World’s first trackless train recently went on a trial run. Train tracks on city streets could be a thing of the past. China unveils train that travels on ‘virtual tracks’.
The Chinese city of Zhuzhou, in the Hunan province, has debuted a train that runs on “virtual tracks.” The product, named Autonomous Rail Transit (ART) by railcar-maker CRRC Zhuzhou Locomotive, has been created with the hope to fundamentally solve urban traffic, emissions and other congestion related problems, by combining a bus-rail combo rapid transit system.
The Autonomous Rail Transit (ART) uses sensors to run along invisible tracks on city streets. The sensors send the information back to the train’s central control unit to help it travel smoothly. More than 300 people can ride on the ART, which is comprised of three carriages in its basic state.
It has rubber wheels with plastic cores. The ART is powered by electricity, so it won’t give off carbon emissions as traditional trains do. Is this the future of urban transport.
