Automated Transit Systems

ATS Applications

The most prevalent application of automated transit systems is found in driverless rapid transit (DRT), followed by automated people mover (APM) systems and personal rapid transit (PRT) systems.

Driverless rapid transit systems involve group, rather than personal, rapid transit. The vehicles tend to resemble trains and are designed to carry a large number of riders along a predetermined route. The vehicles stop at multiple stations dispersed throughout the route. DRT is best suited for high-capacity, line-haul applications. The vehicles associated with DRT range from 50 feet to 100 feet (15–23 meters) and can be up to 10 feet (3 meters) wide. Their size makes them too large to maneuver swiftly through intricate systems associated with the people mover applications, especially when the vehicles are typically linked into one “train” by connecting as many as 10 cars together. The vehicles are usually self-propelled by attached motors and ride on steel wheels. The massive driverless vehicles can travel up to 60 miles per hour (100 kilometers per hour) and transport 10,000 to 50,000 passengers in each direction every hour.

Automated people mover systems are similar to DRT systems in that they involve group versus personal rapid transit. Like DRT systems, APM systems carry large numbers of passengers along a preselected route and stop at each station as it travels. However, unlike DRT systems, transit via APM systems is best suited for feeder and circulator applications, which are those involving more detailed routes and passenger exchanges. The vehicles in an APM system are under 45 feet (14 meters) long and less than 9 feet (2.7 meters) wide, making them too small for line-haul service. The vehicles are generally self-propelled with rubber or steel wheels, but some are propelled by complex cable systems or utilize magnetic levitation rather than rails. APM cars can also travel up to 60 miles per hour and carry up to 10,000 passengers per hour per direction.

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