Imagine a tram that runs on the asphalt like a bus, without needing rails, without overhead cables to feed on and without a driver. That is exactly ARTor Autonomous Rail Rapid Transit, a technology that China has been developing for more than a decade and that already operates in several cities in the country.
An idea that comes from afar, although it may not seem like it. Chinese manufacturer CRRC, the world’s largest producer of railway equipment, presented the first prototype in Zhuzhou, China, in June 2017. The first commercial line It started in that same city in May 2018, with a route of just 3.2 kilometers. Since then, the system has nine operating lines in five Chinese cities.
Yibin (Sichuan) was the second to joinin 2019, with a 17.7 kilometer line. Later came Xi’an, Yancheng and Yongxiu, where ART circulates both on a demonstration and commercial basis.
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How it works. The ART It is, in essence, an articulated bus large that imitates the shape and capacity of a tram, but without requiring the infrastructure that makes trams expensive. The vehicle does not follow physical rails, but rather what CRRC calls a “virtual rail”: a set of marks painted on the asphalt (white dashed lines) that the guidance system reads in real time using optical cameras and LIDAR sensors.
A GPS system complements the navigation. With three carriages, it measures about 30 meters and can transport up to 300 passengers; With five cars, it reaches 500. Its maximum speed is 70 km/h.
The propulsion is 100% electric. Initial versions used supercapacitors (which charge very quickly at stops, but store little energy) and batteries. At InnoTrans 2024, one of the largest public transport fairs in Berlin, CRRC presented an evolved version that incorporates hydrogen propulsiondesigned especially for markets like Malaysia.
The “autonomous” thing is nuanced. Here in this case marketing can be misleading. Although the acronym ART includes the word autonomous, all ART vehicles in operation still operate with a driver, using optical guidance for assistance. They are not autonomous driving vehicles in the strict sense of the word. The driver supervises the journey and takes control in the event of any incident.
Why is it cheaper? The great promise of ART is the cost. According to CRRC data shared According to The Conversation, deploying a kilometer of this technology costs between 7 and 15 million dollars, compared to 20-30 million per kilometer for a conventional tram or 70-150 million for the subway. There is no digging, no catenary to lay, no rails to install. In principle, it is enough to paint markings on the asphalt and segregate a lane.
However, according to they count researchers from the University of Sydney in the middle, that advantage has fine print. As the vehicle travels exactly the same route over and over again, with the wheels always stepping on the same points of the asphalt, the surface ends up deteriorating more quickly than on a conventional road. A study published in 2021 by transportation researchers James Raynolds, David Pham and Graham Currie found evidence of significant pavement wear, which may require structural reinforcement of the roadway. A process that, in some estimates, ends up being as expensive as installing rails directly.
Where can you see it today? ARTs continue to be vehicles with the greatest presence in China. Outside this country, progress is modest, and its record is not devoid of failures. Indonesia, for example, purchased a vehicle which was returned to China after tests in Nusantara (the new capital under construction) when it was found that the autonomous control system was not working optimally and required constant manual intervention.
In Abu Dhabi two units were tested under the TXAI brand, with a view to connecting the main tourist attractions of Yas Island. In Malaysia, Putrajaya launched a pilot project in February 2024. In Auckland, New Zealand, negotiations with CRRC broke down after the manufacturer demanded that the city purchase the vehicle at the end of the demonstration, something that Auckland Transport did not end up liking.
Japan, for its part, study a similar concept (with hydrogen propulsion) to connect the Mount Fuji area with the tourist centers of Yamanashi. Although the regional governor preferred that the project be entrusted to Japanese companies, and not to CRRC.
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