Autonomous Vehicles to Link West Kowloon Station and Airport Express Under New Pilot
AM730 · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
The Transport Department has granted a pilot license for an autonomous vehicle "air-rail intermodal" service connecting MTR High Speed Rail's Hong Kong West Kowloon Station with the Airport Express Kowloon Station. The project, developed through collaboration between Baidu, MTR Corporation, and the Airport Authority Hong Kong, will deploy four JX6480EUABEV electric vehicles manufactured by Jiangling Motors Group New Energy Vehicles of Jiangxi Province along designated routes. Each vehicle will carry a backup operator capable of taking manual control when necessary, with all autonomous vehicles required to display Transport Department pilot tags on their bodies .
Key Points
- Four left-hand drive private cars manufactured by Jiangling Motors Group New Energy Vehicles (Jiangxi) will operate under the pilot license
- Test routes traverse Hung Min Road, Jordan Road, Ararat Road, and the southern, eastern, and northern sections of the Station Loop Road
- Baidu Vice President Yang Nan stated this marks their first collaboration with a major Hong Kong public transport operator
- Unmanned driving tests on Airport Island began late last month, with stable and safe operations reported
- Upon regular operations, the service will provide seamless autonomous transit between High Speed Rail and Airport Express stations
Why It Matters
This pilot program positions Hong Kong to showcase autonomous vehicle technology in dense urban environments with complex traffic patterns. Successful implementation could establish a replicable model for integrating autonomous vehicles into the city's public transit ecosystem, offering travelers a convenient last-mile connection between high-speed rail and air services .
This pilot program positions Hong Kong to showcase autonomous vehicle technology in dense urban environments with complex traffic patterns. Successful implementation could establish a replicable model for integrating autonomous vehicles into the city's public transit ecosystem, offering travelers a convenient last-mile connection between high-speed rail and air services .