P-trak is a concept autonomous train submitted by Tara Sriram. The designer offers a future vision of autonomous railways, it’s a design proposal for Amtrak.

Ground transportation networks are the veins of a country. In spite of that, Amtrak still remains the sole provider of interstate passenger rail services in the United States. The ubiquity of single-occupant cars and the speed of aircraft threaten the future of passenger rail in the US. On the other hand, railways are currently among the least polluting modes of transportation. Per passenger mile, cars emit three times the pollutants that trains do. Railways are also no strangers to autonomy – the earliest automatic train system was introduced in 1961 on the Barcelona Metro line 2. How can passenger rail providers like Amtrak channel these strengths to stay relevant in the coming decade?

P-trak by is an interpretation of Amtrak’s future autonomous railways. By leveraging the existing US interstate highway system, personal rapid transit (PRT) units can provide service to cities with limited public transit. It is a concept for a more economical and eco-friendly transportation system that combines the accessibility of cars with the environmental efficiencies of railways. The symmetric design allows each pod to travel forward and backward on the same railway line.

Tuvie has received “P-trak Autonomous Rail Transport Proposal for Amtrak” project from our ‘Submit A Design‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their design/concept for publication.