City's first SkyShuttle line opens in Pingshan

Pingshan SkyShuttle Line 1, the first municipal SkyShuttle line in Shenzhen, was officially put into operation yesterday, sources from the WeChat account of BYD SkyShuttle said.

The elevated rail line runs 8.51 kilometers with a total of 11 stations between Pingshan High-Speed Railway and BYD North stations.

The stations are equipped with facial recognition self-service ticket machines and support various ticket checking methods.

A SkyShuttle train in operation. Photos from Shenzhen Special Zone Daily

At the initial stage, nine four-carriage trains were put into operation, running between 6:30 a.m. and 11 p.m., with a maximum speed of 80 kilometers per hour, passing through the Pingshan government compound, key industrial parks and BYD’s headquarters. The trains will depart at five-minute intervals during rush hours and 10-minute intervals during off-peak hours. A single journey takes a maximum of 20 minutes.

According to the fare plan approved by the city’s development and reform commission and Shenzhen transport bureau, the fare is calculated based on the standards of the city’s Metro system. The fare for a single trip is 2-3 yuan (US$0.28~0.43).

Passengers look at the view along their trip on a SkyShuttle train.

The SkyShuttle rail transit system, independently developed by BYD, is battery powered and fully autonomous. Passengers can transfer at Pingshan High-speed Railway or Longbei stations to Metro Line 16, which was put into operation yesterday, and transfer at Pingshan Center Station to Line 14.

The SkyShuttle Line also meets residents’ needs for more convenient travel by connecting with the district’s major cultural and sports facilities, commercial areas and residential compounds.

In 2019, BYD installed the SkyShuttle rail transit system in its Pingshan headquarters for employees to commute between offices, factories and apartments.