The air-rail vehicle is in operation. (Photo:/China Central Television)
The first air-rail vehicle using new energy rolls off the production line in Chengdu, Southwest China's Sichuan Province on Saturday, spreading concept of smart travel.
The project, Dayi Air-rail, which includes the first new energy travel air-rail demonstration line in China, is mainly developed by Zhongtang Air Rail Technology Co Ltd. They plan to finish construction at the end of the year, reported China Central Television (CCTV) on Monday.
According to the introduction of the company, the new-energy air-rail refers to suspended rail train driven by lithium battery power pack.
The demonstration vehicle looks like a "panda" gliding through the air. It is designed to be driven by new energy and suspended monorail, and focuses on giving sense of future tune and high-tech.
With transparent design of the carriage, glass windows from floor to ceiling can provide more expansive views of the outside landscape for passengers. The maximum capacity of one carriage is 120 passengers.
Different from the subway or light rail, which serves the main road traffic in a city, the air rail project combines the characteristics of tourist traffic and sightseeing, and is used for connecting places with relatively small passenger flow.
The Dayi Air-rail, with a distance of about 11.5 kilometers and a designed speed of 80 kilometers per hour, has four stations that connects several important tourism points.
"The new generation of vehicle weigh about 2.5 tons, 0.5 tons less than traditional ones, and has the lowest self-weight coefficient in the industry," Zhong Min, a deputy general director of Zhongtang Air Rail, said in an interview with Hongxing News.
The car is made of carbon fiber material and composite foaming material, which greatly reduces the weight of the carriage, Zhong added.
