A passenger waits for a new-energy elevated monorail named "Sky Train" designed to resemble the giant pandas of Chengdu, capital of Southwest China's Sichuan Province. This is China's first new-energy suspension railway. Spanning 1.4 kilometers in length, Sky Train consists of two carriages and can carry 75 people at one time. Operating at a height of around 8 meters, the train will be put into use within two to three years. Photo: IC

A locally manufactured monorail which recently completed a successful test run has finally rolled off the production line in Qingdao, in East China's Shandong Province, marking a major breakthrough in the field of straddle monorail technology in China.

The 6-car train which can reach a top speed of 100km/h and carry a maximum of 1,400 passengers. It is expected that the train's service-life will be as long as 30 years, it is also highly adaptable to complex terrain and geology.

The straddle monorail train is designed with completely independent intellectual property rights, boasting a localization rate of more than 95 percent and offers fast, low noise, energy efficient travel options in urban areas. 

Coming in at only one third the construction cost of traditional subway systems, its operating speed, passenger capacity and rapid boarding and landing are comparable to existing B-type subways. The new monorail is also highly compatible with existing transportation systems. 

It is expected that the train will serve cities with large and medium transportation volumes, complex terrain and geology, and low urban rail construction spending.