China developing world's first 350 km/h automated bullet trains

China Railway Corporation is developing a train control system that will allow Fuxing bullet trains to operate automatically at speeds of up to 350 kilometers per hour, reports Science and Technology Daily.

China's national railway operator unveiled a new set of Fuxing bullet trains, seen here on December 24, 2018, which can run at speeds of up to 350 kilometers per hour. The trains have a seating capacity of 1,283 people. [Photo: chineserailways]

The national railway operator said on Tuesday that the automatic train operation (ATO) system will first be used on trains running between Beijing and Zhangjiangkou in Hebei Province. The automated trains will go into service in 2022 ahead of the opening of the Winter Olympics.

An area for monitoring self-driving Fuxing bullet trains. [Photo: People's Daily]

The ATO system will free train drivers from tasks such as stopping the train at stations and opening and closing passenger doors. The system will speed up or slow down a train according to the running schedule.

China's national railway operator unveiled a new set of Fuxing bullet trains on December 24, 2018. [Photo: IC]

The ATO system is already installed on some high-speed trains on two 200 kilometer an hour lines in Guangdong Province. This was the first time anywhere in the world that ATO equipment was used on trains running at such a high speed.

A Fuxing bullet train on a trial run from Beijing to Shenyang, Liaoning Province on March 24, 2018. [File Photo: VCG]

Late last year, China Railway Corporation carried out a three-month field test of the ATO system on a high-speed train running between Beijing and the city of Shenyang in Liaoning Province. Experts said the system passed all of its tests and was ready to be put into regular use.