China's high-speed rail system continues to get more impressive. The country already boasts the largest high-speed rail system in the world at roughly 28,000 miles. Now, its operations and maintenance have fully converted to using artificial intelligence, as reported by Interesting Engineering.
The news outlet noted that the AI-enabled system is incredibly efficient, processing data in real time and alerting maintenance teams of abnormal situations within 40 minutes, with an estimated 89% accuracy rate.
Liu Daoan, a senior engineer at the China State Railway Group's infrastructure inspection center, told the academic journal China Railway, "This helps on-site teams conduct re-inspections and repairs as quickly as possible," per Interesting Engineering.
The AI system can also predict faults and issue warnings before they become a problem, which helps keep the rails well-maintained and avoids anything that might shut down a given rail.
China's rail system is the fastest in the world, with trains running roughly 217 miles per hour — while at the same time providing a smooth and comfortable experience. The country hopes to reach speeds of nearly 250 miles per hour next year, Interesting Engineering reported.
To convert the system to AI, railway scientists collected data on train body movements, rail vibrations, and meteorological records, among other things, for the AI to train the system. Since the switch, data analysis has improved by 85%, and there are more regular maintenance reports.
Even more impressive, China just began building its high-speed rail system less than 20 years ago.
Interesting Engineering noted that China plans to continue to construct its high-speed rail system until it reaches every city with a population of at least 500,000 people. That's great news, not just for the people of China, who will be able to travel fast and comfortably, but also for the planet.
High-speed rail allows people to travel without depending on planes or automobiles, which are major contributors to carbon pollution — one of the main causes of planet overheating and extreme weather events that threaten lives, food supplies, and supply chains, among other things.
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China is one of the largest contributors of carbon pollution in the world. In 2019, over 1.4 million Chinese citizens died due to fine particulate outdoor air pollution, per the UN Environment Programme, one of the highest death rates in the world.
By expanding its rail and its efficiency using AI, along with its ever-growing electric vehicle market, China appears to be headed toward a healthier future.
While European countries also have extensive high-speed rail systems, the U.S. is behind. But there are projects or plans underway in California, Texas, and elsewhere that will hopefully demonstrate its convenience and be a catalyst for more growth.
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