China's first driverless subway line to launch in 2017

Beijing, Aug 29: China's first driverless subway line in Beijing is expected to start operations by the end of 2017, authorities said on Monday.

Operations on the line will be fully automatic, including train departures, door opening and closing, and cleaning, said the report. The trains will only use domestic technology, Xinhua news agency reported.

China started developing its own fully automatic subway system in 2010 and has mastered the core technologies, the authorities said.

It is expected that the total length of fully-automated subway lines in Beijing will reach 300 km by 2020.

The development and use of domestic operation systems is part of the "Made in China 2025" initiative, which aims to comprehensively upgrade Chinese industry.

The move will also help strengthen China's presence in the global rail transport industry and ensure the security of the country's key infrastructure facilities, the authorities added.