Growing demand for green mobility and efficient traffic operation is driving the need for innovative approaches to the urban transportation system. A new rapid transit line in Shanghai featuring digital rail-guided tram entered trial operations in January, taking the lead in the experiment for the development of a cleaner, safer and more efficient public transportation solution.
The 21.7 km Medium-Capacity demonstration Line T1 features digital rail-guided rubber-tired trams (DRT), which consists of three cars, is 30.5 meters long, with a maximum speed of 70km/h and a carrying capacity of 302 passengers.
As one of the companies involved in the construction of the T1 Demonstration Line, Shanghai Electric Automation Group, a member of Shanghai Electric Group Company Limited, developed China’s first intelligent digital-rail transport system (“iDRT“) for the digital rail-guided rubber-tired tram used on the line.
The vehicle is China’s first to adopt the iDRT system, a world-leading technology that uses sensors on the tram to collect information from magnetic markers on the road’s surface, guide the vehicle’s position in real-time, and control the direction of the rubber tires as the vehicle moves. In a significant leap forward for green transportation in Shang, the T1 Demonstration Line will commence operations on pure electric power while hydrogen refueling stations are being constructed, with plans to fully switch to hydrogen power once applicable.
The demonstration line uses world-leading magnetic nail navigation and under-vehicle sensor technology, which boasts a short construction period and less road surface occupation, while also delivering significant energy savings and emission reductions. The DRT requires just half the construction investment for traditional trams, meeting the ambition of Shanghai to create a green, intelligent and extensive transportation ecosystem.
At the core of the T1 Demonstration Line is a new lightweight, intelligent digital-rail transit system that uses magnetic markers as virtual tram tracks, leverages autonomous digital rail-guided rubber-tired trams as vehicles, and adopts modern tram operation control methods. The operation control and management system boasts automatic tracking, auxiliary operations and safety as its main features, powered by high-precision sensor positioning technology, centralized control technology, and intelligent transportation management technology.
The iDRT can control the operation of the tram along the digital track with world-leading precision, and drive autonomously under independent right-of-way conditions. The vehicle is able to adjust its speed, avoid barriers and perform other operations to ensure safety, regardless of the weather. Meanwhile, drivers receive comprehensive information regarding target speed, stops and track deviation. With the combination of low cost and flexible operations, this groundbreaking transit system can be run using existing roads in cities – saving the trouble of building fixed rails and making it the ideal choice for urban transportation.