Patent ID: 8146506

Claim:
An active rail transport system for public, individualized and automated transport of persons and goods on conventional rails of a first conducting system that carries trains, the rails of the first conducting system having junctions where the rails change to different gauges, the system comprising: a second conducting system connected to the first conducting system by branch-off rails at active and passive points in the first and second conducting systems; a first guidance rail along an inside of each of the branch-off rails at the active and passive points; a second guidance rail along an outside of each of the branch-off rails at the active points; a third guidance rail along at least one side of each of the junctions where the rails change to a different gauge; a plurality of individual cars, each individual car having an autonomous drive unit, a brake and a steering mechanism, the steering mechanism including at least one steerable carrying axle; each individual car having a first mechanical scanning system for rolling along the first and second conducting systems, a second mechanical scanning system for rolling along guidance rails to the right of branch-off rails and at the junctions, and a third mechanical scanning system for rolling along guidance rails to the left of branch-off rails; each individual car having a mechanism for independently lowered and lifted each of the first, second and third scanning systems with respect to the individual car for engaging at least one rail when lowered and for disengaging all rails when lifted; at least one of the first, second and third scanning systems being lowered for steering the steerable carrying axle at a branch-off rail; each individual car having a mechanism of changing a spacing of the first scanning system to engaging the different gauge rails when at least one of the second and third scanning systems is lowered onto a guidance rail and during rolling of the individual car alone at least one of the first and second conducting systems; each individual car being adapted to decelerate for loading and unloading and to be redirected to another place of the first and second conducting system after a speed of the individual car has been adjusted to a speed of trains also rolling along the first and second conducting systems; the first mechanical scanning system of each individual car providing continuous traction along rails when not lifted; and the second and third mechanical scanning systems of each individual car, being arranged next to the first mechanical scanning system, on opposite sides of the car and being lowered for engaging a guidance rail for either changing a direction of the car when going over a branch-off rail or for maintaining a direction of the car when going over a branch-off rail.