Brazil: The first two-car Aeromovel A200 light rail vehicle commenced passenger service in February, with the second one commissioned in April and the third as yet kept in reserve.
Currently, the rolling stock operates with limitations on the unmanned line, connecting three passenger terminals of the São Paulo International Airport with the Metropolitan train station.
The manufacturer delivered the first LRV in spring 2024, and it was scheduled for commissioning by the end of the same year. However, the project faced some technical problems with signalling and traffic management, leading to a delay in its launch.
Driverless Aeromovel A200 on its way to Sao Paulo airport. Source: essemundoenosso
The Aeromovel A200 is developed by two Brazilian companies, Marcopolo Rail and Aerom, which owns the Aeromovel technology. The solution is based on pneumatic propulsion. The train runs along the elevated guideway comprised of a hollow concrete girder that serves as a duct inside which an air stream is generated by stationary electric blowers. The propulsion plates attached to the bottom of the vehicle at both ends act as an upside-down sail propelling the train forward and making it move from one blower to another. Meanwhile, passengers have already observed a high noise level inside the train.
How Aeromovel technology works. Source: AeroGRU
The Aeromovel A200 has a capacity for 200 passengers and can cover a distance of 2.7 km in 10 minutes. In the future, the interval is expected to reach four minutes. The project is valued at $54 mln in total.
