TECHNOLOGY
Switches in a rail system are of course the most challenging component of a rail network. Many rail systems therefore dispense with them altogether. For suspension railroads, which are perfect for passenger transport due to the small space requirement and ride comfort, all previous types of switches are inadequate.
The patented Y-Rail technology changes the game. The rails of the Y-Rail track are designed as a polygon (e.g. hexagon, octagon) in cross-section. In the switch area, the rail branches into two strands. The switch can be designed passively, i.e. without moving parts. The precondition here is that the participating vehicles themselves have steering equipment. Trolleys rotatably attached to the tops of the rail vehicles (e.g. to the roof of the passenger cab) almost completely enclose the rail. The open segment of the C-shaped trolley is necessary in order not to collide with rail fastening points on the one hand and with the switch branch on the other. Prior to the switch, the trolley rotates with its open segment from its normal position 90° to the right or 90° to the left and can consequently travel along the corresponding switch branch without colliding with the opposite branch. It then turns back up with the open segment.