From: mk_thisisit
The Newmo company has developed a unique levitating railway technology designed to integrate with existing railway infrastructure [00:01:07]. This integration method is patented, making Newmo pioneers in this field globally [00:00:06], [00:00:11], [00:05:08], [00:05:11].
The Lewmo System
The Lewmo system functions as an overlay on the current railway network [00:01:31]. It provides trains with enhanced drive and suspension systems [00:01:37], leading to tangible benefits in operational speed and the introduction of automation to rail traffic [00:01:48]. This approach is positioned as a cheaper and faster alternative to building entirely new high-speed rail lines [00:02:03].
How it Works
The system utilizes passive levitation technology, based on a physical phenomenon involving magnets [00:02:45].
- Levitation: The train floats a few centimeters above the tracks [00:02:22], creating a magnetic cushion [00:02:38]. This vertical levitation force is a side effect of the vehicle’s movement over the infrastructure [00:03:10].
- Components:
- Vehicle: Equipped with a system of permanent magnets [00:03:21]. It requires new rolling stock as existing heavy railway tracks are irrational to equip with additional magnets for levitation [00:04:08].
- Infrastructure: The system adds new components to the existing tracks [00:04:30]. These include:
- Levitation beams: Additional elements, often called “levitation tables,” are added to the track infrastructure, consisting of a structural element and aluminum plates, placed outside the rails on each side [00:03:27], [00:03:32], [00:03:42], [00:04:34].
- Linear drive: A key component implemented in the middle of the infrastructure [00:04:42], [00:28:56].
The advantage of this solution is that it generally does not require investment in basic railway infrastructure like rails and sleepers, provided the existing infrastructure allows for modernization [00:04:46]. This means a dilapidated line would need renovation first [00:04:59].
Comparison and Advantages
This technology is seen as a European, or more specifically, Polish, answer to the Chinese railway revolution [00:01:00], [00:01:12], [00:16:12]. Newmo claims a unique technology that the Chinese do not currently possess, allowing the application of maglev-derivative systems within the existing dense European railway network [00:16:25].
Cost-Effectiveness
The concept originated from the realization of Hyperloop and Maglev systems’ main problems: high costs and complete separation from existing networks [00:10:44], [00:11:02].
- Hyperloop/Maglev Challenges: These systems require rebuilding entire countries [00:10:57] and operate as standalone infrastructure, losing time gains due to travel to separate stations outside city centers [00:11:18].
- Newmo’s Solution: By leveraging existing railway corridors, the system avoids issues like land acquisition and time-consuming procedures [00:12:10], [00:12:22]. Furthermore, railways are already connected to city centers, offering significant time and cost savings for passengers [00:12:35], [00:24:35].
- Route Cost Comparison: Revolutionizing the Kraków-Gdańsk route (approximately 700 km) with Newmo’s technology would cost around 500 million euros [00:29:46], [00:30:03]. In contrast, building a Shinkansen infrastructure on the same route could cost between 50 and 150 million dollars per kilometer [00:30:20], potentially amounting to tens of billions [00:30:35].
Performance and Safety
The target speed for Newmo’s system is up to 550 km/h [00:00:29], [00:12:53]. While 550 km/h is achievable on straight lines or very long curves, tight curves limit speed due to physical constraints [00:13:27], [00:13:41]. However, the system can still increase speed in curves by up to 40% [00:13:54]. A journey from Kraków to Gdańsk could take a little over an hour to an hour and a half [00:14:01].
Safety at high speeds involves several aspects:
- Separation: High-speed lines are infrastructurally separated from the rest of the network, with restricted access to prevent collisions with road traffic or wild animals [00:05:45]. Fences are a simple solution [00:06:45].
- Traffic Control: To manage mixed traffic (Newmo trains and conventional trains), initial plans include separating periods in timetables where only levitating vehicles move, gradually transitioning to full mixed traffic in the future when railway control systems are advanced enough to support collision-free operation and detection [00:07:10], [00:07:26].
- Passenger Comfort: Railway regulations dictate comfort levels based on acceleration. While traditional trains prioritize comfort over speed, Newmo’s dedicated trains can incorporate solutions like deep seats and seatbelts (similar to airplanes) to improve comfort during higher acceleration phases [00:14:22], [00:15:04].
Development and Future Outlook
Newmo has developed a prototype and an existing test track in Nowa Sarzyna, Podkarpacie, built on conventional infrastructure [00:08:11], [00:08:17]. The track is 720 meters long [00:08:36].
Project Timeline & Funding
The initial concept originated from a student team competing in the Elon Musk Hyperloop competition about 7 years ago, achieving a top 10 result among hundreds of participants [00:17:17]. In 2019, a smaller 50-meter proof-of-concept prototype in Warsaw gained private funding and subsidies [00:17:44]. The latest demonstration of the levitating train on existing infrastructure was the result of a three-year project funded by NCBiR (National Centre for Research and Development) with 16.5 million zlotys [00:18:06], [00:18:24].
Challenges and Commercialization
The commercialization challenges include navigating the highly regulated railway sector, where safety is paramount, leading to extensive authorization processes [00:21:02]. While passenger pilots might be ready around 2028, full passenger operation is anticipated by 2030, primarily due to regulatory hurdles that can take 5-10 years [00:20:53], [00:21:55]. For example, a new type of sleeper (concrete element for rails) can take 2-3 years for small changes, or even 11 years in Sweden, for an infrastructure manager to permit its installation [00:22:11].
Public perception and funding acquisition in Poland also present challenges of implementing IT solutions [00:18:38]. Newmo has found the response to their technology to be much better in Western Europe, collaborating with three largest European infrastructure managers, but not yet with PKP PLK in Poland [00:26:41].
Freight Transport
Newmo also proposes applying the system to freight transport, where procedures are simpler [00:28:09]. Their product, “Il Buster,” uses a linear drive mounted in the infrastructure to automatically transport freight wagons without a locomotive [00:28:33]. This non-levitating system significantly increases throughput and profitability of freight transport [00:29:01].
Potential for Revolutionizing Rail Transport
Newmo believes their system is a chance for the revitalization of transport on the European continent [00:41:24]. The European railway network’s high density [00:16:43] and common EU rules [00:16:58] mean that a single applied solution can be massively deployed [00:17:06]. The company aims to accelerate faster and reach higher maximum speeds compared to conventional trains [00:16:05]. They view themselves as a “European chance for the revitalization of transport on our continent” [00:41:24].
Kacper Koniarski on Polish Innovation
“I think it is greater than, still what is incredibly surprising, is greater openness to innovation. Everywhere we say that yes, Europe must be open to innovation because we will lose to China and so on, but we are losing and so we are losing.” [00:39:14]
He stresses the need for greater openness to innovation, especially given the accelerating pace of competition from East Asia [00:40:11]. He also appeals to the public to avoid negative social reactions to innovation, as they can hinder progress [00:41:43].