Is it a bus? or is it a train? Well, it’s a dual-mode vehicle, it’s a railbus. In an amusing invention, Japan has formulated the world’s first dual-mode vehicle (DMV), which can run on both roads and rail tracks. On Saturday, it made its public debut in the Tokushima Prefecture town of Kaiyo.
Locals predict that Asa Coast Railway Co.’s new service, which enhances access to tourist attractions, will bring out railway enthusiasts and others to the town. Tokushima Gov. Kamon Iizumi said at the service’s takeoff ceremony that he needs the prefecture to “send dreams and hopes to the world” through the DMV. “It took as long as about 10 years to launch (the DMV service). I’m full of emotion,” said Kaiyo Mayor Shigeki Miura. Tokushima and neighbouring Kochi Prefecture are linked by the company’s railway service.
The dual-mode vehicle resembles a minibus
The dual-mode vehicle resembles a minibus and performs on standard rubber tyres on the road. When it arrives at an interchange, however, steel wheels drop from the vehicle’s underbelly onto the rail track. Effectively altering it into a train carriage. The train wheels lift the front tyres off the track while the rear wheels remain on the track, propelling the DMV onto the railway.
It can switch between road and railway modes in about 15 seconds
It can switch between road and railway modes in about 15 seconds. Miura believes the vehicles will benefit small towns like Kaiyo, which has an ageing and dwindling population and local transportation companies that are striving to make a profit. As per Asa Coast Railway, the DMV can carry up to 21 passengers and travel at a speed of 60 kph (37 mph) on rail and up to 100 kph on public roads. The small fleet of vehicles, which come in a variety of colours and are powered by diesel fuel, will run along a portion of Shikoku island’s coast, connecting several small towns and providing passengers with beautiful seaside scenery.