The first China developed rubber-tired subway train is officially put into operation on Metro Line 1 of Mexico City, March 23, 2024. (Photo/China News Service)

The first China developed rubber-tired subway train was officially put into operation on Metro Line 1 of Mexico City on Saturday, according to CRRC Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive Co., Ltd.

The train with 9 cars is equipped with large rubber wheels and small ones for guidance and has a maximum passenger capacity of 2,252 and a maximum speed of 80 kilometer per hour. It can meet an 8-percent climbing capacity and curve radius of 45 meters, adapting to the local terrain conditions.

A new control system installed on the train can realize automatic acceleration and deceleration, automatic scheduling, automatic parking, reducing waiting time to 2 minutes, said Peng Ziquan, a technician at CRRC Zhuzhou.

Opened in 1969, Metro Line 1 spanned 18.83 kilometers with 20 stations. The daily passenger volume exceeds 1 million on the line.

The upgrade project of Metro Line 1 was CRRC's first overseas "system plus" project, involving investment, financing, train manufacturing, systemupgrade and whole system maintenance.

The event marked a key step forward for the project after the first section opened in October 2023, laying a solid foundation for the operation of the whole line.

Another 29 new trains will enter operations soon.