The world’s first dual-mode vehicle, or DMV, which can travel both on highways and railroad tracks, made its public debut on Saturday in Kaiyo, Japan.

The DMV runs on traditional rubber tires on the road, but also has steel wheels that allow it to easily switch from asphalt to railway tracks, turning the vehicle from a minibus into a train carriage. The vehicles will run on a 50-kilometer course connecting the town of Kaiyo in Tokushima and the city of Muroto, Kochi Prefecture, of which 10 km will be on a railway track. Three will be in operation, each with a capacity of 23 passengers and crew. The company will have its new vehicles circulate along the coast of Shikoku in southern Japan.

The vehicle is operated by Asa Coast Railway Company, which sees it as a way to help small provincial towns like Kaiyo, where local transportation firms are struggling to make ends meet.

“This vehicle can reach the locals as a bus and carry them onto the railway as well. Especially in rural areas with an aging population, we expect it to be a very good form of public transport,” said CEO Shigeki Miura.

The DMV is powered by diesel fuel and can reach speeds of 60 kph on the tracks, and 100 kph on the road. The vehicles may also be useful in natural disasters such as earthquakes, which may leave sections of roads or railway tracks unusable. The DMV is lighter than a traditional train, which, according to the company, means it requires less fuel and is easier to maintain.

(SD-Agencies)