(Yicai Global) June 13 -- The first China-made fully automated (self-driving) metro line on the mainland, the Yanfang subway line is currently undergoing a test run and will initiate service by year's end, China's state-run Xinhua news agency reported yesterday.

Its developer, First Engineering Co. of China Railway Electrification Bureau Group, said that the trains operating on the line will be divided into four units, each of them has a maximum passenger capacity of 1,262 and will run at a maximum speed of 80 kilometers an hour.

The test run involves checking the functionality of individual systems through centralized dispatch operations, conducting electric train reception, maintenance, management and dispatch exercises, and establishing a complete management system.

The most salient feature of fully automated metro systems is the smoothness of train operations, because the entire operation process from start and acceleration to braking is computer- controlled, thus affording passengers an optimal riding experience. The line is an extension of the Beijing subway in the distant southwest suburban district of Fangshan.