China: World’s first smart train that runs on virtual tracks have been launched in China.
This futuristic train was unveiled in June this year and began its test run last week on the streets of China’s Hunan province Zhuzhou.
This electric train called the Autonomous Rail Rapid Transit (ART) can reach a top speed of 70km per hour and can easily carry 300 passengers in its three carriages.
This train currently operates on a small 3.1 km stretch covering only four stations so far. It is scheduled to run in full fledge from next year and is expected to be fully automated.
The train can easily cover 25kms with just 10 minutes of charging. Its flexible design makes it ideal to navigate between crowded cities traffic.
A news channel reported the electric train as a hybrid that “combines the advantages of modern trams and buses” which runs on virtual tracks marked with white dots lines painted on the city streets.
A chief engineer of the train says this train that runs on virtual track is much cheaper to build compared to the trams or a full-fledged urban train which needs tracks.