Beijing South Railway Station, located in Beijing's Fengtai district, welcomed its first batch of self-driving vehicles on Thursday, making it the first major railway station in the city to conduct tests with autonomous vehicles.

This also marked the debut of autonomous-driving vehicles being tested within the city's Third Ring Road, according to the Beijing Major Railway Station Areas Administration.

Currently, six autonomous-driving vehicles are being tested, shuttling between Beijing South Railway Station and the Economic-Technological Development Area in the city's Daxing district. This testing phase includes two separate routes, spanning 32 kilometers and 58.6 kilometers, respectively.

Additionally, 10 designated parking spots have been established on the first floor of the parking building in the railway station to facilitate smooth entry and exit for these vehicles.

Passenger services will be opened to the public within the year. Reservations for this passenger service will be available through mobile applications, and pick-up points will be indicated throughout the station with guide signs, said a staff member of the railway station.

Beijing Daxing International Airport has introduced regular self-driving shuttle services since February, facilitating nearly 1,000 passenger orders.

Going forward, four more key transportation hubs in the city, including Beijing Capital International Airport, will launch autonomous-driving shuttle services to further provide passengers with more travel options, according to authorities.