Rapid transit system

A rapid transit system comprising:

• a plurality of stations;
• tunnels extending underground between adjacent stations of said system, each of said tunnels between said stations comprising two sloping reaches separated by one horizontal reach;
• means for evacuating and maintaining vacuum in said tunnels;
• a ferromagnetic suspension rail of high resistivity extending lengthwise along the tunnel;
• a vehicle in the tunnel;
• a plurality of electromagnets on the vehicle for suspending the vehicle from the ferromagnetic rail by magnetic attraction so that no part of the vehicle is in physical contact with any part of the tunnel when it is coasting between stations;
• said vehicle being propelled essentially by gravity when moving from one station to another station at equal elevations where acceleration propulsion is obtained by moving down one sloping reach of the vacuum tunnel, thereby converting gravitational potential energy into kinetic energy, and where deceleration is obtained by moving up another sloping reach of the tunnel, thereby converting kinetic energy back into gravitational potential energy to be used later for making the next trip;
• magnetic means for roll stabilizing the vehicle about its longitudinal axis;
• means for starting and stopping said vehicle in the immediate vicinity of each station;
• and
• at least one air lock at each station for connection between the interior of the vehicle and the station to allow passage between such a station and the interior of the vehicle when stopped at the station without removing the vacuum environment from the tunnel surrounding the vehicle at the station.