Stations could be located on an elevated platform, at grade, or under ground. Each station would have a tube system entry and exit portal with platforms for each. Using the sally-port concept, with one pod launching while another is loading, the station can launch every 10 seconds. A main tube could handle up to 8 stations launching at the 10 second rate with a maintained spacing of 40 feet in the main tube.

 

Each template should have one station, which can be placed at any location on the template grid and have full access to the network. The station would need about 7,500 sf for the platform level and a basement with 6,800 sf X 14 ft high space for double-stacked pod parking (200 pods), and 800 sf for the electrical substation and emergency generation equipment. Reference: Station.

 

Pods would move through the station on a round pipe rail system which slopes from the entry to the exit. Pods would stack at the arrival platform where there speed would be constrained to match the speed of the moving walkway on the platform. If a passenger cannot exit the pod in the time constraint of this zone (40 seconds), an attendant could momentarily slow the line or direct the rider to stay in the pod and divert the pod to the assistance zone on a side rail.

 

The departure platform would work the same way with an attendant assuring riders get in the pod in the allotted time (40 seconds), or the line is slowed or the pod is diverted to the assistance zone. Pods would be automatically diverted off the departure line if a problem is detected such as a pod door ajar, low battery, etc. An attendant would need to disposition the problem and return the pod to the disembarkation line or the storage corral. Reference: Departure Gate Detail.

 

Each pod has a set of concave caster wheels, that run on the pipe rails in the station and storage corral, rather than using the permanent magnet suspension. The down-ward slope would also move the pods into the storage corral to the storage exit ramp. Power to retrieve pods from the corral needs to be external to the pods such as a friction belt under the pods or powered rollers along the rail path. Pod sketch: Pod Section

 

Arriving pods not immediately needed for the disembarkation line, would be automatically delivered to the basement storage corral, and recalled to service at any station on the network. The total network pod storage corral capacity must be able to accept all the pods in the system.