A method of monitoring tube integrity of a high-speed transportation system. The high-speed transportation system includes at least one tube structure having at least one track, at least one capsule configured for travel through the at least one tube structure between a plurality of stations, a propulsion system adapted to propel the at least one capsule through the structure, and a levitation system adapted to levitate the capsule within the structure. The tube structure is maintained as a low-pressure environment. The method includes directing a vehicle having at least one sensor along a tube path; and detecting a plume of air leaked from the low-pressure environment using the at least one sensor.

An off-shore port system includes a land-based port infrastructure area, an off-shore cargo ship docking area located in a body of water, and a transportation system having at least one tube connecting the land-based port infrastructure area and the off-shore cargo ship docking area.

A bidirectional overhead urban transport (TUEP) for a large transportation capacity, which is suspended over a series of poles, without interfering with the traffic of vehicles and pedestrians surface, which is characterized by having a continuum of autonomous cabins circulating about a tubular track suspended by static wires hanging from the poles. The system has overhead stations for passengers, by which access is given to the suspended cabins, moved by autonomous and independent electric motors which rotate a drive pulley rolling on the upper back of a horizontal tubular track raised or inclined according to the topography of the ground. The peculiarity of this transport system is that each of the cabins that are only for two passengers, travels directly to a destination station, where is diverted from the main flow to a station, so it is not necessary to stop the main flow of cabins, which results in the although circulating at low to moderate speed, the time required to travel is reduced.

An anomaly determination device includes a changeover force measurement unit that measures a changeover force output by a driving device, the driving device outputting a changeover force for switching a direction of a branch rail whose direction is variable, a voltage measurement unit that measures a voltage supplied to the driving device, a current measurement unit that measures a current flowing through the driving device, and an anomaly determination unit that determines whether or not there is an anomaly in the branch rail, there is an anomaly in the driving device, and there is an anomaly in power supplied to the driving device on the basis of the magnitude of the changeover force, the magnitude of the voltage, and the magnitude of the current.

A track switching arrangement for a track-based guided transportation system, wherein the track switching arrangement forms diverging pathways and enables vehicle-side switching of a vehicle in the guided transportation system. The track switching arrangement includes an upstream pathway; two downstream pathways; and a path switching transition region having the diverging pathways between the upstream pathway and the two downstream pathways. Each of the pathways includes track elements configured to interact with one or more respective bearings of the vehicle to provide levitation to the vehicle and/or guidance for the vehicle.

A method for manufacturing at least one transportation tube having a plurality of transportation tube sections for a high-speed transportation system. The method includes manufacturing the tube sections in-situ adjacent to an approximate path of the transportation system where the tube sections are to be positioned.

Controlling a level crossing of a railway track by providing a train having an onboard processor communicating with a wayside processor associated to a level crossing, said train having a forward end and a rear end; moving the train forward along the railway track lowering down gates of the level crossing when train is at a predetermined distance upon detection of the train approaching the level crossing; when the forward end passes over a first reference point defining the beginning of an island area of the level crossing, sending a first message from the onboard safety processor towards the wayside processor informing that the train is approaching the level crossing; maintaining down gates; when the rear end passes over a second reference point defining the end of the island area, sending a second message from the onboard safety processor to the wayside processor informing that the train has left the level crossing; and lifting the gates.

A bidirectional overhead urban transport (TUEP) for a large transportation capacity, which is suspended over a series of poles, without interfering with the traffic of vehicles and pedestrians surface, which is characterized by having a continuum of autonomous cabins circulating about a tubular track suspended by static wires hanging from the poles. The system has overhead stations for passengers, by which access is given to the suspended cabins, moved by autonomous and independent electric motors which rotate a drive pulley rolling on the upper back of a horizontal tubular track raised or inclined according to the topography of the ground. The peculiarity of this transport system is that each of the cabins that are only for two passengers, travels directly to a destination station, where is diverted from the main flow to a station, so it is not necessary to stop the main flow of cabins, which results in the although circulating at low to moderate speed, the time required to travel is reduced.

A conveyor system for transporting articles, comprising a rail system that comprises a plurality of track sections and at least one switch point, by which, via a switch point drive, a first track section can be connected to a second track section or to a third track section of the rail system. At least one drivable transport trolley can be driven along a path of movement on the rail system. A communications system with comprises at least one communications line that extends along the path of movement of the at least one transport trolley. A trolley communications unit disposed on the at least one transport trolley interacts with the communications line. The switch point drive can be controlled by means of a switch point control system, which is connected to the at least one communications line.

The present invention relates to an operating and locking mechanism for diamond crossings of central rail-guided vehicles, comprising: a sliding plate (2A) fixed to a fixed part (2) of the diamond crossing forming a channel in its central area in the direction of the X axis, a guide block (10) fixed to the sliding plate (2A) comprising four guide grooves (10A, 10B, 10C, 10D) in the form of circular sectors located on the main plane of the guide block (10), the geometric center of which coincides with a theoretical pivoting point (17) of a moving panel (6) of the diamond crossing, where the sliding plate (2A) and the guide block (10) form a rectangular section groove (2F) the axis of which is parallel to the direction of the X axis, four shafts (12A, 12B, 13A, 13B) fixed to the moving panel (6) symmetrically with respect to a guide rail (7) of said moving panel (6) and perpendicular to the main plane of the moving panel (6), comprising respective rollers (12E, 12F, 13E, 13F) that can be moved and rolled respectively within the guide grooves (10A, 10B, 10C, 10D), and a cam plate (14) sliding in the longitudinal direction within the groove (2F) formed by the sliding plate (2A) and the guide block (10).