China will launch its first driverless maglev train early next year, thanks to a number of technological breakthroughs, said Zhou Qinghe, chairman of CRRC Zhuzhou Locomotive Co.

File photos: VCG

Zhou said the homegrown version of the 3.0 maglev train will have a designed speed of 200 km per hour and has made break-throughs compared to the first two versions of the train, which were designed to run at 100 km per hour and 160 km per hour, respectively.

The maglev train would be armed with the “most powerful brain”—its operation control system—enabling it to drive on its own, he added.

The application of technologies, such as online monitoring and Big Data analysis, would enable the trains to travel faster and more safely.