A new metro line with driverless trains will soon open in Guangzhou, where the 16th Asian Games is to be held this November.

Stretching 3.94 kilometers, the APM line, or Automated People Mover system, links two business areas in downtown Guangzhou. It will open at the beginning of November before the Asian Games, said an official surnamed Ye with the Guangzhou Metro Corporation without giving the exact date.

Along the nine-station underground line, trains will travel at no more than 60 kilometers per hour. Each train can take a maximum of 138 people, and a ticket for the ride will cost two yuan (about US$0.3).

Ye estimated the line will handle about 50,000 passengers during the 18 hours it is open each day.

(Xinhua News Agency October 21, 2010)