I\'m interested. If 50% of the claims made are true it would be a major leap in mass transit. Imagine this tech used as the main transit service connecting near cities. I think that Vegas would be an appropriate site where a full scale version could be tested. Flat, open, with a straight run from the airport to the strip. Plus people who are willing to take risks are in no short supply, lol. (BTW. I must say that I\'m not sure where the \"terrorist proof\"ing of this system exists as claimed in the first section of the article.)

They should build this in Perth, when they build the line to the airport.

This rail system has been tried previously, albeit in a slightly different way. The overhead cable bus in the city of Mannheim, Germany, ran on track ropes like a cable car and was supposed to be a rapid transport system. Unfortunately, the dynamics of the system were not foreseen and the system was not a success. During use at higher speeds the rope in front of the vehicle formed a wave that could not pass the next support, resulting in a nasty vibration on the constantly shortening remaining segment of rope between the car and the support. This system seems better in that it is stabilised a bit more, but there still may be complications due to the light weight of the \'rails\'. I wish the designers good luck with this though, maybe they can come up with a suitable dampening system.

This is very similar to the Northrop-Grumman TTWIG, (Track Tethered Wing in ground effect).
In their concept the rail only provides guidanc and support while at rest.
In flight, the TTWIG has \"wings\" that generate lift, and flight is limited to ground effect only via a tether. (GROUND EFFECT LIFT IS 2X NORMAL) Propulsion was first envisioned to be either jet, or prop, but later electric driven prop was the final answer. It was envisioned to take advantage of the center poartion of the US Interstate Highway system.
Each \"station\" was to have a compressed air or steam catapult system to get the TTWIG up and running almost instantly.
The company abandoned the concept.

This shows the potential of innovation for a better greener world of mass rapid transport.

The sinusoidal wave-form harmonics created by an object travelling along a \'string\' are what will limit its speed, this is basically a high-speed cable-car. Not gonna happen. A better way is to suspend tube sections by cable underneath inverted L-shaped pillars through which a vehicle could travel - it works for fluid pipelines, it could work for a high-wire subway too.

This is a fantastic idea, but the concept can include other services that have not been mentioned.
1. Why can\'t the system allow privately owned automated vehicles (such as sedans, recreational vehicles, and cargo transporters) thus replacing our expensive to install and maintain interstate road and expressway system. With the string rail system terminating in our neighborhoods, commuters could \"mount\" the system close to home and have a safe, automated method of transportation to their desired destination.
2. Commuters could safely use communications devices (cell phones, computers, etc.) without endangering other drivers while traveling from point A to B.
3. A company could send automated, driver-less cargo carriers from distribution centers to neighborhood outlets (think grocery stores).
4. With the addition of superconducting technology, the system could become the true \"Super Grid\" for electrical power distribution the world over.
5. Why can\'t our fiber optic telecommunications be integrated within the string rails to lower the cost of fiber distribution.
6. Fifty thousand automobile deaths per year -- Eliminated. Millions of deaths per year world wide -- Eliminated.
7. No more riding disease spreading buses and mass transit vehicles.
8. Elevating the system gives the ground level back to humans and animals (no more deer / car collisions).
There are hundreds more reasons that this system is the way to go.

THis is good news, even better that it becomes a maglev superhighway with the addition of a copper plate on the tubular steel, and the good news is that they (the sections)do not have to be connected to each other so expansion and contraction problems gone... Why hasn\'t anyone else seen this? Moving magnets levetate above copper and can generate field. So the cost becomes what 5280 x 2 pounds 1560lbs times $3 per lb equals 4680 so for 55000 per mile we have mag lev with very high speed possibilities. When can we build??

@Phil.Poulos,
That TTWIG sounds very interesting. I daydreamed an almost identical concept some years back. Why did they abandon it? There\'s no information on it on the Web at all.

This is novel and is an option for different application of rail systems (including non-mass rapid transport). Reminds me of a roller coaster in an amusement park though! And can this be adapted for maglev? It certainly looks more cost/resource effective.