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Arubber-tyred metro orrubber-tired metro is a form ofrapid transit system that uses a mix ofroad andrail technology. The vehicles havewheels withrubbertires that run on aroll way insideguide bars for traction. Traditional,flanged steel wheels running onrail tracks provide guidance throughswitches and act as backup if tyres fail. Most rubber-tyred trains are purpose-built and designed for the system on which they operate.Guided buses are sometimes referred to as 'trams on tyres', and compared to rubber-tyred metros.[1]
The first idea for rubber-tyred railway vehicles was the work of ScotsmanRobert William Thomson, the original inventor of the pneumatictyre. In his patent of 1846[2] he describes his 'Aerial Wheels' as being equally suitable for, "the ground or rail or track on which they run".[3] The patent also included a drawing of such a railway, with the weight carried by pneumatic main wheels running on a flat board track and guidance provided by small horizontal steelwheels running on the sides of a central verticalguide rail.[3] A similar arrangement was patented byAlejandro Goicoechea, inventor ofTalgo, in February 1936, patent ES 141056. In 1973, he built a development of that patent: 'Tren Vertebrado', Patent DE1755198; at Avenida Marítima, inLas Palmas de Gran Canaria.
During theWorld War II German occupation of Paris, the Metro system was used to capacity, with relatively little maintenance performed. At the end of the war, the system was so worn that thought was given as to how to renovate it. Rubber-tyred metro technology was first applied to theParis Métro, developed byMichelin, which provided the tyres and guidance system, in collaboration withRenault, which provided the vehicles. Starting in 1951, an experimental vehicle, theMP 51, operated on a test track between Porte des Lilas and Pré Saint Gervais, a section of line not open to the public.
Line 11Châtelet –Mairie des Lilas was the first line to be converted, in 1956, chosen because of itssteep grades. That was followed byLine 1Château de Vincennes –Pont de Neuilly in 1964, andLine 4Porte d'Orléans –Porte de Clignancourt in 1967, converted because they had the heaviest traffic load of all Paris Métro lines. Finally,Line 6Charles de Gaulle – Étoile –Nation was converted in 1974, to reducetrain noise on its many elevated sections. Because of the high cost of converting existing rail-based lines, other lines were not converted, but the newParis Métro Line 14, which opened in 1998, was built with the rubber-tyred system.
Thefirst completely rubber-tyred metro system was built inMontreal, Quebec, Canada, in 1966. The trains of theSantiago andMexico City Metros are based on those of theParis Métro. A few more recent rubber-tyred systems have used automated, driverless trains. One of the first such systems, developed byMatra, opened in 1983 inLille, and others have since been built inToulouse andRennes. Paris Metro Line 14 was automated from its beginning (1998), andLine 1 was converted to automatic operation in 2007–2011. The first automated rubber-tyred system inKobe, Japan, opened in February 1981. It is thePort Liner, linkingSannomiya railway station with Port Island.
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Trains are usually in the form ofelectric multiple units. Just as on a conventional railway, the driver does not have to steer, with the system relying on some sort of guideway to direct the train. The type of guideway varies between networks. Most use two parallelroll ways, each the width of a tyre, which are made of various materials. The Montreal Metro,Lille Metro,Toulouse Metro, and most parts of Santiago Metro useconcrete. TheBusan Subway Line 4 employs aconcrete slab. The Paris Métro, Mexico City Metro, and the non-underground section of Santiago Metro, useH-Shapedhot rolled steel, and theSapporo Municipal Subway uses flatsteel. The Sapporo system andLille Metro use a single centralguide rail only.[4]
On some systems, such those in Paris, Montreal, and Mexico City, there is a conventional1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)standard gaugerailway track between the roll ways. Thebogies of the train includerailway wheels with longerflanges than normal. These conventional wheels are normally just above the rails, but come into use in the case of a flat tyre, or atswitches (points) andcrossings. In Paris these rails were also used to enable mixed traffic, with rubber-tyred and steel-wheeled trains using the same track, particularly during conversion from normal railway track. TheVAL system, used in Lille andToulouse, has other sorts of flat-tyre compensation and switching methods.[clarification needed]
On most systems, the electric power is supplied from one of theguide bars, which serves as athird rail. The current is picked up by a separate lateralpickup shoe. The return current passes via areturn shoe to one or both of the conventionalrailway tracks, which are part of most systems, or to the other guide bar.
Rubber tyres have higherrolling resistance than traditional steel railway wheels. There are some advantages and disadvantages to increased rolling resistance, causing them to not be used in certain countries.[1]
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Compared to steel wheel on steel rail, the advantages of rubber-tyred metro systems are:
The higher friction and increased rolling resistance cause disadvantages (compared to steel wheel on steel rail):
Although it is a more complex technology, most rubber-tyred metro systems use quite simple techniques, in contrast toguided buses. Heat dissipation is an issue as eventually all traction energy consumed by the train — except the electric energy regenerated back into the substation duringelectrodynamic braking — will end up in losses (mostly heat). In frequently operated tunnels (typical metro operation) the extra heat from rubber tyres is a widespread problem, necessitating ventilation of the tunnels. As a result, some rubber-tyred metro systems do not have air-conditioned trains, as air conditioning would heat the tunnels to temperatures where operation is not possible.
Automated driverless systems are not exclusively rubber-tyred; many have since been built using conventional rail technology, such as London'sDocklands Light Railway, theCopenhagen metro and Vancouver'sSkyTrain, the Hong KongDisneyland Resort line, which uses converted rolling stocks from non-driverless trains, as well asAirTrain JFK, which linksJFK Airport inNew York City with local subway and commuter trains. Mostmonorail manufacturers prefer rubber tyres.
| Feature | Rubber-tyred metro | Rubber-tyred tram |
|---|---|---|
| Summary | Rubber-tyred metros are essentially large, rubber-tired trains that run on specialized guideways with parallel rails and guide rails, designed for high-capacity transit systems like Paris and Montreal.[9] | Rubber-tyred trams, such as the Translohr system, are more akin to guided buses or trams on tires, using a single central guiding rail instead of parallel guideways to achieve the same steep-gradient capabilities.[10] |
| Primary purpose | High-capacity, high-performance rapid transit. | Light rail, less intense applications than a metro. |
| Track/guideway | Dedicated infrastructure with rollways for rubber tires and a separate steel rail for steel guidance wheels. | A single, central guiding rail on a concrete track. |
| Wheel configuration | Dual wheels: rubber-tyred wheels for traction and braking, and steel wheels with flanges for guidance. | Primarily rubber tires with a flange that engages the central guiding rail. |
| System complexity | Higher mechanical complexity due to multiple wheel types and specialized guideways. | Also mechanically complex, often using a single guiding rail system. |
| Vehicle type | Designed for high-speed metro operations, often purpose-built. | Can resemble a conventional tram or trolleybus but uses the guiding rail for direction. |
| Performance and cost | Better acceleration and braking, able to climb steeper gradients. High energy use, high maintenance for tires and guideway. | Capable of steeper gradients. Can have higher maintenance and air pollution from tires. |
This list is for Rubber-tyred metro systems. Not to be confused withRubber-tyred tram systems.
| Country/Region | City/Region | System |
|---|---|---|
 South Korea | Busan | Busan Metro Line 5 |
 United States | Los Angeles, California (LAX Airport) | LAX Automated People Mover |
| Country/Region | City/Region | System |
|---|---|---|
 Australia | Melbourne,Victoria | Melbourne MCT[citation needed] |
| Country/Region | City/Region | System | Technology | Year opened | Year closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 France | Laon | Poma 2000 | Cable-driven | 1989 | 2016 |
 Japan | Komaki | Peachliner | Nippon Sharyo | 1991 | 2006 |
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