On Friday, the northeastern city of Qingdao – which houses the second largest brewery in China – made a very sober decision to unveil its first driverless subway train.
Developed by state-owned high-speed train maker CRRC Qingdao Sifang Co. Ltd, the new train is completely automatic, meaning it can be started, operated and parked with a signal from the subway control center, according to Xinhua Finance Agency.
Beijing will likely be among the first cities to adopt the technology after it undergoes a series of trials this year.
If you’re like us, the idea of a driverless train sounds even riskier than China’s manned drone, but head technician Jiang Xin claims it will “run more safely and effectively compared to trains controlled by humans.”
According to Jiang, the trains not only reduce operational failures caused by human error, they also help avoid accidents caused by driver fatigue or sudden illness of staff.
Advanced detection technology will enable the train to identify and react to obstructions ahead. The company also claims that in the rare case of derailment, the train will automatically stop.
Qingdao’s latest subway invention is nothing revolutionary – Hong Kong announced its first contract to supply driverless trains to the MTR’s West and South Island lines as early as August 2011. The three-car, automatic trains – which cost about 20 percent more to produce than the existing trains – are expected to be operational by the end of 2016.
Beijing metro lines have had the capability to run unmanned for years, according to China Daily, but drivers traditionally remained on board in case of emergencies.
READ MORE: Baidu's Self-Driving Car Tackles Beijing Traffic
[Images via qingdaonews.com]
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