Have you ever seen a train running on a road without tracks?

It has actually happened in China. It’s called the Autonomous Rail Rapid Transit (ART), a new type of public transportation that operates on electricity with zero pollution and emissions. The ART adopts the flexible grouping mode of high-speed trains with each section capable of carrying 100 passengers.

With the introduction of the ART, the perennial issue of traffic congestion during peak hours in cities is no longer a problem. Equipped with a fully automated driving system and utilizing virtual track following control technology, the ART identifies virtual track routes on the road through onboard sensors resembling surface traffic lines.

Through active safety control, onboard signal control and machine vision, the train is electronically constrained, precisely controlling its movement along the virtual tracks to achieve intelligent operation.

The ART system was first launched in 2017 and has been tested effective in soothing traffic congestion in Chengdu of China. With strong transportation capability, high-speed, low costs and low-carbon and environmental friendliness, this innovative green transport initiative has been introduced to other busy cities in China, including those in Hunan, Sichuan and Dongbei.

It is believed that ART would be able to offer a sustainable, innovative and safe transport choice that would have a major impact on managing China’s carbon footprint.

For more information: 

https://www.crrcgc.cc/en/g7389/s14333/t334448.aspx