Taiwan's New Metropolis Trains: Fast, Fully Automated Commuting with Alstom's Light Green Line
With the arrival of the first of 35 totally automated Metropolis trains, produced by the French company Alstom, Taiwan is entering the future of transport. Set to be a major component of the future Light Green Line metro system, which aims to transform regional transport, these trains are expected to be vital.
Currently under building, the Light Green Line will stretch 22.8 km (14 miles) and offer a quicker, more effective means of transport between New Taipei City and Taipei. Once the queue is completely running, it will drastically cut travel times, therefore shortening the typically long and taxing trip by thirty minutes. Workers, students, and families will find it simpler if what usually takes individuals more than half an hour completes in just 20 minutes.
This metamorphosis is mostly related with the new Metropolis trains. Designed to accommodate up to 700 passengers, these elegant four-car trains are composed of robust stainless steel and have 108 of comfortable seats. For the daily commuters who must get from Taipei, the island's capital, to the fast expanding New Taipei City, which currently has more than 4 million residents, the trains are ideal.
The speed of the new Metropolis trains is among its strongest aspects. Reaching up to 100km/h (62 mph), they will provide a quick, smooth ride. The trains are safer, more dependable, more efficient since they run entirely autonomous utilising Alstom's sophisticated Urbalis signalling system. This implies that the system can run without a human driver, depending instead on innovative technology to manage the trains and guarantee flawless operation of all systems.
Apart from lowering wait times, the totally automated design of the trains would enhance general operational efficiency. Already in use in many big cities all around the world, the Urbalis signalling system will enable more frequent and speedier services, therefore helping to ease traffic congestion and improve the general system efficiency. Since these trains run on electricity and help to create a more sustainable public transport system, they are also predicted to be ecologically benign.
Once the Light Green Line is finished, it will transform the area by linking Taipei's heart with its adjacent metropolis, New Taipei, in a manner not before feasible. For thousands of people, it will simplify their commutes, provide greater convenience in their daily lives, and help to alleviate the mounting problems of Taiwan's fast developing metropolitan districts.
These totally automated Metropolis trains mark only the beginning. Taiwan is adopting smart transportation options, and the new metro line will open the path for even more technology developments in public transit. Faster, safer, and more efficient travel—which these new trains bring—allows commuters to anticipate a better, more linked future in Taiwan.
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