Guess why this "bus" is on track.
▲ Image courtesy of Japan Station
It is a bus, but also a train, with the dual functions of road and rail.
▲ Image courtesy of Asa Coast Railway
Unveiled in public on December 25 in Kaiyocho, Tokushima Prefecture, Japan, the Dual Mode Vehicle (DMV) looks like a bus but is actually a railway bus with a diesel engine, equipped with rubber tires for road travel and steel wheels for rail tracks.
Its road and rail modes can be switched in about 15 seconds.
▲ Image courtesy of Reuters
When it reaches the intersection of the road and the railroad tracks, it lowers the front and rearmost wheels of the vehicle and retracts the front tires, using the rear tires traveling on the track as a driving force. Extending the life of power-driven rubber tires is an important issue.
During the conversion period, a traditional local drumming performance from a high school club in Haiyang Town will be played in the car.
The DMV is run by Asa Coast Railway, whose rail service connects Tokushima Prefecture with neighboring Kochi Prefecture, and it took them about 10 years to launch the DMV.
CEO Shigeki Miura said in an interview with Reuters that these "amphibious" vehicles could be a very good form of public transport, suitable for small towns and rural areas with aging populations.
On the one hand, it will be more convenient for locals as they do not have to change between trains and buses.
On the other hand, the region is sparsely populated, railways are difficult to operate and have been under threat of closure for some time.
The DMV can travel along part of the coast of Shikoku Island in southern Japan, connecting surrounding towns with railways that are not directly connected, providing passengers with stunning coastal scenery and encouraging rail fans and travel enthusiasts from all over Japan.
▲ Image courtesy of mainichi
In addition, these vehicles can also play a role in natural disasters such as earthquakes, which can cause some roads or rails to become unusable.
A total of three DMVs of different colors are in operation, each with a total route of approximately 50 kilometers, of which 10 kilometers will be driven on the tracks.
▲ Image courtesy of Nippon
In addition to the 2 crew members, each vehicle can carry up to 21 passengers and travels at a speed of 60 km/h on railway tracks with road speeds of around 100 km/h.
The DMV is lighter than conventional trains, which means it requires less fuel and is easier to maintain.
Asa Coast Railway was originally planned to have the DMV operational in time for this summer's Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, but those plans had to be postponed after the Ministry of Transport instructed it in June to strengthen welding to fix the retractable wheel arm.
In early November, a technical team from the Department of Transportation reviewed test results using upgrade parts and gave the green light to put the vehicle into operation.
In fact, the idea of DMV was born early on, but it was never put into practical use.
The Hokkaido Railway Company developed its own version in 2004, but it was not put into operation, in part due to financial difficulties. As a result, tokushima's DMV will be the first road rail "amphibious" vehicle of its kind to conduct regular commercial operations.