The first phase of Chengdu Metro Line 9 officially went into operation on December 18, 2020, which was the first fully automatic operation metro line in Midwestern China, and also the first metro line in China operating with the highest grade of automation (GoA4) at one time. As a signaling system integrator for this line and a coordinator of the consistency of the fully automatic operation system, CASCO has participated in and witnessed this important moment in the rail transit industry.

The First Run of Chengdu Metro Line 9

Chengdu Line 9 is a circular line between the Third Ring Road and the Outer Ring Road in Chengdu. The first phase starts from Financial City East Station in Jinjiang District in the south and ends at Huangtianba Station in Qingyang District in the west. The total length of the line is 22.18 kilometers, with 13 stations, of which 11 are transfer stations, connecting several backbone radiated metro lines. Therefore, the safe and efficient operation of Line 9 is very important for stabilizing and improving the overall efficiency of Chengdu rail transit network, and further strengthening the connection between the downtown city and the outskirts.

Map of Chengdu Metro Line 9

With operation scenarios as the core, the related work such as system function design, interface design, function verification and scenario joint debugging of Chengdu Line 9 are all carried out around the operation scenarios, so as to ensure the efficient operation and proper interconnection of the fully automatic operation system under various scenarios such as normal operation, failure and emergency operation. In addition, CASCO also tailor-made three auxiliary platforms for it, which are smart depot, vehicle expert workstation, and intelligent training platform for fully automatic operation, so as to implement full-range intelligent control and provide real job training from multiple dimensions.

· Smart Depot

Equipped with CASCO’s metro depot integrated automation system (MDIAS), it has capabilities of fully automatic dispatching, fully automatic vehicle washing and intelligent management of vehicle maintenance plans.

· Vehicle Expert Workstation

It features real-time remote monitoring of train traction, braking and some remote operation functions. The staff in the station can track the status of each train in real time (such as the windscreen wipers, air conditioning temperature adjustment, etc.), and address vehicle-related problems in time.

·Intelligent Training Platform for Fully Automatic Operation

It features three functions: data analysis, scientific research verification and competence training center, which can create accurate models for the metro lines and equipment, and collect real-time data by simulating the main scenarios of fully automatic operation lines. The platform has all real functions and interfaces, and can provide system functional tests as well as trainings for multiple posts.

Powered by CASCO's "Intelligent Brain", Chengdu Metro Line 9 has also become the intelligent icon of Chengdu Metro, making the automation, intelligence and information technology reach a new level. Besides the basic functions such as automatic awaking, self-testing, main line running, returning to the depot and sleeping, more new features have been unlocked, such as: evacuation automatic protection—when passengers request evacuation, the system provides automatic protection to ensure the evacuation safety of the passenger, automatic speed limit – the train can automatically return to FAM mode for normal operation in the scenario of system degradation, and the more intelligent automatic vehicle washing—the cleaning method can be flexibly designated according to the cleaning records of the trains.

In addition, CASCO also served as the consistency coordinator of Chengdu Metro Line 9, taking the lead in the coordination of the fully automatic core system as the "Chief Steward", which was the first case in the industry. It also participated in the formulation of a series of standards for system functions, interface requirements and man-machine operation interface, and assisted the client in creating the "Chengdu Standard" for fully automatic operation.

Dispatching Center of Chengdu Metro Line 9

Despite the COVID-19 outbreak and the tight schedule, CASCO staff have not only managed to keep their promise by delivering Chengdu Metro Line 9 with GoA4 at one time, but also delivered two high-speed metro lines at the same time with "zero delay": Chengdu Line 17 Phase I and Line 18 Sancha Station (excluded) to Tianfu Airport North Station. It has demonstrated CASCO's excellent delivery capacity. Up to date, the total operation length of Chengdu rail transit has exceeded 500 kilometers, and the number of operating metro lines has increased to 13, of which 6 lines were co-built by CASCO.

CASCO's success in delivering Chengdu Metro Line 9 with GoA4 at one time for is a good start for the subsequent opening of new GoA4 lines. As the peak time of year-end project delivery is near, a number of GoA4 metro lines built by CASCO have also began the countdown to official launch: the second phase of Shanghai Metro Line 10 and the first phase of southern section of Shanghai Metro Line 18 are coming soon. Please stay tuned.