'It's A BusTrain': World¡¯s First Dual-mode Vehicle That Runs On Both Roads & Railway Lines Debuts In Japan
We have had a bus. We have also had a train. And now, we have a combination of both. Presenting a DMV! The world's first dual-mode vehicle, that runs on both roads and railway lines has begun service in Japan.
We have had a bus. We have also had a train. And now, we have a combination of both. Presenting a DMV! The world's first dual-mode vehicle, that runs on both roads and railway lines has begun service in Japan.
Local residents expect that the new service by Asa Coast Railway, which improves accessibility to tourist spots, will attract railway enthusiasts and others to the town.
The first buses have been pressed into service in the town of Kaiyo, with the route involving a mix of road and rail, The Japan Times reported. The DMV as it is being called will travel between Tokushima and Kochi prefecture for what looks like a reasonable fare.
Reuters
The DMVs are targeted at small towns with ageing populations to help make public transport between towns easier.
The vehicles could help small towns like Kaiyo with an ageing and shrinking population, where local transport companies struggle to make a profit,"
Shigeki Miura, CEO of Asa Coast Railway was quoted saying by Reuters.
At a ceremony to mark the launch of the service, Tokushima Governor Kamon Iizumi said he wants to "send dreams and hopes to the world" from the prefecture through the DMV.
It's a bus! It's a train! It's potentially great news for Japan's older population! pic.twitter.com/bUbTO4usJL
¡ª South China Morning Post (@SCMPNews) December 24, 2021
"It took as long as about 10 years to launch (the DMV service). I'm full of emotion," Kaiyo Mayor Shigeki Miura told The Japan Times. Incidentally, Miura doubles as president of Asa Coast Railway.
The DMV looks like a minibus and runs on normal rubber tires on the road. But when it arrives at an interchange steel wheels descend from the vehicle's underbelly onto the rail track, effectively turning it into a train carriage, as per CNN.
Asa Coast Railway Company
The DMV can carry up to 21 passengers and runs at a speed of 60km/h (37 mph) on rail tracks and can go as fast as around 100km/h (62 mph) on public roads, Asa Coast Railway said.
Powered by diesel fuel, the small fleet of vehicles, which come in different colours, will run along part of the coast of Shikoku island in southern Japan, connecting several small towns and offering passengers attractive seaside scenery.
Regarding the colour of the vehicles, there is a red one (Asakaigan Ishin), a blue one (Mirai he no Naminori), and a green one (Sudachi no kaze). Each vehicle reportedly cost about £¤140 million JPY (about $1.2 million USD) to make.
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