In the course of string transport design, I together with the working team under my leadership, thought about its future passengers and the problems of transportation communications of the 3^rd millennium.

Super cheap, environmentally friendly and safe transportation capable to bring its passengers from Moscow to St. Petersburg (660 km) for USD 10 during 2 hours and to ensure the level of convenience comparable with that of a railway and the travel speed close to that of an aircraft. Is it fantastic? Not more than the emergence of a personal computer about 40 years ago which seemed unbelievable even for its developers who planned the volume of sales in the amount of less than 10 computers per year.

There is a common opinion, especially among the higher officials, that development of a new market product does not cost anything or almost so. It is assumed that the most important task is to organize its production. Billions of dollars were invested to the low-efficient trains on a magnet suspension, non-profitable high-speed railway roads that remained non-materialized either in the USSR or in Russia. However, not a single dollar could be found to promote a break-through string transportation technology.

For innovation market product it is development that constitutes its most complicated, most cost-intensive and valuable component. It took about 20 years to develop A-380 air-bus and its cost amounted to 20 billion euro. In the history of aviation this air-bus, probably, turned to be the 1001^st alternative of a concrete aircraft design. Development of the 1001^st alternative of a passenger car cost hundred million dollars or, probably, billions of dollars for one of the world automobile companies.

String transport offers not only a principally new rolling stock but also a principally new track structure and a principally new infrastructure created for the first time. It took several decades of hard work for a large team of highly qualified professionals to fulfill the task. All basic system components were optimized. The relevant standards were proposed for the constructive part, technology, materials technology, aerodynamics and ergonomics. A range of survey, scientific research and experimental design works were implemented. The necessary experiments and tests were carried out. Unique results were obtained having no analogues in the world. Tens of inventions and more that one hundred of patent-eligible "know-how" were produced. A pilot testing ground was built. Various types of passenger and freight rail automobiles, a string-rail, intermediate and anchor supports, stations and terminals were designed. Technology to promote their large-scale construction was proposed.

It is not a problem for us to design and build a STU route of any type and to put it into operation in any country of the world including low- and high-speed passenger, freight, city or inter-city routes designed according to any of the following standards: super-light, light, medium, heavy or super-heavy double-rail or single-rail STU. We and our partners have been fully prepared to fulfill this task. The only thing we need is to find customers, investors and a strategic partner.

High level of safety provided by our rail transport of "the second level" could help prevent awful transportation accidents occurring unnoticeably all over the world to result in more than one million of human deaths per year and additional tens of millions of cripples and injured. A string system built to the benefit of people will make our world more comfortable, convenient, clean, communicative and safe.

We are not going to predict the future, we are going to build it together with you.

Anatoly Unitsky, academician
General director — General designer
String Transport Unitsky Co. Ltd.