A parking lot for drones is located at the west square of Hangzhou East Railway Station. [Photo by Chen Wei/tidenew.com.cn]

Zhejiang province launched a new logistics system on Dec 25, integrating drone delivery with high-speed rail services, local media outlets reported.

This service enables Hangzhou's blood supplies to reach Shaoxing in 1 hour and Taizhou in 2 hours, marking a new era in fast and efficient cross-city transportation.

The process begins with drones transporting the cargo from the Zhejiang Blood Center in downtown Hangzhou to a public drone hub at Hangzhou East Station. From there, the packages are loaded onto high-speed rail. For this launch, blood supplies departed Hangzhou on the G7449 train, arriving at Shaoxing North Station in just 23 minutes and Taizhou Station in 74 minutes. Upon arrival, drones deliver the supplies to local blood centers.

The drones, developed by Hangzhou-based Antwork, have a cruising speed of 72 kilometers per hour and can operate reliably in adverse weather conditions.

This air-rail intermodal approach is the result of collaboration among the cities' transportation authorities and regional partners. Unmanned aerial vehicle hubs have been established at railway stations in Hangzhou, Shaoxing, and Taizhou, forming the backbone of this fast logistics network.

The initiative reflects Hangzhou's commitment to advancing multi-modal transportation, reducing costs, and enhancing logistics reliability, with further developments planned to strengthen the infrastructure and explore new low-altitude applications.

Aprons developed by Antwork for drones. [Photo by Chen Wei/tidenew.com.cn]