"Recliner" wrote:
I've not noticed anything posted here, but it looks like the much-delayed
Heathrow pods are finally in service (or are they technically still on
trial?). Anyone here tried them yet?


I began a thread which mentioned the start of the three week confidence
trials back in mid-April, but it didn't really get picked up on:
http://groups.google.com/group/uk.tr...273d1bdedaad2/

I've been down past that way twice in the past couple of months and seen
them running. Apparently there's no check as to whether someone's actually
parked in the biz car park before they can use the system. (I suppose that
might not always be the case, so perhaps now might be a good time to sate
one's curiosity...)


Here's a recent video I came across:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NCnvBS2SME. It looks like a rather slow
and bumpy ride, but still better than the previous bus, and the views are
good. You even get delays before journeys start, just like the Tube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZ1cQVMm2rA

I notice they have right-hand running, despite being from a UK company.
This initial system isn't exactly ambitious, with very few stops (I think
two in the car park, and one at the terminal).

One could say that making it all actually work at practice is ambitious
enough for now - after all it is I think the first 'true' PRT system. I've
come across the notion that some of the earlier development ideas proposed
running the system running through the small side tunnels (or at least one
of them) which provide access to the central terminal area.