Beijing Set to Launch Fully Autonomous Train Line in 2017
Fully autonomous trains are coming to Beijing, with the newly created Yanfang line expected to be up and running in the capital of China by December 2017. The Yanfang line will connect the cities of Yanshan and Fangshan, and will have 11 total stations.
With the hope of maximizing safety and reducing the workload of workers, the Yanfang line will become a part of a transit system that transports more than 10 million passengers per day. On a whole, Beijing has the second longest subway system in the world, and the world’s busiest subway system in terms of annual ridership, with more than 3 billion rides delivered according to 2015 statistics.
Via an article from Chinadaily.com, the deputy manager for the Beijing metro construction administration, Wang Daomin, spoke to China’s massive step in the world of unmanned public transportation.
"It's the new trend in the field of urban railway systems," says Daomin. "This will signify that China has reached the international level in this field."
Wang adds that there is a plan to add four additional lines to the system that will also be fully autonomous.
The Beijing subway system is operated by the Beijing Mass Transit Railway Operation Corp., which operates a majority of the lines. The remaining lines are operated by the Beijing MTR Corp., along with the Hong Kong MTR and Beijing Capital Group.
Development of the Yanfang line began in February of this year. The Yanfang line will be the first line of its kind to be developed exclusively with Chinese manufacturers.
