Sharjah unveils electric sky pod network

Our Correspondent
The UAE’s first high-speed electric sky pod network is being launched in Sharjah. The two-km suspended track at Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park is being is built by SkyWay Technologies of Belarus after it was designed in Belarus by Anatoli Unitsky, a scientist and member of the Russian Cosmonautics Federation.
It is expected that the sustainable SkyWay system would be carrying its first passengers in luxury pods from March this year. It looks like a cable car but far more advanced.
A 400-metre track carries the suspended Unicar pod, which can withstand the extreme climate of the UAE. Another 2km test track will open at the park in May. In three years, a 130-km sky track could be carrying freight from Sharjah to Khor Fakkan port.
Once a full-length line is open, the track will allow suspended pods hanging on a super-strong string rail to travel at a speed of 500 kph.
The cost of building the network is comparable or cheaper than laying new roads and will require less maintenance over time. The project is supported by the Sharjah Government.
The electric sky pod consumes much less energy than cars. It is a power-saving solution, with an electrical motor that can be operated partly by solar or wind energy. The rail itself has a guaranteed durability of 100 years and is corrosion-resistant.
By keeping the pods aerial, land is preserved for green open spaces and development of retail and residential real estate. Building new roads or demolishing houses for them becomes unnecessary.
The travel time between Abu Dhabi and Dubai would be reduced to less than 20 minutes if such tracks are in place. There are passenger pods that can carry 14-75 passengers.
Cargo pods can carry up to 25 tonnes at a time, at 36kph, greatly reducing the scenario of heavy goods vehicles causing road blocks.
Its operating costs are less than half of conventional railway transport. It is also considerably cheaper to build and operate than a Hyperloop or a monorail, according to the company.