1. Heathrow ULTra system: awesome, cool, sci-fi, fast, fantastic

On April 18, 2011, Terminal 5 (T5) Business Car Park passengers started using the Heathrow Pod. In the weeks that followed, operating hours were increased, with the system operating a (22 hour) full service from May 7. As of August 21, approximately 63,000 passenger trips had been completed. The system currently carries about 800 passengers per day, and BAA has withdrawn the bus service from this car park, ensuring all passengers travel to and from T5 by the Heathrow Pod. The five minute ride has been described as "futuristic", "rapid" and "a transport revelation."

“You will see from the Twitter quotes below that the Heathrow Pod has certainly proved popular with our customers.  Passenger numbers continue to rise, the system is running at its full service and it’s fast becoming an established member of the Heathrow transport network.  The testing and refining of the service undertaken, especially over the last year, has paid off and we have a service we are proud of and our customers love.” Max Vialou-Clark, BAA Retail Services Director.

Twitter and Youtube:

• “I love these things. Best airport transfer devices ever”
• “Awesome sci-fi system”
• “Landed and used the very cool #heathrowpod … and they're even better to use - quicker, easier and greener than the buses to/from the car park”
• “I am in a pod. A bit like the cab on Total Recall without the mad driver! ... FAST though! ... Almost like a real life scalextric ;-)”
• “Geek transportation par excellence!”
• “Soooo cool!!  Addicting!!”
• “Fantastic. Epochal. Could not be more excited.  First rate. Staff could not have been friendlier.”
• 30-second essence video
• Full five-minute ride video

Articles: Globe and Mail,   NY Times.

2. Amritsar out to bid. North India tourist center

ULTra PRT and partner ULTra Fairwood undertook detailed planning of Amritsar’s bustling, crowded Golden Temple tourist center in North India. The partnership submitted an unsolicited proposal for a two-mile, seven-station system. In response, the Punjab Infrastructure Development Board (PIDB) has specified a Public Private Partnership (PPP) via a Design, Build, Finance, Operate, and Maintain (DBFOM) concession. ULTra Fairwood will lead a bid team response.

Amritsar Heritage City system alignment sketch

Hindu Business Line explains innovative PPP “Swiss Challenge” procurement: article

3. Worldwide PRT industry grows to four customers

The three established PRT manufacturers (with customers) are ULTra PRT, 2getthere, and Vectus. ULTra PRT’s system at London Heathrow Airport has 2.4 miles of guideway, three stations, and 21 vehicles. 2getthere has a system at Masdar City in Abu Dhabi featuring 1.1 miles of guideway, five stations, and 13 vehicles. 2getthere and ULTra PRT began passenger operation in late 2010. Vectus is implementing a system at Suncheon Bay, South Korea. This system is expected to open in 2013 with six miles of guideway and 40 vehicles. The Amritsar system will be the world’s fourth PRT customer. PRT combines low-cost infrastructure with compelling fare box and real-estate economics, to the point where Heathrow and Amritsar systems are financed solely by private sector sources. For PRT systems, a rule of thumb is “PRT infrastructure costs less than two percent of the value of land and buildings that are served.” The Advanced Transit Association Industry Group recently published a concise, manufacturer-neutral industry description

4. Raleigh North Hills PRT

Kane Realty Corporation and ULTra PRT announced the start of a feasibility study to bring PRT to North Hills at Raleigh, North Carolina. Developer John Kane was a recent Heathrow ULTra passenger: “I think it’s a game changer. It’s really fun. More people will want to live here, play here, and stay here, with a safe and easy way to move around. We can enhance current transit.” North Hills is one of the finest examples of pushing the envelope on successful smart-growth, high density, and mixed-use. Included coverage: News 14 TV, News Observer, Midtown Magazine, Triangle Biz Journal, brochure, and fact sheet. web link

5. Sleek new precast concrete ULTra guideway design

BergerABAM has developed an attractive, cost-effective ULTra precast concrete guideway design. Renderings are provided for the guideway in desert, SeaTac airport, and parking structure contexts. The design is robust for all seismic conditions. renderings

This precast design joins ARUP’s attractive steel ULTra Heathrow guideway design: image

6. ULTra PRT speakers featured at upcoming Podcar City Stockholm & LA Mobility 21.

Fraser Brown presents at Podcar City, Stockholm, Sept 6-8: http://podcarcity.org/stockholm/

Steve Raney presents at the Los Angeles Transportation NEXT Summit, Sept 6. http://mobility21.com/overview/

7. Leading-edge scholarly PRT papers

ULTra PRT makes ongoing, important contributions to the peer-reviewed literature on topics encompassing control system design (empty vehicle management, station vehicle throughput optimization, etc), passenger response, planning, airport design, station interface, ridesharing, new mobility, and travel demand forecasting. An updated list of peer-reviewed papers is available: web link