New Trains Don't Use Rails

It runs along regular asphalt roads, using rubber tires instead of steel wheels, following painted lines, and it's electric.

Cost is a big factor that limits cities' ability to serve commuters and freight with trains. A company in China called CRRC Zhuzhou Institute made something they're calling "the first railless train."

This little 3-car train is 30 feet long and tops out at 70 kmh. It can travel 20 km on a charge using its battery with 300 passengers.

Although the train follows lines painted on the road, it also has a system in it where the train can sense its surroundings and plan its own route, according to CRRC. 

Although it's autonomous, it has a drivers' seat. The train doesn't have a collision-avoidance system yet.

They're building a route for these trains in Zhuzhou city, China, starting next year.