CHINA: The average time taken to turn back trains on Shanghai’s automated metro Line 5 has been cut by 26 sec to 86 sec during testing, paving the way for the operation of more frequent services.
The line is equipped for attended driverless operation to Grade of Automation 3, using the TSTCBTC 2.0 signalling system supplied in 2018 by the Thales SEC Transport joint venture of Thales and Shanghai Electric.
‘Though 26 looks like a simple number, it represents a huge technological innovation in urban rail’, suggested TST’s Chief Technical Officer Liu Huiming on October 29. ‘The shorter turnback time allows a higher frequency of train services, shorter headways, as well as increased stability and safety, making the overall metro system more energy efficient.’
