ENGLISH TRANSLATION
Tournai to Charleroi for only a small Franc!
Claude Coussement has imagined a system of revolutionary pneumatic transportation.
Tournai - Some will think that it is a little madman. Engineer, Claude Coussement has launched, it there has a
bit more of a year, in a gigantic project. The fruit of its imagination, are exited two babies: Airtube and Airroute
that are two systems pneumatic transportation. The first is destined for the transportation of goods; the second
to the transportation of persons.
" It concerns a network of tubes in which is maintained a continuous air flow. To imagine this system, I started
of a simple idea. When one rolls in car or in truck, the used vehicle spends 50% its gasoline to break the air.
If we uses the air as source of energy, we see rapidly that the consumption becomes insignificant ", precise
this inventor that has obtained a patent for its project.
In the reality, tubes would be posed the long of 3000 kilometers of railroad ways that understands Belgium. In
a first time, stations would serve from point of stop. But the final goal is to orient modules in which would be
installed persons or goods to places frequented.
The destinations are coded via a magnetic card. According to the inventor , the two systems are economic, effective,
not - pollutants, silent, secure, fast and allow a great suppleness utilization. No more need to wait and to hold
some to a precise schedule. By turning to the third of its capacity, Airtube would take tends some the totality
of the railway and road transportation of goods. The transportation of a truck of ten tons of Charleroi to Tournai
(100 km) would cost hardly 120 BEF (2.97 euros)(1 us$=40 BEF).
Airroute could have insure the totality of the transportation by road and by rail.
Via this system, the transportation of a person of Charleroi toTournai would cost 1 BEF after a chort period of
amortization.
Claude Coussement has presented, a few months ago, its revolutionary project to the minister Durant that it has
disdained. The "écolos" would they turn the back to renewable energies?
Christophe Lison ("La dernière heure" 13 february 2000)(www.dhnet.be)
Site www.ibelgique.com / airtuberout