China's railcar maker rolls out prototype monorail train

QINGDAO - Railcar maker CRRC Qingdao Sifang said Friday that it had produced a prototype mounted monorail train with a maximum operational speed of 70 km per hour, the fastest of its kind in China.

Driven by a permanent magnet motor, the experimental train runs along an overhead monorail.

Liu Yuwen, deputy head of the company's technology center, said that the train can be composed of three or five train cars, with a passenger transport capacity of 300 and 510 people, respectively.

The train has a strong climbing ability with a maximum inclining in an altitude up to 100 meters over a length of 1,000 meters.

Liu said the mounted monorail system is suitable for passenger transport in scenery areas, mountainous regions and urban areas where road traffic is heavy.

The company based in Qingdao city, Shandong province, East China, is undertaking China's first overhead monorail project in Hancheng city, Northwest Shaanxi province. The construction of the line designed to stretch 55 km began in November last year.

The line running in south-north direction through the city links with the city's airport, and threads through a number of scenic and historical sites along the city.