China tests advanced tram

BEIJING: China today tested an advanced tram with a maximum speed of 70 kmph in eastern Shandong province.

The tram makes less noise and can carry over 300 passengers when it consists of three carriages, reported a state-run news agency.

Li Yanyi, a senior designer with Sifang Locomotive and Rolling Stock Co Ltd, claimed the tram uses less energy per passenger than ordinary public buses.

Currently, trams run in Shanghai, Tianjin, Dalian, Shenyang and Changchun, with a total track length of only 96.6 km.