And no, this is not an April Fools’ Day joke.
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British designers Christopher Christophi and Lucas Mazarrasa say the “Vertical Hyper Speed Train Hub” aims to reduce CO2 emissions, increase energy security and replace the existing key major train stations in cities around the world, including London, New York and Madrid.
“As the world’s population dramatically increases, the demand for goods, natural resources, foods, fuel and land would have increased significantly by 2075,” according to the designers. “The majority of the future’s population will gravitate towards living in mega-cities, increasing the pressure and competition for adjacent suburban land, therefore forcing cities to explore more innovative forms of public transport.”
The design received an honourable mention in eVolo Magazine’s 2014 Skyscraper Competition. Other innovative projects included a skyscraper that filters the air of polluted cities, a sky village for Los Angeles and a 3D-printed tower in the desert.
How does it work?
According to the proposal, passengers will travel into the main lobby, ascend through the atrium and the platforms and onto the carriages.
As the train travels and transitions from its horizontal formation and ascends up the facade vertically, the carriages will pivot similar to that on a “Ferris wheel,” allowing the passengers to remain in an upright position and facing toward the cityscape.
The carriage will be supported by a magnetic structure located at either side, eliminating the need for rails beneath and allowing for the carriage and its passengers to connect to the tower.
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