Beijing to open first driverless subway line

BEIJING: Beijing will open its first domestically developed automated subway line with self-driving trains this year, local officials said today.

The 16.6-km Yanfang Line, which is being debugged, will improve convenience of transportation for residents living in the city's southwestern suburb of Fangshan, state-run Xinhua news agency quoted the official as saying.

The facility is the first fully domestically developed automated subway line on the Chinese mainland, a spokesperson with the Beijing Municipal Commission of Housing and Urban-Rural Development said.

In addition, construction is expected to be completed in 2017 on two new rail lines, the city's first modern tram line and first medium-low speed maglev line.

Currently Beijing has 19 lines covering 574 kms in operation. Twenty subway lines or sections, spanning over 350 kms will be built this year.