I'm not sure this really fits within "to 2045", but still ...
Nevomo (formerly Hyper Poland) grew out of a student project from 2015 to enter the SpaceX Hyperloop Pod Competition, but now propose to convert existing railway lines to maglev, and say they can be converted to Hyperloops later.
SNCF▸ have just signed up to have a a look at the idea, and you do wonder whether they want to give it so much publicity.
This spells out the rough idea:
Our solution is to modernize the existing tracks with a linear motor installed between the existing rails and with levitation plates mounted on the sides of the track. The linear motor has a form of a third rail mounted on the track axis and will be used for propulsion and braking of vehicles. Levitation plates will be used to lift the vehicle above the surface and to stabilize the vehicle sideways. As for the existing magnetic rail solutions, both presented solutions (Transrapid and JR Maglev) require a long process of building a completely new, expensive infrastructure. They are also active systems, which means that to obtain levitation it is necessary to directly supply energy to electromagnets both in the vehicle and on the track. Our system is passive - levitation is the result of vehicle movement. A train at a certain speed will automatically start pushing itself away from the track.
Will it work? Pass. Here's a press version of the story (though it's just passing on press releases and Nevomo's picture)
from Rail Market News:
Nevomo and SNCF will work together to increase the efficiency of French railwaysMarketa Horpeniakova, Published on 11/03/2023
The cooperation will evaluate the benefits of the MagRail system on the French rail network with a view to increasing efficiency and capacity in freight and passenger transport.
Nevomo and SNCF have announced a collaboration to explore ways to increase the efficiency and capacity of the French rail network using the MagRail system. This is another cooperation agreement between Nevomo and European national railways.
“We have noticed the high technicality of Nevomo and consider that the proposed technologies are likely to advance the railway. We are therefore pleased to sign this MoU, which will cover three areas: increasing the performance of current freight trains for higher loading limits and more capacity on our freight lines, boosting the capacity on congested urban passenger lines, and evaluating MagRail as an alternative propulsion system for rural lines in combination with lightweight vehicles,” said Luc Laroche, Innovation director at SNCF.
The MagRail technology that Nevomo is introducing into the existing railway infrastructure enables its cost-effective modernization. This allows the traditional rail transport system to gain better freight dynamics, higher loading limits, greater flexibility, and the ability to run trains automatically without the need to build new lines, without catenary, and without human error. Overall, it is then intended to contribute to expanding the capacity and increasing the performance of existing rail lines, and improving the efficiency of the rail transport system. This can make rail the preferred environmentally friendly, fast, efficient, and interoperable mode of transport for the 21st century.
“On the research side, this MoU is part of the collaborative actions that we carry out with innovative ecosystems to feed our scientific watch and allow us to identify emerging technologies to explore for the railways of the future,” commented David De Almeida, director for Research at SNCF.
