A new eco-friendly monorail train self-developed by a Chinese company completed its test run on Dec 3 with a top speed of 100 km per hour in Qingdao, a coastal city in East China's Shandong province.

The new straddle-type train was developed by CRRC Corp Ltd, China's largest rail transportation equipment maker, which has independent intellectual property rights.

Compared with regular monorail trains, straddle-types have lower running costs, better climbing and turning abilities, and higher wind resistance. The China-made train consumes over 20 percent less energy than previous generations, and uses sustainable materials in its construction.

Adding to its green credentials, the service expectancy of the new train is double that of its predecessor, with a life span of up to 30 years.