NANCHANG, July 25 — The state government is exploring the option of employing the latest train technology from China as a solution for greater Kuching urban transportation system, Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Openg said here today.

He said the Chinese technology could reduce the costs of implementing the urban transportation system in greater Kuching consisting of Kuching, Samarahan and Serian districts.

The chief minister and members of his delegation, who arrived here yesterday, viewed the deployment of the Autonomous Rapid Transit (ART) system that forms part of Nanchang’s urban transportation system.

"The ART might be able to reduce the costs of implementing lines as trains, which use latest technology, can run on non-elevated normal or dedicated roads,” he said in a statement.

The proposed routes of greater Kuching urban transportation system are Kuching-Samarahan and Kuching-Serian lines.

The ART, with trains that runs on tyres developed by CRRC Corporations Ltd , does not run on conventional rail tracks but on a virtual track that can be on a dedicated or normal existing roads and controlled by a central command centre.

Abang Johari and members of his delegation were actually taken on a ride on the train along a 5km-line through the city to have a first-hand experience on the ART that can be powered by electricity or hydrogen.

Later, they were taken on a tour of the production facility near the city before attending a briefing by CRRC Corporation.

Among those accompanying the Chief Minister were the Assistant Minister for Transportation Datuk Dr Jerip Susil and chairman of Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Hussain.