The world’s first passive ferromagnetic levitation train has a Veneto heart. It is a vehicle that rides suspended using the principle of magnetism. Special ferromagnets that wrap around the tracks provide an air cushion between the locomotive and the rails. These enable the train to remain passively suspended, avoiding the consumption of energy. IronLev, a Treviso-based hi-tech company, has already tested its prototype, which was displayed in Verona on March 12 at LetExpo2024, the Sustainable Transportation and Logistics Fair.
The first test of the passive ferromagnetic levitation train
The first test took place on the Adria-Mestre rail route, with a wagon transporting a one-ton vehicle traveling at 70 kilometers per hour and employing one kilowatt. Yet, the test revealed an essential attribute that distinguishes it from, say, Hyperloop, Elon Musk’s very similar project: IronLev’s technology can be used on any existing railroad track. As a result, there is no need to build new structures; instead, existing ones can be used to save money and energy because the train requires no fuel and generates no friction on the tracks, lowering maintenance expenses.
