Antonia Terzi, designer of the Superbus, looks into the camera and tells in her broken English: "It is not a low bus. It is not a train on tyres. It is not a stretched limousine. It is not a long car. It is a new vehicle."
Superbus will reach a maximum speed of 250 km/h. It's got thirty seats. "Every passenger will enter the vehicle using his own door", tells Wubbo Ockels, spiritual father of the Superbus project.
Superbus certainly seems different from what we are used to. So why still calling it a bus?
Superbus is a combination of a high-speed track and a normal bus. It enjoys the advantages of both. Superbus consists of various components. Together they offer a new transport system with an unprecedentedly high transport value. The Superbus can reach a maximum speed of 250 km/ph, without producing any direct CO2 and NO2 emissions. The vehicle integrates existing high-speed automotive technology with existing aerospace engineering technology. The Superbus travels along high-speed lanes that are relatively easy to implement (largely along existing roads and single lanes) and on existing roads, where the penetration is high. Dynamic, interactive route-planning is possible in combination with the advanced logistics system. The result is a faster, more comfortable, sustainable and efficient mode of transport, for a much larger market. It seems to be a breakthrough in terms of costs and application possibilities. Moreover, the system can be expanded in phases.
The Superbus Development Program's strategy is a three-step process, consisting of:
The Dutch Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management decided to award a seven million euro grant to TU Delft for the design and construction of an experimental demonstration model of the Superbus. The experimental model will demonstrate that it can safely achieve a speed of 250 km/h. The minister expressed her deep satisfaction with the Superbus as an innovation: "Superbus is one of the few real innovations that I know of in public transport." She also said she envisioned important spin-offs from this developmental project that could possibly be used for other modes of transport, such as lightweight constructions, accurate navigation (Galileo) and anti-collision radar. Wubbo Ockels, the spiritual father of the Superbus project, was extremely pleased. "The belief that the minister has shown in our team, and the social role TU Delft can perform with its knowledge and expertise, will be an important stimulus for encouraging many students and young people to choose for a technological education."
The first stage of the Superbus Development Program runs until the end of 2008. The costs are estimated at 8.5 million euro, of which the university and sponsors will contribute 1.5 million euro. The experimental model of the Superbus will be unveiled during the opening of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Beijing in August 2008.
The bus company Connexxion has become partner in the Superbus development programme. With this Connexxion again shows that it dares to invest in the future of mobility in the Netherlands and Europe. Friday afternoon the 14th of July, 2006 the contract has been signed by the chairman of the board of TU Delft, ir. G.J. van Luijk, and and the chairman of the board of Connexxion, Peter Kortenhorst. Next to its expertise Connexxion will contribute to the programme with a substantial yearly financial contribution in order to develop the demonstration model before the end of 2008.
In addition, numerous tests will be conducted in partnership with TNO and the RDW. TU Delft's Superbus project team will work together with many other universities and higher education institutes, and also with various industrial sectors. A project team that will be set up at the Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management will focus on regulatory and implementation issues, as well as using its expertise in all transport systems to support the Superbus project. The Superbus Innovation Group will have an advisory role in the development of the Superbus.
The members of the Superbus Innovation Group are:
The Superbus is initially presented as an alternative to a possible Transrapid or HST connection between Amsterdam and Groningen, the so-called Zuiderzeelijn. The chances that the Zuiderzeelijn will be built are bleak. Groningen - Amsterdam may be among one of the longest distances in the Netherlands but is not the distance with the most passengers, to put it mildly. The Superbus development programme may want to look into a different application.
Superbus brochure pdf, 1.0 Mb
Superbus Private Sector Market Consultation pdf, 6.3 Mb
