A driverless train took its first trip around Hamburg, Germany in 2021 and may greatly improve transportation in the city. Acknowledged as the world’s first, the train created by Siemens Mobility and Deutsche Bahn (DB) officially went into service in December.
This is part of a large modernization project for the city’s S-Bahn urban rail. There were no changes to the tracks, as the autonomous(自动的) trains run on the same network as the current trains that have drivers operating them.
“The railroad has arrived in the digital future and Digital Rail Germany may become a reality. With automated rail operations, we can offer our passengers a significantly expanded and improved service,” said Dr. Richard Lutz, CEO of DB. “The new trains can transport up to 30 percent more passengers and operate on time, and they will be more energy-efficient. They are also encouraged for environmental protection reasons.”
The trains receive signals via radios. There will be drivers present when there are passengers on board but they will only supervise(监督) the run and the passengers. There are now plans to digitize Hamburg’s S-Bahn system entirely by the end of the decade and the government has already decided to put money into new trains and infrastructure (基础设施) improvements.
Autonomous transportation technology is being used in taxis by Waymo, which started as the Google self-driving project in 2009. Other companies that are working on driverless cars include Tesla,GM, Nissan, and Zoox. These cars have to find their ways on roads with the help of GPS technology but driving on a track is much simpler and safer. “The new technology has already been officially approved and, since it features open interfaces (接口), it can immediately be used by operators worldwide for all types of trains,” said Dr. Roland Busch, CEO of Siemens. Maybe it’s time for the new autonomous revolution.
8. What’s special about the new trains created by Siemens Mobility and DB?
A.They make long-distance trips much safer. |
B.They use new driverless track systems. |
C.They share tracks with traditional ones. |
D.They still require human drivers’ operation. |
9. What does Dr. Richard Lutz mainly want to express in Paragraph 3?
A.The new trains greatly change the German lifestyle. |
B.The digital railroad is spoken highly of by passengers. |
C.The new trains benefit both people and the environment. |
D.The digital railroad has promoted the development of tourism. |
10. What’s the government’s attitude to the development of the new digital technology?
A.Worried. | B.Favorable. | C.Doubtful. | D.Uncertain. |
11. What’s the main idea of the last paragraph?
A.The digital technology has a big potential market. |
B.Germany’s design of trains needs to be further improved. |
C.American companies see an increasing demand for self-driving taxis. |
D.Operators have responsibility for ensuring fully autonomous driving. |