Interesting new transportation Option: Whoosh - Autonomous Elevated Cable & Rail System

[tonymu]

I just saw an interesting article about Sugar Land, Texas (Houston Suburb) looking to possibly implement Swyft Cities, Whoosh Autonomous Elevated Cable and Rail System. It looks like a better implementation of the skyliner gondolas. The vehicles all have their own motors and run on fixed cables and rails instead of like Disney's gondolas that attach to a moving cable. The Whoosh vehicles have batteries, air conditioning and heat, can make turns, and travel directly to YOUR destination bypassing other stations. Loading stations pull off the main lines so that they can be bypassed and they can be scaled to the size needed for each location. The system is easily expandable.
https://www.sugarlandtx.gov/2803/Autonomous-Elevated-Cable-Rail-System
https://swyftcities.com/

 

[Comped]

I don't think Disney is going to be doing any kind of transportation expansion for a while except for new bus routes. Skyliner expansion has not turned out anywhere near as rumored, and with the monorail on borrowed time at best, I don't think we're going to see much in the way of new transport modalities anytime soon.

 

[danlb_2000]

I just saw an interesting article about Sugar Land, Texas (Houston Suburb) looking to possibly implement Swyft Cities, Whoosh Autonomous Elevated Cable and Rail System. It looks like a better implementation of the skyliner gondolas. The vehicles all have their own motors and run on fixed cables and rails instead of like Disney's gondolas that attach to a moving cable. The Whoosh vehicles have batteries, air conditioning and heat, can make turns, and travel directly to YOUR destination bypassing other stations. Loading stations pull off the main lines so that they can be bypassed and they can be scaled to the size needed for each location. The system is easily expandable.
https://www.sugarlandtx.gov/2803/Autonomous-Elevated-Cable-Rail-System
https://swyftcities.com/

Cool concept but it does suffer from one of the same problems as the Monorail, if one car breaks down it takes out the entire line.

 

[twilight mitsuk]

Cool concept but it does suffer from one of the same problems as the Monorail, if one car breaks down it takes out the entire line.

So does the skyliner when there is a problem

 

[swyftcities]

Hi. Appreciate the shoutout! We are in discussions with some entertainment complexes, although Disney has historically had their transportation dialed in since the first Alweg monorail in 1959. The Skyliner is pretty cool, and WDW operates the equivalent of a major city transit system. But we're hoping to see Whoosh systems at entertainment complexes soon, relieving parking pressures, shutting guests around with nonstop trips to each destination. I think one of the things that makes Disney theme parks so special is that Walt & Roy understood that the right transportation forms an important part of the immersive experience from the second you set foot in the park.

 

[danlb_2000]

So does the skyliner when there is a problem

No, that is different. Yes, if the main drive motor goes down the line stops but, but if there are multiple powered vehicles on a line, if any one of them fails they all go down, so you go from a single point of failure to multiple points of failure.

 

[swyftcities]

Cool concept but it does suffer from one of the same problems as the Monorail, if one car breaks down it takes out the entire line.

Hi, because each vehicle propels itself independently, a breakdown of any vehicle or station (or even congestion) means all other vehicles can be dynamically re-routed to ensure that everyone else can safely and conveniently complete their trip.

 

[danlb_2000]

Hi, because each vehicle propels itself independently, a breakdown of any vehicle or station (or even congestion) means all other vehicles can be dynamically re-routed to ensure that everyone else can safely and conveniently complete their trip.

So all the vehicles behind the failed one can reverse direction and return to a station? Even if that is the case, you still have the monorail problem unless there are multiple paths to the destination.

 

[denyuntilcaught]

Skyliner expansion has not turned out anywhere near as rumored

Really? I thought Disney was juiced to expand the Skyliner.

 

[monothingie]

I just saw an interesting article about Sugar Land, Texas (Houston Suburb) looking to possibly implement Swyft Cities, Whoosh Autonomous Elevated Cable and Rail System. It looks like a better implementation of the skyliner gondolas. The vehicles all have their own motors and run on fixed cables and rails instead of like Disney's gondolas that attach to a moving cable. The Whoosh vehicles have batteries, air conditioning and heat, can make turns, and travel directly to YOUR destination bypassing other stations. Loading stations pull off the main lines so that they can be bypassed and they can be scaled to the size needed for each location. The system is easily expandable.
https://www.sugarlandtx.gov/2803/Autonomous-Elevated-Cable-Rail-System
https://swyftcities.com/

They are proposing a very similar system to replace the Air Train Monorail at Newark Airport in NJ.

Interestingly enough it will be made by Doppelmayr coincidentally.

 

[britain]

I could see Disney consider something like this if they were building a new resort from scratch (Brazil?) they could integrate it into every hotel location. Seems like they’re too invested in Buses and Skyliner for WDW.

Maybe DL Forward?

 

[danlb_2000]

I could see Disney consider something like this if they were building a new resort from scratch (Brazil?) they could integrate it into every hotel location. Seems like they’re too invested in Buses and Skyliner for WDW.

Maybe DL Forward?

This does have a big advantage over the Skyliner in that it could more easily connect a large number of destinations. although I doubt Disney would spend the money to do that.