Autonomous bus plan for Hong Kong’s Kai Tak takes shape as CRRC eyes global push
CRRC will test a trackless, electric autonomous rapid transit system at Hong Kong’s former Kai Tak Airport site, aiming to showcase the technology as a low-cost alternative to metro or tram links and a reference for…
Source: South China Morning Post · August 14, 2026 at 4:08 AM · AI-assisted report
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SINGAPORE, 14 AUGUST 2026 —
CRRC will test a trackless, electric autonomous rapid transit system at Hong Kong’s former Kai Tak Airport site, aiming to showcase the technology as a low-cost alternative to metro or tram links and a reference for overseas cities.
Market Impact
Executives from CRRC subsidiary Zhixing told a site visit to the operator’s Yibin base in Sichuan province that the Kai Tak project would demonstrate how ART buses can integrate with an existing multilevel transit network. “We are confident that ART can contribute to Hong Kong, in particular, to link Kai Tak to the rest of the city … It is a viable, cost-effective urban transport solution,” said Yang Tao, general manager of Zhixing.
The vehicles travel predetermined routes using autonomous sensors, optical lidar and cameras, communicating with traffic lights for priority access to reduce congestion. CRRC specifies speeds near 70km/h and capacity up to 300 passengers per train, with configurations from two to four carriages and multi-axle hydraulic steering for manoeuvrability. Side clearance requirements are similar to conventional buses.
Malaysia is already a customer: ART units assembled in Yibin will be shipped to Kuching under a contract announced last year. CRRC’s broader export list includes Daejeon in South Korea, while the company has also bid unsuccessfully for a Lisbon metro project that the European Commission blocked on state-subsidy grounds.
CRRC sees Hong Kong as a strategic reference market. “Though the local market is small, Hong Kong as a mature city can pave the way, with highly pertinent reference and lessons for further overseas expansion,” said Qu Ke, a transport analyst at CCB International. “The same logic applies to Chinese EV makers, as they also make a beeline to the special administrative region with their best products.”
Analysts argue that price alone will not secure orders. “CRRC has to compete on a well-rounded product portfolio, not just pricing,” Qu said. “If ART can work and seamlessly integrate into Hong Kong’s multilevel transport system, the appeal is obvious.” He added that Hong Kong’s data-privacy regime could help counter concerns: “In markets like Hong Kong and Singapore, public awareness of data and privacy is higher than mainland China.
Yet in general, considerations of convenience and ease of use may outweigh concerns over data collection in Asia.”
CRRC executives have sought to defuse data-collection worries. “Cameras and sensors on an ART bus do not collect excessive data … They are for navigation and communication with traffic lights for the priority to pass a crossing,” Yang said. Any data collected would be processed locally, he added.
Geopolitics remains a barrier: Yang said sales to the US and western Europe were unlikely after a failed Lisbon bid and noted that prior US delegations had visited Chinese plants in 2017. “Asia, Eastern Europe and Belt and Road Initiative countries are now our focus,” he said.
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