First rail-less train unveiled in China
Posted: 12 June 2017 | | 3 comments
The world’s first rail-less train has been unveiled in Zhuzhou, central China’s Hunan province by CRRC Zhuzhou Institute Co Ltd.
The ART (Autonomous Rail Rapid Transit) was developed by CRRC Zhuzhou Institute Co Ltd, which produces key parts for high-speed railway.
The autonomous 30-meter train, which comprises three carriages, is part of an intelligent rail express system, and runs on rubber tyres rather than rails. It has a speed of 70km/h and can carry up to 300 passengers (a five-carriage train can hold 500 passengers) offering new options for easing modern transport pressures. The train is powered by electricity and can travel up to 40kilometres on one full charge.
The train works by reading the dimensions of the road using its onboard sensors and, furthermore, can plan its own route, which is like “having a virtual rail for the train,” CRRC says.
According to the government of Zhuzhou city in Hunan province, a 6.5-kilometer ART line will be built through downtown Zhuzhou and operations will start in 2018.
It is definitely a great idea. It would allow to change the routes of such a “people carrier” depending on demand and the infrastructure needed would be so much cheaper. And what follows less disruptions for construction and future maintenance. However, my only concern would be how it would operate when there is snow on the roads? How the receivers on the vehicle measure the width of the road and how it follows the designated “track”.
It is definitely a great solution for countries that do not suffer from heavy winters or any huge changes in the weather. But how it would work in countries like the UK, or any Eastern European country where the snowfall is quite high during the winter months.
I hope there is a simple solution to that and more and more countries/cities will follow that example.
The vehicle illustrated is a “tram”, not a “train”, though with the term “tram/train” being used increasingly nowadays, where you draw the line between trams and trains (and people movers) is becoming increasingly vague.
Regarding the claim this is the “first rail-less train”, there is a firm in Italy that makes diesel engine’d “trains” consisting of a steam outline “locomotive” plus two coaches. They can be seen trundling around the roads in towns and cities (Ilfracombe in the UK and Vilnius in Lithuania for instance) where they provide transport mainly for tourists.
I’m not seriously suggesting these are “trains”, but it does demonstrate the need to be careful about making such claims. The Italian firm also makes “multiple unit trains” which also pre-date the Chinese “trains”.
That is for the first time a truly new focus on what “railway” and its cost to a society intent on using it to solve transportation problems could mean. Very interesting indeed!