Jean Bertin's aerotrain could be reborn. Specialising in aeronautics, the Jacques Vaucanson start-up - named after an 18th-century inventor - is working on a project for a pneumatic train close to the engineer's concept of the 70s. Called Spacetrain, this fully automated shuttle is powered by linear induction motors. These have the advantage of being silent and electrically powered, allowing them to be supplied with renewable energy. To reduce friction to a minimum, the vehicle is lifted and guided by air cushions.
With this technology, the shuttle can reach an average speed of 540 km/h, 200 km/h faster than the TGV, with peaks of 720 km/h. " The Spacetrain project is aimed primarily at users of inter-city lines who are looking for a new way of travelling. "says Emeuric Gleizes, CEO of Spacetrain. If this futuristic train sees the light of day, it will link France's major cities in record time.
In the footsteps of the Aérotrain
For the moment, this shuttle exists only on paper. The team of twelve engineers who have been working on the project since 2016 have filed patents and sketched out the plans. They are currently negotiating partnerships with industry, universities and the government. The start-up now needs €30 million to continue the project and build a prototype..
The first experimental model will be tested on the same monorail as Jean Bertin's Aérotrain. Abandoned in 1977, this inverted T-shaped concrete structure is located to the north of Orléans (45), and will have to be partially renovated. The project is designed to carry between 20 and 40 people, but the commercial version of the Spacetrain is expected to carry 140 passengers. If everything goes according to Jacques Vaucanson's plan, the first tests will take place in 2020 and the shuttle will be launched in 2025.
