A glass-bottomed sky train rolled off production lines in China last week. With glass panelling on three sides, the panda-themed sky train provides passengers with stunning panoramic views of the city below. The air-rail vehicle, driven by new energy, rolled off in southwest China's Chengdu on June 26, reports CGTN.
The train is part of the Dayi Air-rail project, which includes China's first renewable energy-suspension railway demonstration line. According to Global News, the new-energy air-rail refers to suspended rail train driven by lithium battery power pack. It is different from the subway or light rail, which serve as the main public transport modes of the city, in that the air-rail project combines the characteristics of tourist traffic and sightseeing, connecting places with relatively small passenger flow.
A video of the sky train, shared by CGTN, has been viewed more than 58,000 times on YouTube, where reactions were largely complimentary.
"It looks so futuristically cool," wrote one person in the comments section, while another praised it as a "stunning invention."
With its floor-to-ceiling glass windows, the sky train offers people on board an expansive, 270-degree view of the landscape below - but that's not the only reason it is turning heads in China. The demonstration vehicle, which looks like a panda, has been designed to remind people of China's most famous animal.
The maximum capacity of one carriage is 120 people and the train can travel at a speed of 80 km/hr.
The Dayi Air-rail project is being developed by Zhongtang Air Rail Technology. They aim to finish construction by the end of the year.
"The new generation of vehicle weigh about 2.5 tons, 0.5 tons less than traditional ones, and has the lowest self-weight coefficient in the industry," Zhong Min, a deputy general director of Zhongtang Air Rail, was quoted as saying by Global News.
