低空经济是2024年的热门话题，作为战略性新兴产业，发展空间和市场潜力巨大，在网络上和资本市场都备受关注。城市轨道交通行业对其探索尚处于初级阶段，既要嗅觉敏锐，捕捉发展良机，也要头脑冷静，谨防盲目跟风。随着城市化进程加快，城市轨道交通的骨干作用越发重要，寻求新技术助力其可持续高质量发展是重大课题，而低空经济战略为城市轨道交通发展提供了新途径。

一、如何认识低空经济

党的二十届三中全会提出，要推动技术革命性突破、生产要素创新性配置、产业深度转型升级，推动劳动者、劳动资料、劳动对象优化组合和更新跃升，催生新产业、新模式、新动能，发展以高技术、高效能、高质量为特征的生产力。2023年中央经济工作会议提出要打造低空经济等战略性新兴产业，工信部等七部门发布了《关于推动未来产业创新发展的实施意见》，提出未来制造、未来空间等六大未来产业，低空经济正成为新的增长空间和发展趋势。各部委及地方政府将其视为发展新质生产力的关键途径，相继出台飞行验证、基础设施建设等方面的鼓励政策，低空经济发展势头强劲，对培育新质生产力意义重大。

二、“轨道+低空”可行性

2021年，中共中央、国务院印发《国家综合立体交通网规划纲要》，提出促进交通通道由单一向综合、由平面向立体发展，并明确要构建空中、地面与地下融合协同的多式联运网络。综合立体交通系统中各交通方式的融通与协同是重要发展趋势。随着直升机、无人机技术进步，以及政策强化和空域改革推进，低空经济将逐步发展为低空城市交通，其与城市轨道交通在技术、管理、维保、场站等方面的联系将更加紧密。低空经济与城市轨道交通在技术和管理上有相似之处，城市轨道交通成功的运营管理经验可为低空载运工具的运管提供借鉴。

城市轨道交通企业凭借其在控制技术和安全管理等方面的积累与经验，在发展低空经济方面具有便利和优势。低空经济在基础设施共享优化、立体化交通网络构架、企业存量资产盘活等方面均能有效赋能城市轨道交通，将为城市轨道交通带来新的发展增量。构建“轨道+低空”格局将成为城市轨道交通行业的新机遇。

三、“轨道+低空”实践路径

面对新事物，不同城市轨道交通企业反应不同，深圳、青岛、合肥、石家庄、福州、昆明、金华等地的城市轨道交通企业，以及交控科技、中国通号等科技企业已开展“轨道+低空”探索。城市轨道交通行业应顺应趋势，重视低空经济发展，结合实际探索低空交通体系建设运营、应用场景创新等新业务，同时加强技术研发合作、人才培养储备、示范项目建设，推动政策标准制定等，争取先发优势。

中国城市轨道交通协会将发挥桥梁纽带作用，深入调研，协同会员单位谋划探索产业融合模式，挖掘合作潜力，适时提出助力建议。

早谋未来方能拥有未来。低空经济与城市轨道交通深度融合是城市交通发展的重大趋势，面对机遇与挑战，要抓住机遇，应对挑战，加强合作创新，推动低空经济与城市轨道交通深度融合，不断创新发展业态，持续拓展发展空间，积极构建现代化城市交通系统。

The low-altitudeeconomy is a hot topic in 2024. As a strategic emerging industry, it has hugedevelopment space and market potential, and has attracted much attention on theInternet and in the capital market. As the exploration of the urban railtransit industry in this regard is still in its infancy，it is necessary to have a keen sense of smell to seize the goodopportunity for development, and to keep a cool head to avoid blindly followingthe trend as well. With the acceleration of urbanization, the backbone role ofurban rail transit is becoming increasingly important. Seeking new technologiesto help its sustainable and high-quality development is a major issue, whilethe low-altitude economy strategy provides a new path for its development.

I.How to Understand the Low-altitudeEconomy

The ThirdPlenary Session of the Twentieth Central Committee of the Communist Party ofChina proposed to promote revolutionary breakthroughs in technology, innovativeallocation of production factors, in-depth transformation and upgrading ofindustries, promote the optimal combination and renewal and leap of laborers,means of labor, and objects of labor, spawn new industries, new models, and newkinetic energy, and develop productive forces characterized by high technology,high efficiency, and high quality. The 2023 Central Economic Work Conferenceproposed to build strategic emerging industries such as the low-altitudeeconomy. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and other sixdepartments issued the "Implementation Opinions on Promoting theInnovative Development of Future Industries", proposing six futureindustries such as future manufacturing and future space. The low-altitudeeconomy is becoming a new growth space and development trend. Variousministries and commissions and local governments regard it as a key way todevelop new-quality productive forces, and have successively introducedincentive policies in aspects such as flight verification and infrastructureconstruction. The low-altitude economy has a strong development momentum and isof great significance for cultivating new-quality productive forces.

II.Feasibility of "RailTransit+Low-altitude Economy"

In 2021, theCentral Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council issuedthe Outline of National Comprehensive Three-dimensional Transportation NetworkPlan, proposing to promote the development of transportation channels fromsingle to comprehensive and from plane to three-dimensional, and clearlystating that it is necessary to build an integrated and coordinated multi-modaltransport network of air, ground, and underground. The integration andcoordination of various transportation modes in the comprehensive three-dimensionaltransportation system is an important development trend. With the progress ofhelicopter and drone technologies, as well as the strengthening of policies andthe promotion of airspace reform, the low-altitude economy will graduallydevelop into low-altitude urban transportation, and its connection with urbanrail transit in terms of technology, management, maintenance, and stations willbe closer. The low-altitude economy and urban rail transit have similarities intechnology and management. The successful operation and management experienceof urban rail transit can provide a reference for the operation and managementof low-altitude transportation tools.

Urban railtransit enterprises have convenience and advantages in developing the low-altitudeeconomy by virtue of their accumulation and experience in control technologyand safety management. The low-altitude economy can effectively empower urbanrail transit in terms of infrastructure sharing and optimization, constructionof a three-dimensional transportation network, and activation of enterprisestock assets, which will bring new development increments to urban railtransit. Building the "Rail Transit+Low-altitude Economy" patternwill become a new opportunity for the urban rail transit industry.

III.Practical Path of "RailTransit+Low-altitude Economy"

Facing newthings, different urban rail transit enterprises have different reactions.Those in Shenzhen, Qingdao, Hefei, Shijia-zhuang, Fuzhou, Kunming, Jinhua, andother places, as well as technological enterprises such as Traffic ControlTechnology Co., Ltd. and CRSC, have carried out "Rail Transit+Low-altitudeEconomy" explorations. The urban rail transit industry should conform tothe trend, attach importance to the development of the low-altitude economy,explore new businesses such as the construction and operation of the low-altitudetransportation system and the innovation of application scenarios incombination with the actual situation, and meanwhile strengthen technicalresearch and development cooperation, talent cultivation and reserve, and theconstruction of demonstration projects, and promote the formulation of policiesand standards to strive for the first-mover advantage.

The ChinaAssociation of Urban Rail Transit will play a bridging role, conduct in-depthresearch, coordinate with member units to plan and explore the industrialintegration model, tap the potential for cooperation, and put forwardsuggestions for assistance in a timely manner.  

Only by planningfor the future early can we take control of the future. The in-depthintegration of the low-altitude economy and urban rail transit is a major trendin the development of urban transportation. Facing opportunities andchallenges, we should seize opportunities, meet challenges, strengthencooperation and innovation, promote the in-depth integration of the low-altitudeeconomy and urban rail transit, continuously innovate the development format,continuously expand the development space, and actively build a modern urbantransportation system.