# The metro (a serious thread of personal revelation) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 13, 2001, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-metro-a-serious-thread-of-personal-revelation/49836 "2001-01-13T07:59:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Contrabass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Contrabass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrabass)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2001, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-metro-a-serious-thread-of-personal-revelation/49836/61 "2001-09-07T20:40:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by matt\_mcl \* > Here’s a clarifier: the metro’s tires run on concrete pads. The steel rails serve as emergency rails in case of tire deflation, for certain support vehicles that use more conventional steel wheels, and to guide the train while changing tracks. An explanation of the principle of tire-using trains can be found at [http://www.emdx.org/rail/metro/principe.html](http://www.emdx.org/rail/metro/principe.html) (but in French). Interesting. In a nutshell, they claim the rubber tire system is to allow for faster acceleration and braking. (There’s an English link on that page.) I can see that this would be true, but how much faster can these really accelerate/brake than a conventional steel wheeled subway train? The Boston Green Line trolleys aren’t particularly fast, but still can accelerate and brake fast enough to throw a standing passenger off balance. That’s with steel wheels. I don’t doubt that the rubber wheeled system can have more get up and go, I just wonder how much more quickly they need a train to acclerate! > [@](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > matt\_mcl, you say the Metro project is on your website. I followed your link but couldn’t find it… > > It’s not on my personal website. It’s also not entirely up yet, so I’ll post the link when it’s finished. \*\* So… any progress? 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-metro-a-serious-thread-of-personal-revelation/49836.md?page=3)