News: Recently, China successfully tested seven fully loaded freight trains operating together as a single convoy without any physical coupling.
About China Tests World-First Wireless Rail Convoy
- China tested a wireless-controlled freight train convoy that allowed multiple heavy trains to operate together without mechanical connections.
- Developed by: It is developed by the China Shenhua Energy Company, a subsidiary of the state-owned CHN Energy group.
- The test was conducted on the Baoshen Railway in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region.
- Technology used
- The system uses a wireless group control system based entirely on wireless communication.
- It replaces traditional mechanical couplers with virtual coupling through continuous wireless signals.
- It applies a two-dimensional control mode that combines relative speed control with absolute distance monitoring.
- Key features
- Seven freight trains, each carrying 5,000 tonnes, operated as a single coordinated unit without physical attachment.
- The trains maintained a distance of around 1,091 metres while running at a speed of 60 kmph during the trial.
- All trains synchronised acceleration and braking through wireless signals, and no collision or separation occurred.
- The system allowed trains to respond quickly to movement changes and operate safely at closer intervals.
- Significance: The technology can increase China’s railway freight capacity by over 50 percent without building additional railway infrastructure.
