A new driverless bullet train connecting the Chinese
cities of Beijing and Zhangjiakou is capable of reaching a top speed of up to
217mph (350km/h), making it the world’s fastest autonomous train in operation.
The new train which comes as a preparation for the 2022
Beijing Winter Olympics, would connect the Chinese capital to Zhangjiakou,
another town that would host the sporting events.It would complete the 108-mile long journey to just 47
minutes from the earlier three hours.
The train has stoppages at 10 stations out of which many
would be in close proximity to the Winter Olympics sporting venues.Belonging to China's Fuxing series of bullet trains, the
vehicle is capable of speeds up to 350 km/h and that too without anyone on the
driver's seat.
The trains will start and stop at stations automatically
to a precise timetable, and change speed depending on limits between stations.
However, a monitoring attendant will still be on board in case of emergencies.
The line, also known as the Jingzhang intercity railway,
took four years to complete and has 10 stations, including Badaling Changcheng,
for access to the Great Wall of China. The first train began operating on 30 December, running
from Beijing to Taizicheng, which will also hold some Olympic skiing events and
is the closet station to the Olympic village.
Cabins on the “smart” autonomous trains have large
storage areas for winter sports equipment, seats with 5G touchscreen control
panels, intelligent lighting, thousands of real-time safety sensors and
removable seats for passengers in wheelchairs. Facial-recognition technology
and robots will be used in stations to assist with directions, luggage and
paperless check-in
China’s vast high-speed rail network spans almost 22,000
miles and includes the fastest train in commercial operation, the Shanghai
Maglev, capable of reaching a speed of 268mph.
“While we argue about HS2, China has created a nationwide
high-speed network,China’s high-speed lines are ruthlessly efficient – once
booked, a swipe of your ID card or passport at the ticket gates is all you need
to travel,”
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