On September 10th, Suzhou Metro Line 8 officially commenced revenue service. CASCO provided fully automatic driverless signaling system that meets the requirement of GoA4, the highest grade of automation, and undertook the consistency coordination work. To date, a total of 31 UTO metro lines have been in operation in China, with operation mileage exceeding 957 kilometers. GoA4 and fully automatic consistency coordination have increasingly become standard features for newly constructed metros. China's driverless metro has realized the breakthrough from zero to widespread adoption in just a decade.

Ten years ago, China's driverless metro lines started from scratch, and CASCO was among the first participants. Over the past decade, China's driverless metro technology has transitioned from catching up to leading the world, with CASCO as the first to achieve this milestone. From zero to 957 kilometers of operation mileage, CASCO has played a pivotal role in constructing China's driverless metro network.

With the development of China's urban rail transit, CASCO, leveraging its exceptional technical expertise and innovative spirit, has filled the domestic gap in fully automatic driverless technology and set new benchmarks globally.

Filling the Gap: From Start to Leadership

In October 1998, Paris Metro Line 14 pioneered the era of fully automatic driverless operation. At that time, Chinese urban rail transit workers were diligently researching and preparing for their own breakthroughs.

In August 2014, Shanghai Metro Line 10, equipped with CASCO's signaling system, successfully launched its GoA4 fully automatic driverless function, becoming the first line in mainland China to achieve this technological feat.

Subsequently, CASCO contributed to the successful opening of Shanghai Metro Lines 18 and 15, helping Shanghai establish a world-leading fully automatic metro network. Recent evaluations by an expert panel led by academicians revealed that the Shanghai fully automatic metro network, represented by Line 10, boasts a five-minute delay indicator that is over three times better than the network average, while other core indicators are also leading internationally. The Shanghai experience validates the technical advantages of fully automatic operation, indicating that it has become the mainstream for urban rail transit development.

Shanghai Metro Line 10 marked the beginning of rapid development for China's driverless metro. With solid technological foundation, CASCO continues to explore the integration of fully automatic driverless operation with cutting-edge technologies, propelling China's urban rail technology to the forefront of the world.

In December 2021, CASCO's self-developed TRANAVI Qiji TACS system debuted on the driverless Shenzhen Metro Line 20, becoming the world's first TACS system for revenue service. This innovative technology enhances operation capacity through system simplification, resource refinement, and platform optimization. Its effectiveness has been validated over two years of operation:

• Operation interval reduced by 20%
• Entering and leaving depot time reduced by 31%
• ATO running speed up by 3km/h
• Equipment room saved by 50%

Moreover, CASCO pioneered in the industry the feasibility validation of mixed operation of TACS and CBTC. In June 2024, trains equipped with the TRANAVI Qiji TACS on-board system adaptively operated in both CBTC and TACS modes in different sections of Shanghai Metro Line 10, showcasing the flexibility of TRANAVI Qiji TACS in performance upgrade and function compatibility. This also provides an optimal choice for the upcoming tide of CBTC line renovations.

Widespread Adoption of Driverless Technology

From Shanghai Metro Line 10 to Suzhou Metro Line 8, China's driverless metro has rapidly expanded over the past decade. As of August 2024, there are 66 UTO lines in mainland China, with CASCO occupying over 36% of the market share and participating in 24 of these lines.

Fully automatic driverless technology, renowned for its safety, efficiency, intelligence, and low cost, has garnered market favor. This recognition underscores the technology's maturity and reliability while also testing implementers' capabilities. As a complex systematic project, fully automatic driverless projects require high integration and collaboration across multiple core systems, including vehicle, signal, communication, integrated monitoring, and platform screen door. With multiple systems, interfaces, and technical challenges, scientific and efficient project organization becomes a critical challenge. CASCO keenly perceives market demands and introduces the consistency coordination service that spans the entire project, ensuring smooth progress and high-quality delivery, winning high praise from clients. In December 2020, Chengdu Metro Line 9 successfully launched GoA4 at one go with CASCO as the consistency coordinator, which is the first in the industry.

To date, 18 fully automatic driverless projects nationwide have chosen CASCO as their consistency coordinator, a model widely adopted by subsequent new lines.

Digital Future: From Driverless to Intelligent Operation

Amid the wave of digital and intelligent transformation in the urban rail transit industry, CASCO remains at the forefront, leading the charge.

On June 28, 2024, CASCO unveiled the XiDRT solution, an iterative upgrade of the "Fully Automatic Operation 2.0 System for Smart Metro". This comprehensive solution facilitates deep industrial transformation and upgrading.

With intelligent operation control and maintenance platforms as the core, XiDRT deeply integrates various intelligent applications, including intelligent train control, intelligent dispatching, intelligent station, intelligent depot, integrated platform screen door, and train autonomous perception system. It enables integrated management of operation control and decision-making, maintaining optimal equipment condition at minimal cost. This not only enhances operation safety and resilience but also significantly improves resource utilization efficiency and metro service. Leveraging an open rail transit digital base, XiDRT optimizes human-machine interaction through data-driven approaches and achieves multi-system integration and multi-position collaboration through platform linkage, saving approximately 30% of fault and emergency response time and enhancing operation capacity by around 30%.

The decade-long transformation of China's driverless metro is a vivid illustration of technological progress and industrial innovation. As a leader and driving force, CASCO has infused powerful momentum into the development of China's urban rail transit with its exceptional technical expertise and innovative spirit. Looking ahead, facing the challenges of sustainable development, CASCO will continue to collaborate with industry partners, embrace new opportunities and challenges, and jointly explore the boundless possibilities of intelligent travel, striving to build safe, efficient, convenient, economical, resilient, inclusive, and green travel experiences.