The uSky Test and Certification Centre in Sharjah is testing the latest development from UST Inc. — 25-seat unibus U4-212-01. The rail electric vehicle has already made its first runs on the transport flyover. Let us remind you that the track is more than 2 km long and will allow to organise the movement of the unimobile at a speed of up to 150 km/h.
«The first two spans of the track structure are fully ready for the runs. Our team has already carried out an inspection which has confirmed that all essential systems of the unibus are operational. At the moment the Unimobile is being tested in different speed modes», —said the chief designer of the high-speed transport complex Vitaly Lapkovsky.
Tropical Unibus U4-212-01 — the company's flagship model. The rail electric vehicle brings together all the cutting-edge developments of UST Inc. This unimobile is suitable for use on urban and suburban routes in arid climates. The U4-212-01 is adapted to high temperatures and humidity. The automatic climate control system with increased capacity ensures that the temperature in the passenger compartment remains comfortable even at the outside temperature of +55 °C.
U4-212-01 is energy autonomous. The vehicle is able to continue movement in the event of problems with the main power supply method. Even in the event of a complete failure of the catenary network, the unibus will be able to reach the nearest station (for passenger disembarkation). This will utilise the energy storage system that the Unimobile is equipped with.
The absence of wheelsets in the unibus design, as well as a flyover placed on the second tier, allow the transport to be powered by the right and left rails. Therefore, there is no need for an additional contact conductor and current collector, which reduces the labour-intensive maintenance of the entire complex and increases the reliability of transport. At the same time, the energy consumption for movement of U4-212-01 will be 3.5 times lower compared to a bus of the same passenger capacity.
As a reminder, at the moment the uSky Centre is in the process of installing a dead-end section –of the facility that will allow the unimobiles to be launched from ground level. After the construction of the structure is completed and the entire complex of commissioning works of the unibus is carried out, acceptance tests of the track structure and acceptance and transfer tests of the transport will begin. The next stage – is the final testing of the entire complex.
Subsequently, a suspended Unicont with a payload capacity of up to 30.5 tonnes will be tested on the same track, which will allow the transport of 20 and 40-foot shipping containers, among other things. Both the unibus and the unicont are made in a tropical version.