ULTra Personal Rapid Transit System

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Infrastructure Specifications

A comprehensive pdf document containing details of all aspects of the ULTra system can be downloaded via the link on the right.

Guideway Physical Specifications

Below are the dimensions and specifications for the current ULTra guideway. The diagram underneath the table shows a cross-section view of the standard elevated guideway design.

Overall Steel/Concrete Elevated Guideway Width 2.1 m
Overall Concrete At-Grade Guideway Width 1.75 m
Internal Guideway Width 1.6 m
Internal Guideway Height 0.25 m
External Guideway Depth (for 18m spacing) 0.45 m
Typical Elevated Guideway Headroom for main road crossings 5.7 m
Typical Elevated Guideway Headroom for pedestrian crossings 2.5 m
Typical column spacing 18 m
Typical "long" column spacing 36 m
Typical column load 10 tonnes

ULTra guideway cross-section.

Stations

A pdf guide to the design of the ULTra stations can be downloaded from the link on the right - this document lays out all the requisite elements in a station, with detailed accompanying examples taken from the Heathrow application.

Station Elements

The ULTra PRT Station design developed for London Heathrow Airport comprises the following elements:

  1. Berth (vehicle docking point, interfaces, buffer and charging equipment)
  2. Passenger interface (at each berth: destination selection console, communications, and segregation doorset)
  3. Plinth (where required, raised floor for passenger level access to vehicles)
  4. Envelope (passenger weather protection and vehicle movement area segregation screen)
  5. Canopy (passenger area roof and vehicle solar shading)

Example Station types


Plan view of a typical two-berth ULTra station.

Typical remote station

Comprises 20m2 passenger weather-protected concourse and two berths for optimal availability. 1-berth and 3-or-more-berth versions are developed from the same elements.

Terminal station

Focal or terminal situations require multiple-berth stations typically within or attached to host buildings. In such instances canopy (5) and parts of envelope (4) may not be required but otherwise the same elements are employed.