The world's longest autonomous rail rapid transit (ART) route - the Yibin ART Line 4 (first opening section) - started its trial run in Yibin, Southwest China's Sichuan Province, on June 26. Designed by the China Railway Siyuan Survey and Design Group Co., Ltd., it will be officially put into operation soon.
Yibin ART Line 4 starts passenger test operation. [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]
The ART, also known as a "virtual rail train", doesn't run on rails, instead, it combines the advantages of modern trams and conventional buses, and features independent guidance, track following, all-electric and intelligent driving. The ART has been included in the urban rail transit system.
The Yibin ART network has planned a total of seven lines with a total length of 156 kilometers. The T1 Line and T1 Branch Line opened to traffic in December 2019. The T2 Line is currently under construction, and the T3 Line is in full swing. Once all lines are connected to form a single network, Yibin as an ART demonstration city will take shape.
The 46.69-kilometer T4 Line consists of main line and branch line. There are 22 ground stations and one parking lot on the line. The first section to be opened to traffic is the T4 main line which is 29.71 kilometers long and with 14 stations. The design speed of the line is 70 kilometers per hour.
The charging system uses overhead charging rails at the first and last stations, and the sections and intermediate stations are powered by on-board energy storage devices.
By referring to the main technical standards of urban roads and rail transit, the China Railway Siyuan Survey and Design Group communicated with vehicle manufacturers and adopted a new design concept. It formulated a number of technical specifications on design, construction, management and operation and has formed a series of industry and local standards.
The Yibin ART Line 4 will further promote Yibin to become the largest ART industrial base in the western region, accelerate contact between the urban area of Yibin and Nanxi District, and provide people with more convenient and diversified travel choices.
(Executive editor: Xie Yunxiao)
