A Transport Option for Canterbury?

A while back, John Woodward came to the Rangiora Ward Advisory Board and suggested that buses could be run on railway tracks in much the same way that Ontrack’s trucks do: they run on both the road and on the railway lines.  This would mean that buses could pick up passengers anywhere in Kaiapoi or Rangiora and then avoid traffic jams by getting into Christchurch on the railway tracks.

Well, in Hokkaido in Japan, they are trialling just such a system.  See the article below from a recent Time magazine.  Those with a technical interest might like to check out  www.japanrail.com/pdf/news/DMV_Poster.pdf

Another Japanese site is  www.pinktentacle.com/2006/11/dual-mode-vehicle-half-train-half-bus