Beijing is to open its first driverless subway line later this year, local authorities said on Friday.

It will be the first domestically developed automated subway on the Chinese mainland, said a spokesperson for the Beijing Municipal Commission of Housing and Urban-Rural Development.

The 16.6-km Yanfang Line will serve the city's southwestern suburb of Fangshan.

This line will cover nine stops, and its driverless trains are expected to reach a maximum speed of 100 km/h, with a carrying capacity of 1,262 passengers.

The driverless trains can be automatically manipulated from a control center, decreasing the risks posed by human error. Supported by the world’s leading security technology, they can also execute an emergency stop in the event that they run into obstacles or come off the rails. 

Construction on two new rail lines is expected to be completed this year. These will be the city's first modern tram line and the first medium-low speed maglev line.

Beijing's subway network currently consists of 19 lines covering 574 kilometers. A further 350 kilometers will be added this year.

According to the city's five-year plan on rail construction released on Friday, the total length of operational rails will exceed 900 km by 2020.

Up to 90 percent of the city proper will have at least one subway station within 750 meters, and rail access will reach all of the city's 16 urban and rural districts by 2020.

Driverless trains will be used on more planned lines, including an express line to a new international airport being built in the southern district of Daxing.

(With input from Xinhua)