From: mk_thisisit
The Lewmo system is a pioneering levitating railway technology developed by the Polish company newmo. It represents a unique approach to high-speed rail, particularly in its ability to integrate with existing railway infrastructure [00:01:11]. The technology, including its integration method, is patented and considered unique globally [00:00:08]. newmo positions itself as a “Polish answer” or “European answer” to the “Chinese attack” in the railway sector [01:01:00].
How it Works
The core of the Lewmo system is passive levitation technology, allowing the train to float a few centimeters above the tracks [00:02:15]. This creates a magnetic cushion [00:02:40]. The system operates on a physical phenomenon similar to a magnet slowing down when falling through a tube [00:02:51]. The vertical levitation force, which lifts the vehicle, is a side effect of the vehicle’s movement over the infrastructure [00:03:10].
Components
The system consists of:
- Permanent Magnets installed on the vehicle [00:03:21].
- Levitation Beam (also called a levitation table), which is an additional element added to the track infrastructure [00:03:27]. This beam has a main structural element and aluminum plates [00:03:37]. When the magnets move over the aluminum plate, the levitation force appears [00:03:45].
- Linear Drive, a key component of the entire system [00:04:42].
This technology allows newmo to adapt to current railway infrastructure without needing to invest in traditional rails or sleepers, provided the existing infrastructure allows for modernization [00:04:46]. However, new rolling stock or vehicles are required for the levitation technology [00:04:08].
Performance and Speed
The target speed for the Lewmo system is up to 550 km/h [00:00:29], or up to 500 km/h ultimately [00:12:53]. While 550 km/h is achievable on straight lines or very long curves, it is unrealistic on tight curves [00:13:50]. The system can increase speed in curves by up to 40% compared to traditional rail [00:13:54]. A journey on the Kraków-Gdańsk route (approximately 700 km) would take a little over an hour to an hour and a half [00:14:01].
Safety and Operation
Safety is paramount in railway operations, dictating every process [00:21:20]. For high speeds, safety measures include:
- Infrastructural Separation: High-speed lines are separated from the rest of the network, preventing issues like single-level road-railway intersections [00:05:51].
- Access Control: Physical separation, such as fences, prevents access for outsiders and wild animals, as collisions at high speeds are disastrous [00:06:22].
- Traffic Control: The idea is to gradually implement the system, initially separating periods in timetables for levitating vehicles, and later transitioning to full mixed traffic with collision-free movement and detection [00:07:12].
- Passenger Comfort: Railway regulations dictate acceptable acceleration levels for passenger comfort [00:14:22]. While trains typically move slower due to comfort, dedicated trains using Lewmo can incorporate solutions like those in airplanes (deep seats, side support, seat belts) to improve comfort during acceleration [00:15:04]. The system is designed to be absolutely safe, possibly even safer than current railways, due to full automation and exclusion of the human factor [00:41:06].
Development and Costs
The idea for the levitating railway originated from a student team that participated in the Hyperloop competition, achieving a top 10 result among hundreds of participants [00:10:23]. They recognized the high costs and separation issues of Hyperloop and Maglev systems [00:10:50]. The inspiration was to apply elements of Hyperloop technology to existing railway infrastructure, leveraging existing transport corridors and connections to city centers [00:12:10].
newmo has developed a prototype and an existing test track in Nowa Sarzyna, Podkarpacie region, Poland [00:08:11]. The track is 720m long and fully functional conventional infrastructure [00:08:31]. A small 50-meter proof-of-concept prototype was first presented in Warsaw in 2019 [00:17:44]. The recent demonstration of the levitating train on existing infrastructure was the result of a three-year project, which cost 16.5 million zlotys (awarded by NCBIR) [00:18:09].
The estimated cost for implementing the passenger transport revolution on a route like Kraków-Gdańsk (approx. 700 km) is about 500 million euros [00:30:03]. This is significantly less than building new high-speed rail infrastructure like Shinkansen, which costs between 50 and 150 million dollars per kilometer, potentially running into tens of billions for the same route [00:30:20].
The company estimates that passenger pilots will be ready around 2028, but actual operation with passengers is projected for 2030 [00:20:53]. This extended timeline is largely due to the highly regulated railway sector, where authorization processes for new technologies can take 5-10 years [00:21:02].
Future and Impact
The Lewmo system aims to reduce travel time, especially when accounting for the entire journey from home to destination, by offering city-center to city-center travel, avoiding the time and cost associated with getting to airports [00:23:37]. Tickets are also expected to be cheaper due to lower operating costs compared to air travel [00:25:31]. This aligns with a broader European push for greener transport and increased capacity [00:37:26].
While passenger transport is a long-term goal, the company has also developed a product for freight transport called “Il Buster” [00:28:33]. This system allows for automatic transport of independent freight wagons using a linear drive mounted in the infrastructure, without levitation. It significantly increases throughput and profitability for freight transport [00:28:46].
newmo sees itself as a “European chance for the revitalization of transport” on the continent [00:41:24]. The company cooperates with the three largest infrastructure managers in Europe [00:26:49], highlighting the potential for revolutionizing rail transport in Europe.
Team
The newmo team began seven years ago as a small group of 5-7 student engineers who founded the company and built the initial demonstrator [00:31:17]. The team has since expanded to about 60 people, including engineers in Poland, Germany, Switzerland, and the Netherlands [00:32:05]. They also have strong support from experts in the railway sector, including an advisor who managed the construction of the Transrapid in Shanghai [00:32:57].