On May 17, 2019, an on-the-spot meeting for Shanghai Metro Line 10 was held at Hongqiao and CASCO was invited to attend the meeting. Along with representatives from Shentong Metro and China Association of Metros, CASCO exchanged experience regarding fully automatic operation and accompanied their visit of Shanghai Metro Line 10 with CASCO’s fully automatic operation system. This is the first rail transit line that has realized the highest level (GoA4) of fully automatic operation in China.

The representatives present at the meeting took a ride on Line 10 to experience the operation in fully automatic driving mode under the control of CASCO’s fully automatic operation system, including automatic operation, automatic reversal, automatic depot entry, automatic washing, automatic sleep, automatic wake-up and comprehensive self-inspection, without the need of human intervention. Later, the representatives specially visited Line 10 Control Center at Wuzhong Road and they all spoke highly of its fully automatic operation system in face of large passenger flow.

Shanghai “Platinum Line” – the first fully automatic line with high density and large passenger flow

As an important “platinum line” in Shanghai rail transit network, it passes a number of central urban areas including New World, Yu Garden, Nanjing Road, Huaihai Road and Wujiaochang and connects two major transportation junctions - Hongqiao Airport and Hongqiao Railway Station, making its passenger flow rank top in China.

Over the past four years, the average daily passenger flow of Line 10 has increased from about 660,000 to nearly a million, with extreme maximum passenger flow more than 1.06 million and average daily passenger flow up to 25,000 persons/km. This poses extremely stringent requirements on the stability and safety of the train operation control system. CASCO’s fully automatic operation system has perfectly stood the test and realized fully automatic operation in a real sense for the first time in China. Shanghai Line 10 has thus become China’s first fully automatic line with high density and large passenger flow of nearly a million daily.

Metro operation performance significantly enhanced by the fully automatic operation system

Thanks to CASCO’s fully automatic operation system, Shanghai Metro Line 10 provides a comfortable traveling environment through efficient operation. The train load factor is stabilized between 70% and 80%, both the average punctuality rate and delivery rate reach 99.9%, the average traveling speed increases by 2.6km/h, the average depot entry and exit time reduces by 50%. Under the same service level, the number of trains allocated is reduced by 3 and the staffing per km is reduced by 13 persons. In this way, the operation and maintenance cost is greatly decreased while the operation safety, reliability and efficiency are substantially improved.

Today, by virtue of the successful demonstration effect of Shanghai Metro Line 10 and its supreme technical strength and rich experience, CASCO has become the well-deserved “leader” in fully automatic operation of rail transit. It has been involved in five of the six fully automatic operation lines in service in China, and provided system solutions for four fully automatic operation lines under construction. Among them, Shanghai Metro Line 15 and Line 18, Chengdu Metro Line 9 and Beijing Subway Line 3 reach GoA4, the highest automation level just like Shanghai Metro Line 10.  

In the future, CASCO will continue to serve more metro lines with its advanced system integration solutions and life cycle management, benefit more urban citizens with its fully automatic operation system, comprehensively safeguard the traveling safety of the public and create whole-course assuring experience for both clients and the public.  

(Photo: Wu Weiqing)