China has put into service a new driver-less bullet train to carry the crowds at 2022’s Winter Olympics and Paralympics between venues in Beijing and the mountain area of Zhangiajakou where the ski events will take place.
The 108-mile trip will take as little as 45 minutes on the new 350km/h trains, which are claimed to be the world’s fastest driverless vehicles. The previous service on the route took three hours; the original line, opened in 1909, took eight.
The trains themselves feature both advanced technology including to book and track passengers and accommodations designed for the sports crowds, with large storage areas for winter sports equipment. Several stops along the way are major sports areas where demand will continue long after the Olympics are over.
