The Italian company Ironlev has demonstrated the operation of a magnetic levitation vehicle capable of traveling an existing railway line without any infrastructural modifications. The technology that could open a new chapter in high-speed and efficient rail transport was presented at LetExpo2024, the Sustainable Transport and Logistics Fair, by Ironlev, a high-tech company based in Treviso, which carried out the world’s first magnetic levitation test on the Adria-Mestre route in collaboration with the Veneto Region.
The test demonstrated, for the first time ever, the possibility of applying magnetic levitation on rails of railway lines already in use, with significant advantages in terms of efficiency, as well as reduction of noise and vibrations thanks to the absence of friction, confirmed by the measurements carried out.
Efficiency and reduction of friction and noise
In particular, during the test, the prototype vehicle weighing one tonne drove along the reference track at a self-limited speed of 70 km/h, without the need to make any changes to the 2 km long test track or to integrate it with accessory elements. Thanks to this technology, which is technically called passive ferromagnetic levitation, the magnetic pads suspend the vehicle by interacting directly with traditional railway rails.
“Today we have demonstrated that our prototype can be applied on a large scale, revolutionizing the rail transport sector, thanks to its technical simplicity, versatility of use and lower costs than similar systems,” said Adriano Girotto, president of IronLev, in a statement. A big step forward, therefore, compared to the alternative technologies proposed to date, which have not had an effective large-scale application due to high costs, including energy, due to the need to develop an ad-hoc infrastructure to allow the operation of the levitation system. The absence of rolling noise and vibrations is also fundamental, making our technology the best solution for urban transport applications, allowing the enhancement of the surrounding urban areas”.
“Once again, Veneto, with its productive fabric, proves to be a fertile territory for innovations that, although still in prototype form, can become a standard applied to a wider use as well,” adds Luca Zaia, president of the Veneto Region. This is an absolutely innovative research, which also opens up perspectives in the name of ecology and respect for the environment. Promoting quality mobility, with less impact and greater speed. The railway sector is a sector where in the coming years we could certainly see a further development of technologies: Veneto, I am sure, will play an important role at a global level”.
IronLev’s next goals include the development of an additional motorized truck to test a complete vehicle, weighing up to 20 tons and a speed of 200 km/h. In addition to research on magnetic levitation transport, the Treviso-based company develops products in the fields of architecture, industrial handling systems and elevators.
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