CHINA: The first domestically developed straddle monorail to enter revenue service in China opened on September 1 at the China Flower Expo Park in Yinchuan.
The 5·7 km route with eight stations uses a fleet of seven three-car trainsets travelling at up to 80 km/h. Each trainset has capacity for 170 passengers.
Construction started in April and cost 600m yuan. The project was developed by BYD. The bus, car and battery manufacturer unveiled a prototype of its SkyRail monorail at a test track at its Shenzhen headquarters in October last year, marketing it as suitable for small and medium sized cities, as well as tourist attractions and central business districts.
Yinchuan plans to build a 300 km monorail network.
