Optics Valley Suspended Monorail
The Optics Valley Suspended Monorail (光谷空轨), also known as the Optics Valley Photon, is a driverless suspended monorail line located in Wuhan, China. It is the first suspended monorail line in China, opening on September 26, 2023.[2] The line has six stations and a total length of 10.5 kilometers, with plans for the line to be extended to a second phase with a total length of 26.7 kilometers and 16 stations.
| Optics Valley Suspended Monorail | |
|---|---|
.jpg) A carriage crossing over a road. | |
| Overview | |
| Other name(s) | 光谷空轨 (Chinese name) |
| Status | Operational |
| Locale | Optics Valley, Wuhan |
| Termini | |
| Stations | 6 |
| Website | www.whggjtjs.com |
| Service | |
| Type | Rapid transit |
| System | Wuhan Metro |
| Operator(s) | Wuhan Optics Valley Modern Tram Corp., Ltd |
| Depot(s) | Longquanshan depot |
| Rolling stock | 6-car Type B (DKZ32) |
| Daily ridership | <13,000[1] |
| History | |
| Opened | 26 September 2023 |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 10.5 km (6.5 mi) |
| Character | Suspended monorail |
| Electrification | 750 V DC |
| Operating speed | 60 km/h (37 mph) (maximum operating speed)[2] |
The route runs along the 10-kilometer-long Optics Valley Ecological Corridor (光谷生态大走廊), an ecological corridor between 300 and 500 meters wide connecting Jiufengshan mountain in the north to Longquanshan mountain in the south.[3][4] The railway is located in the southeast of Wuhan, in the Donghu New Technology Development Zone, also known as Guanggu or Optics Valley. The line was designed for both commuting and sightseeing.[5]
History
editOn May 31, 2019, the Wuhan East Lake High-tech Zone Management Committee held a "Special Meeting on Optics Valley Central Ecological Corridor and Aerial Rail Concept Plan" to plan the construction of this line. [citation needed]
In January 2020, the Administrative Committee held a special meeting to study the ecological corridor project, agreed in principle to the first phase of the Optics Valley Ecological Corridor Tourism Line Project (Jiufengshan-Longquanshan) line, station, and vehicle base planning plan, and requested that the piles be completed as soon as possible.[citation needed]
On November 22, 2021, Wuhan Optics Valley Transportation Construction Co., Ltd. and Wuhan Optics Valley Tourism Development Investment Co., Ltd. (a wholly-owned subsidiary of the former, established in July 2020) initiated an online vote on the vehicle name and appearance.[6] On December 1, Optics Valley Transportation and Optics Valley Tourism Investment announced the voting results. The vehicles are named the "Optical Valley Photon" and the appearance design adopts the "Technology Wing Plan".[7]
On August 26, 2022, the first Photon train rolled off the assembly line. On December 26 of the same year, it was tested at the Longquan Vehicle Base.[8]
The entire line became open to traffic in early 2023, and comprehensive joint commissioning and testing will begin in February, with test rides starting on May 11.[9] At 10:00 a.m. on September 26, 2023, the line was officially put into operation.[2]
Stations
editAll transfers are out-of-station.
| Station Name | Connections | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English | Chinese | |||||
| Jiufengshan | 九峰山 | |||||
| Gaoxin Boulevard | 高新大道 | 11 | ||||
| Gaoxin 2nd Road | 高新二路 | Wuhan Optics Valley Modern Tram | ||||
| Gaoxin 4th Road | 高新四路 | |||||
| Zongbaoqu | 综保区 | |||||
| Longquanshan | 龙泉山 | |||||
Specifications
editThe train car contains two carriages and can hold 220 people at maximum. The maximum speed of the railway is 60 kilometers per hour, and the train can append more carriages if there is high demand. It runs from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. in ten-minute-intervals.[10]
References
edit- ^ "春节假期+元宵佳节，约50万人乘坐光谷有轨电车和光谷空轨". Optics Valley Traffic Company (in Chinese). Retrieved 24 March 2024.
- ^ a b c "China's first suspended monorail line launched". The Straits Times. The Straits Times. 28 September 2023. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
- ^ "这辆列车在武汉天上跑，一手体验来了！". Ziniu Xinwen. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
- ^ "Announcement: International Open Solicitation for the Schematic Design of the Nodes in Central Ecological Corridor of Wuhan · Optical Valley of China". AIMIR CG. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
- ^ "Suspended monorail with glass floor opens in China". Metro Report International. Railway Gazette International. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
- ^ "光谷空轨旅游线车辆外观造型及命名，请您参与选定". Optics Valley Traffic Company. 2021-11-22. Retrieved 2024-10-30.
- ^ "定了！光谷空轨命名为"光子号"，车辆外观长这样". Optics Valley Traffic Company. 2021-12-01. Retrieved 2024-10-30.
- ^ ""光谷光子号"空轨首列车26日在青岛中车四方下线". whggjtjs.com. 2022-08-26. Retrieved 2024-10-30.
- ^ "全国首条！光谷空轨开跑". www.stdaily.com. Retrieved 2024-10-30.
- ^ Kun, Liu; Shuo, Zou. "First suspended monorail launches in Wuhan". China Optics Valley. Retrieved 25 April 2024.