Subway: The Rapid Transit Engineering Marvels
As Delhiites, we all know how vital the Metro Rapid Transit is for our lives. That selfless, grey tube of metal that transports us without complaining is really a God’s blessing. To travel across the state in a matter of mere minutes is nothing short of a miracle. But how did this tubed mode of transportation come to be? Curious? Read on to find more about Subways below:
1. The real name of Subways is Rapid Transit or Mass Rapid Transit (MRT). It has other names – Metro, Subway, and Tube. These are all informal variations of the same (changing from country to country).
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2. This high-capacity rapid mode of transportation is found only in urban areas. The first Rapid transport system in the world opened in 1863 in London. It was called the Metropolitan Railway.
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3. A characteristic of modern Rapid Transit is that they are electricity-powered. Moreover, they have the exclusive “right of way” – these railways cannot be accessed by pedestrians and other vehicles.
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4. Their tracks are often underground, laid in underground tunnels but sometimes also on elevated railways.
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5. There are many different types of rapid transit systems. One thing common is that the route is divided into stations and is powered by multiple electrical units on railway tracks.
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6. One innovative MRT system is the Maglev. Derived from “Magnetic Levitation”, maglevs incorporate the use of two magnets in their work.
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7. One set repels and pushes the train off the track, and another set of magnets pushes the train forward. Maglev trains can achieve speeds up to 640 km/hr due to the lack of friction.
8. Another unique system is Monorail. Found in Japan and some other parts of the world, monorails consist of a single rail. It was designed by the German engineer Eugen Langen in 1897.
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9. China has the lengthiest MRT system in the world. The total length of the network is about 4500 km. It is also one of the busiest in the world, along with Delhi Metro, Tokyo Subway System, Hong Kong MTR and many others.
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Can you even imagine a world without the Metro??? For India, it is the backbone for commuting with the youths and working-class as its primary users.
Blog Edited By Ritika Gupta
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