First 'trackless' electric train put through tests

World
Europe

A railless train, considered the first of its kind in the world, has been tested in Zhuzhou in central China's Hunan Province

Powered by electricity, the train, which was put through its paces on Monday, can run at a speed of 70 kilometers per hour as modern streetcars and travel 25 kilometers with a 10-minute charge.

Based on passenger flow, the train can organize into groups of three or five carriages, each carrying up to 100 people.

A railless train organized into a group of three carriages. /VCG Photo via China Daily

Although called "railless", the train operates following an invisible "rail" based on a system dubbed Autonomous Rail Rapid Transit (ART), which was developed by CRRC Zhuzhou Locomotive.

Using sensors, the system can identify painted lines on roads and the train can then plan its own routes and operate without a driver.

The control room of the railless train. /VCG Photo via China Daily

Without a physical rail, the construction period of a train path could be shortened to one year, equivalent to one-fifth of the train path for modern streetcars, said Feng Jianghua, leader of the ART project.

Commercial production of the train is planned for 2018, according to Zhuzhou's municipal government.

1378km