uBus drove on a semi-rigid track in uSky for the first time

The uSky Test & Certification Center in Sharjah is testing the most recent UST Inc.’s development – a 25-seat Karat uBus U4-212. The rail electric vehicle has already made its first runs on a transport overpass with a semi-rigid track structure. Let us recall that the route with a length of more than 2 km will make it possible to organize the movement of uPod at a speed of up to 150 km/h.

 “The first two spans of the track structure are completely ready for conducting trips. Our team has already carried out work that confirmed the operability of all vital uBus systems. At the moment, the uPod is being tested at different speeds,” said Vitali Lapkovsky, the Chief Designer of the high-speed transport complex.

The tropical uBus U4-212 is the flagship model of the company. The rail electric vehicle contains all the UST Inc.’s cutting-edge developments. The uPod is suitable for use on urban and suburban routes in arid climates. U4-212 is adapted to high temperatures and humidity. The high-power automatic climate control system maintains a comfortable temperature for passengers even at +55 0С. 

U4-212 is energy autonomous. Transport will continue to move in case of problems with the main way of energy supply. Even with a complete failure of the contact network, the uBus will be able to reach the nearest station (for disembarking passengers). For this, the energy storage unit, with which the uPod is equipped, will be used.

The absence of wheel pairs in the uBus design as well as the overpass located on the second level, makes it possible to provide power supply to the transport using the right and left rails. This eliminates the need for an additional contact conductor and current collector. This reduces the complexity of servicing the entire complex and increases the reliability of transport. At the same time, the energy consumption for the movement of U4-212 will be 3.5 times lower compared to a bus of the same passenger capacity.

For reference

At the moment, the uSky Center is installing a dead-end section - a structure that will allow uPods to start from ground level. After the structure construction is completed and the entire range of uBus commissioning work is completed, acceptance tests of the track structure and acceptance tests of the transport will begin. The next stage is the final testing of the entire complex. 

Subsequently, a suspended uCont with a carrying capacity of up to 30.5 tons will be tested on the same route, this uPod will allow transporting, among other things, 20- and 40-foot sea containers. Both the uBus and the uCont are made in a tropical version.