On February 10, the country's first medium-capacity adaptive monorail system vehicle, developed by CRRC Changchun Railway Vehicles Co., Ltd., was unveiled in Chongqing.
The straddle-type monorail vehicle features strong climbing ability, a small turning radius, and high environmental adaptability. With a top speed of 80 km/h and a single-car capacity of 136 passengers, it supports flexible formation to meet varying passenger demands. Its lightweight design reduces noise and minimizes environmental impact. Debuting alongside the vehicle is a monorail transportation system-a first in China-that offers a cost-effective solution adaptable to diverse passenger volumes and urban scenarios.
The vehicle incorporates cutting-edge technologies such as carbon fiber composites, integrated traction-braking systems, fused train control systems, and electromechanical braking to achieve lightweighting. Energy-efficient innovations like permanent magnet traction and high-frequency auxiliary converters enhance energy utilization, creating a green, low-carbon transit system. Equipped with top-tier autonomous driving capabilities, the vehicle supports automatic wake-up, start-stop, and depot return functions. Its smart design integrates vehicle-to-vehicle communication, renewable energy compatibility, and multi-network convergence for intelligent travel, maintenance, and service.
Designed for medium-capacity transit (5,000–20,000 passengers per hour), the system adapts to extreme environments (high temperatures, cold climates, high altitudes) and diverse urban or tourist-area applications.
With an axle load of just 9 tons, the vehicle lays the foundation for a lightweight monorail ecosystem. Complementary innovations include stress-free continuous track beam bridges, prefabricated lightweight piers, compact modular stations, and smart maintenance technologies. Together, they form a low lifecycle-cost, multi-adaptive monorail system.
