Unmanned metro to launch in 2017

Beijing plans to unveil the country's first self-developed fully automatic subway next year, with the scheduled opening of the Yanfang Line.

The line connects Yanshan, a suburb built around a petroleum and chemical enterprise, to Fangshan, where passengers can transfer to trains bound for the center of Beijing.

Its operating system, which needs no driver or attendant, is currently undergoing factory testing, and is expected to launch by December 2017.