Beijing to see unmanned subway trains next year

This file photo shows an unmanned subway train in Beijing subway. (Photo: Xinhuanet)

Beijing's first fully automatic subway trains are expected to be put into operation next year, Changchun Railway Vehicles Co., Ltd. a subsidiary of China CNR Corporation, announced on Monday.

Sixty trains produced by the corporation will be the first fully automatic trains to allow for unmanned operation in the Chinese mainland. They will be delivered in May 2015.

The trains, with a top speed of 80 kilometers an hour, will be able to carry a maximum of 1,262 passengers.

The train's design is inspired by the shape of a dolphin to lower air resistance and will be painted to show off Beijing's features as an ancient city.

Unmanned subway trains were first introduced in Copenhagen, Denmark and are used in cities including Paris, Barcelona and Nuremberg.