DMV(Dual Mode Vehicle) [JR Hokkaido DMV]

Outline* The shown information is the one as of the awarded date and might has been changed.

Outline: The DMV is a vehicle based on existing buses that can run on either railroad tracks or highways. The driver can shift between highway mode and rail mode even when passengers are on board, and the process takes about only 15 seconds. In highway mode, the vehicle runs on front and rear rubber tires, just like a bus, but for running on railroad tracks, it lowers front and rear steel wheels onto the tracks, and once it is on the tracks, it is driven by the front and rear rubber tires (inner wheels). By making effective use of its features of low cost, low energy consumption, and convenience, it will become possible for public transit companies, whose business has been adversely affected by the graying of society and widespread use of automobiles, to reorganize themselves in a form that is suitable for their region. This system will play a role in fostering innovative forms of transit.
Producer: Hirohiko Kakinuma, Director vice president, Hokkaido Railway Company
Director: Toshio Namba, Center Director, DMV Promotion Center, Railway Operation Headquarters, Hokkaido Railway Company
Designer: Masahiro Nakata, DMV Promotion Center, Railway Operation Headquarters, Hokkaido Railway Company; ローカル線を守るため、イノベーションに挑戦する　中田　昌宏
More information: http://www.jrhokkaido.co.jp
Already in service/use: 2007/4/14

Evaluation

The DMV is a vehicle based on existing buses that can run on either railroad tracks or highways. The driver can shift between highway mode and rail mode even when passengers are on board, and the process takes about only 15 seconds. In highway mode, the vehicle runs on front and rear rubber tires, just like a bus, but for running on railroad tracks, it lowers front and rear steel wheels onto the tracks, and once it is on the tracks, it is driven by the front and rear rubber tires (inner wheels). By making effective use of its features of low cost, low energy consumption, and convenience, it will become possible for public transit companies, whose business has been adversely affected by the graying of society and widespread use of automobiles, to reorganize themselves in a form that is suitable for their region. This system will play a role in fostering innovative forms of transit.