China unveils trackless train

Chinese railcar-maker CRRC has unveiled a trackless train which uses rubber wheels on a plastic core and runs on a virtual track in a bid to speed up public transportation.
June 5, 2017 Read time: 1 min

Chinese railcar-maker CRRC has unveiled a trackless train which uses rubber wheels on a plastic core and runs on a virtual track in a bid to speed up public transportation.

The Autonomous Rail Transit (ART) bus-rail combo rapid transit system was demonstrated in Zhuzhou, Hunan province and is said to be non-polluting, according to People’s Daily Online.

CRRC began designing the system in 2013. The first car is 31 metres long, with a maximum passenger load of 307 people or 48 tons. Its top speed is 70 kilometres per hour and it can travel 25 kilometres after 10 minutes of charging.

According to CRRC, ART is likely to be around one-fifth of the cost of an ordinary subway, which cost about 400-700 million yuan (£45.6 - £79 million) per kilometre in China.

The world’s first train will be launched on a 6.5 kilometre line in Zhuzhouand, once completed, will be able to dock with the city’s mid-low speed maglev train.

Related Content

  • September 30, 2020
    LA approves $400bn 30-year transport plan
    City hopes multi-billion, long-term investment will ease traffic delays and reduce air pollution
    Read More
  • April 2, 2014
    Plastic is fantastic for payment platform interoperability
    The Sino Visitor Pass aims to promote trade between Singapore and China by making travel easier, as Jon Masters finds out. Singapore has notched up another first in transportation innovation with announcement of a dual-currency payment card in partnership with the province of Guangdong in China. From the middle of 2014, visitors to Singapore and Guangdong will be able to use a ‘Sino Visitor Pass’ to pay for use of public transportation among other things.
    Read More
  • April 2, 2014
    Plastic is fantastic for payment platform interoperability
    The Sino Visitor Pass aims to promote trade between Singapore and China by making travel easier, as Jon Masters finds out. Singapore has notched up another first in transportation innovation with announcement of a dual-currency payment card in partnership with the province of Guangdong in China. From the middle of 2014, visitors to Singapore and Guangdong will be able to use a ‘Sino Visitor Pass’ to pay for use of public transportation among other things.
    Read More
  • June 7, 2012
    China’s BYD wins European electric bus orders for Netherlands city
    An island which is home to the Netherlands’ first National Park is about to launch Europe’s cleanest bus fleet. The city of Schiermonnikoog in the province of Friesland, Netherlands is nestled on this 16 km long island and is virtually car-free. While home to about 1000 residents, over 350,000 people visit the island every year and will now ride in six new, long-range, all-electric BYD buses set to launch on Schiermonnikoog early next year. In a European legal tender and open bid supported by four major bus
    Read More

Highlighted Content