Abstract: An active rail transport system for the automated transport of persons or goods on conventional rails includes a car having an autonomous drive unit, brake and steering mechanism. The car may be directed away from a running through car, decelerated unloaded and/or loaded and thereafter redirected to the running through car after the speed of the car is adjusted to the speed of the running through car. A first conducting system which includes a first scanning system provides continuous traction. The first scanning system can be adjusted to account for different rail gauges during travel. A second conducting system includes scanning systems and associated guide rails for determining the direction of the car when going over diverge points and crossings.

Abstract: The invention relates to a public transport system for individually transporting persons or goods in an automated manner on conventional rails without using a conductor. In said transport system, automatically controlled conducting systems are arranged such that individual cars that have an autonomous drive unit, brake, and steering mechanism can be directed away from the rolling convoy (train), be decelerated, unloaded and/or loaded by merely changing the conducting system that mechanically influences the steering mechanism, lowering and lifting an associated scanning system, and can then be redirected into a rolling convoy (train) at a different point after the speed of the individual cars has been adjusted to the speed of the convoy. The first conducting system, which encompasses a first scanning system (1) on each car and the conventional rails, is used for providing continuous traction as well as for changing the track gauge along with the second conducting system.