Trains (whether its a subway/tube or a regular locomotive) travel very quick, and when approaching a station, they need to slow down to a stop.
Why not have the station be built slightly elevated from the tracks? so as the train approaches, it has to climb an upward slope (and therefore trade kinetic energy for potential energy)?
And then when it leaves the station, it can more quickly accelerate and gain up to its target speed? Wouldn’t this be more efficient?
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In: Engineering
Do the maths! E = 1/2 mv^2 = mgh
h = v^2/20. So even at 20m/s, you need to climb 20m to stop. for a 30m/s train, that becomes a 45m climb!
This is clearly impractical for anything except tunnel-bored train lines. And even then will add big expense. Maybe regenerative brakes would be easier?
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