DYNAMIC ENTRAINMENT OF AUTOMATED GUIDEWAY TRANSIT VEHICLES

This paper explains the advantages when Automated Guideway Transit (AGT) vehicles are capable of operating both individually and entrained, either in mechanically-coupled trains or functionally-linked platoons. It is demonstrated that dynamic entrainment is a promising way to provide personal rapid transit service at a reasonable capacity level, and the advantages of entrainment for other, less advanced, forms of AGT operating at higher capacity are also shown. The reliability and safety implications of entrained operation are explained, and the operational advantages of dynamic en/extrainment (vehicles entering and leaving trains at cruise speed on the mainline guideway) are discussed. The paper concludes by demonstrating why entrainment can be useful for promoting rational, timed-staged implementation of new AGT services under general conditions.