A 1.24 mile stretch of suspended track of a proposed electric skypod network will soon carry passengers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as part of a pilot test conducted at the Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park.

The high-speed electric skypod network pilot test track, which was constructed in the UAE’s third largest city of Sharjah, was built by Unitsky String Technologies of Belarus.

Source: Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park

The smaller pod design can reportedly carry 14 passengers at speeds reaching 93 mph while larger pods can carry as many as 48 and 75 passengers at speeds nearing 310 mph.

The skypods, which will eventually travel an 81 mile track linking Sharjah to the Khor Fakkan port, transporting freight, offer an energy saving transportation option, according to its developers.

"Ropes and rolling wheels restrict that format to low speeds because of friction and load. This Unitsky String Technology is more like a railroad, with wheels rolling on a rail. There is steel-to-steel friction so it means it consumes much less energy than cars. It is a power-saving solution, with an electrical motor that can be operated partly by solar or wind energy,” explained the developers.

Additionally, the team believes the network would be less expensive to construct and maintain than traditional roadways.

The first passenger tests will be conducted in March while the first sections of suspended rail linking Sharjah and the Khor Fakkan port are expected to be operational in three years.