Public Transport

The UK's GKN Aerospace is looking into something much bigger than your average eVTOL air taxi: "park 'n' ride" Skybus transports carrying 30 to 50 passengers across congested parts of town, moving affordable public transport into the third dimension.

Virgin Hyperloop has shared its vision of what the future of transport might look like, with a new promo video detailing its imagined passenger experience, complete with a new-look version of its transport pods.

The City of Chicago has just selected Elon Musk's Boring Company to design, build, pay for, operate and maintain the Express Loop, which will see a network of electric pods carry up to 16 people from downtown Chicago to O'Hare Airport in as little as 12 minutes.

​​According to China's CRRC Zhuzhou Institute Co Ltd, most smaller cities can't afford to build light rail systems – even though they would still benefit from having them. That's why the company has built and demonstrated what it's billing as "the world's first railless train."

Although Hyperloop One has been quick to raise funds, grow its staff and demo its basic tech, we've still been offered little idea of what its Hyperloop might look like. Danish architect BIG has given us a glimpse of a system conceived to integrate with society and infrastructure.

Smartphones have made it easier than ever to keep occupied while commuting, but all it takes is a dead battery to make for a tedious waiting game. A recently installed piece of street furniture in the Turkish city of Istanbul, however, lets commuters keep their devices charged and surf the web.

UK studio PriestmanGoode has designed two train and tram seats aimed at alleviating the problem of overcrowding on transport networks. Both the streamlined Horizon and the adaptable Island Bay seats allow for more seating in a standard commuter carriage, while also affording more standing space.

​A couple of months back, when a full-scale prototype of China's bizarre bestriding bus was promised for July, we didn't actually expect to see one on the road so soon. Well, the wheels are starting to turn on this extraordinary traffic and pollution solution.

​We've been hearing a lot about the Hyperloop lately, but we haven't heard much about where its parts will be made. That changed today, as parent company Hyperloop One announced the opening of the "First Hyperloop Manufacturing Plant in the World."

Life for commuters on New York's subway system is set to get a little more comfortable, with the announcement that both its trains and stations are set for a revamp. The new subway cars will boast bigger doors for easier access, more standing space, Wi-Fi and USB charging ports.

Mercedes-Benz has given us a glimpse of what the future of public transport may look like, with a demo of its Future Bus with CityPilot. The tech-filled vehicle combines connectivity, camera and radar systems and is described by Mercedes as "a milestone on the way to the autonomous city bus."

A Beijing company is planning to move ahead with a track-based bus system that allows cars to pass underneath, an idea aimed at easing air pollution and congestion.