Airplanes account for 2.5 percent of the world’s carbon emissions, and while that may not sound like a lot, as design consultancy Manyone points out, if aviation were a country, it would be the 10th largest global emitter. Their solution? A cross-continental train they’ve dubbed the AeroSlider.
The train is still just an idea, but the team at Manyone envisions it being an elevated train that passes through a series of magnetic loops instead of running on a track. The loops would speed up the train, allowing it to reach speeds of 500 mph — the average speed of an airplane.
“You would take something a little slower than a flight, but it would be immensely more efficient,” lead designer Guillermo Callau told Fast Company. “This isn’t just being optimistic. It’s necessary. CO2 tariffs, or taxes on CO2, will make flights way more inaccessible.”
“The single-track system is designed to reduce construction costs and integrate with existing infrastructure in urban areas,” the Manyone website explains. “Additionally, it puts a minimal strain on any environment with the loops allowing unobtrusive passage above irregular terrain, rivers and animal crossings.”
The AeroSlider would be 820 feet long and able to take passengers from Moscow to Shanghai in 12 hours.
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