06PM

• Applying Low-Cost Airline Pricing Strategies to European Railroads
• Development and Pilot Testing of Crew Resource Management Training Program for Railroad Industry
• Identifying Hazards in Transportation Construction and Maintenance Tasks: Case-Based Reasoning Approach Using Railroad Data
• Innovative Lightweight Technologies Using Power Electronics on Shinkansen High-Speed Electric Multiple Units
• Lean Railroading for Improving Railroad Classification Terminal Performance: Bottleneck Management Methods
• Probabilistic Model for Predicting Rail Breaks and Controlling Risk of Derailment
• Proposed Infrastructure Pricing Methodology for Mixed-Use Rail Networks
• Safety Standards for High-Speed Rail Transportation
• Survey of Current High-Speed Rail Planning Efforts in the United States