On Saturday in Kaiyo, Japan, the world’s first dual-mode automobile took on the road.
The vehicle is believed to be capable of running on both roads and rail rails.
The dual-mode automobile (DMV) resembles a minibus and travels on regular rubber tyres. The fact that this vehicle has steel wheels in its underbelly that fall when it strikes the train lines sets it apart from the rest.
To propel the DMV onto the railway, the front tyres are lifted off the track and the rear wheels remain down. This is the first feature of its kind: the ability to quickly transform into a train-like module on a rail track.
Features of the dual-mode automobile
According to reports, the DMV can transport up to 21 passengers and travels at a top speed of 60 kilometres per hour on train tracks and around 100 kilometres per hour on public roads.
The vehicles could help small towns like Kaiyo, which have an elderly and dwindling population and local transportation businesses that are struggling to make a profit, according to Reuters.
The tiny fleet of diesel-powered vehicles comes in a variety of colours. It runs along part of Shikoku Island’s coast in southern Japan, linking various small towns and providing passengers with beautiful seaside scenery.
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