Eco Ride an energy saving transport system based on the working principle of a roller coaster will be tested in Japan in October 2008. Senyo Kogyo and Senyo Kiko will built the Eco Ride test line in the Chiba Experiment Station of IIS in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. As the system eliminates the need for a drive unit on the cars the size and weight of the cars can be reduced. This will lead to a reduction in the size of the railroad, the supporting structures and the stations, etc. The construction cost of Eco Ride per kilometer is about 1/10 of the cost of a small-size subway, or 1/5 of that of a monorail or a new transit system in Japan. Eco Ride consumes less electricity and will be the ideal choice for automated short-distance transportation system with a total railway length of up to 10km.
Eco Ride operates using the height difference on the railway. Drive units to pull the cars up are installed at various points on the railway so that the Eco Ride can obtain the potential energy to run. This is the same principle as a roller coaster. Senyo Kogyo and Senyo Kiko specialize in the construction and sale of amusement facilities, etc.
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