Freight stations for lines of magnetic levitation

Abstract

At the present stage of development of a transport of magnetic levitation, there is a clear trend of its division by the nature of the traffic flows, i.e. for passenger and cargo transportation. One of the most promising areas of freight maglev transport is container transportation. So far, the aspects of designing the freight stations required for container shipments by this type of transport were not broadly explored. After analyzing the principles and technology of existing container terminals within the traditional rail transport, it can be concluded that the maglev container stations should be constructed on the basis of conditions to ensure the possibility of the three main types of operations: freight, marshaling, and maintenance of rolling stock. Meanwhile, the execution of these operations will require the traditional devices, which are used at railway container terminals, and specific, which related to work of transport on magnetic suspension. Particular attention should be paid to the decision-making on the schemes of maglev freight stations. With the current state of the problem, it is logical to assume that the first types of these stations and sites for loading and unloading of containers will be designed according to deadlock schemes. The main requirement for schemes of such stations would be the support of container flows promotion and their processing. The article suggested three possible options for the organization of the maglev container stations, ensuring fulfillment of this requirement. The main difference between the considered options is the way to move platforms from one track to another. In the first case, it is proposed to use a magnetic switch and a deadend rail track, in the second option - a special device that works similarly to transborder, while the third option - a loop route. Analysis of the developed variants showed that in the short term, the greatest likelihood of practical implementation would have a version with the transborder device type. On this basis, the article proposed two principal schemes of maglev freight stations that differ by the processing capacity. For each scheme, the detailed technology of work is considered.