Welcome to your future commute...

LONDONERS are obsessed with transport — we apparently spend 350 hours a year getting to and from work. That’s the equivalent of more than two weeks. But there are some futuristic technologies under development in research labs across the world that could transform the daily grind for the capital’s commuters. Here is what the journey of the future looks like. Driverless trains could become a reality. We already have the DLR and Victoria, Jubilee and Central line Tube trains already have the ability to drive between stations and stop and start automatically — the driver is there to ensure passenger safety.

Further ahead, the future of trains is magnetic. Japan’s maglev trains reach close to 370mph because they use carefully designed magnets to keep their trains floating above steel rails. But researchers in California believe they can make them even faster. Hurtling through the air at high speeds takes a lot of energy, so they’re attempting to build a maglev train that travels through huge vacuum tubes. If they’re successful — and it’s very early days — these trains could travel at close to the speed of sound, taking you from London to Edinburgh in 20 minutes. A growing number of buses on London’s roads are hybrids, using both an engine and an electric motor to power them. But as efforts to reduce emissions in the city centre pick up pace, we’re likely to see a wider move to fully electric buses. A charge-while-you-drive system is being trialled in Gumi, South Korea. As an electric bus interacts with magnets buried in the Tarmac, a receiver on each bus converts this energy into an electric current, charging the batteries.

But perhaps there’s an even better solution. Hydrogen fuel cells in cars produce their own electricity by continuously combining oxygen gas (from air) with hydrogen gas (made using excess energy from wind turbines). These cars still need to refuel their hydrogen tank but, unlike vehicles powered by petrol or diesel, they emit only water vapour. Currently there are only three hydrogen refuelling stations in London: at Teddington, Heathrow and Hendon. But with six major car brands now manufacturing fuel-cell vehicles, more stations will be built, leading to cleaner air for everyone. As more people get on their bikes, the city is becoming more cyclefriendly. A system being trialled here uses radar and thermal cameras to detect the presence of cyclists sitting at a junction. Where high numbers are present, it can adjust the traffic signal immediately to make the green light last longer for cyclists. More trials are planned, and if successful, London will become the first city in the world to give cyclists an official head start. Similar technologies are gradually being rolled out for pedestrians too, giving large crowds longer to cross the road. Imagine you could generate electricity just by walking along a Tube station platform. The idea may not be as far-fetched as you think. Paving slabs and floor tiles that harvest energy are under development now. These tiles produce enough electricity to power lights or ticket gates. They are being trialled at Heathrow Airport. US scientists recently found that by continuously communicating with each other, driverless cars could speed through junctions safely — no green lights needed. Self-driving buses are currently being tested on public roads in the Dutch town of Wageningen, so watch this space. The air we breathe will also get an upgrade. By planting more trees in London, we’ll cool the city, reducing the use of air-con. Trees also absorb huge quantities of carbon dioxide — this inspired researchers in Canada to develop a giant wall of fans that can do the same thing, especially for areas where trees can’t grow. Another air-cleaning tech is titanium dioxide. Tiny particles of this chemical can be applied to billboards, roof tiles, paving slabs and building facades. In the presence of light and oxygen it purifies air by breaking down pollutants and transforming them into much cleaner compounds.