CRRC has sights trained on African railway biz

Since 2014, CRRC Changchun Railway Vehicles Co in Changchun, Jilin province, has provided their products to African countries, including supplying 41 light railway cars to Ethiopia and 30 passenger trains to the Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway, along with providing after-sales services.

The professional ability, expertise and hard work shown by the company's staff have been well received by their African customers.

A total of 41 trains were transported in January 2015 to Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia, which is also the headquarters of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and the African Union.

"Addis Ababa is located at an altitude of 2,400 meters and has intense ultraviolet radiation," said Sun Chen, manager of the company's overseas business department. "We chose laminated glass that can block 90 percent of ultraviolet rays and other components such as rubber and cables that can meet the highest level 5 requirements for UV protection to prevent aging issues in high UV environments."

Sun added: "Addis Ababa often experiences sudden heavy downpours during the rainy season and the trains' electrical components are mainly exposed on the roof. Developers strengthened the vehicle's drainage design, added drainage pipes on the roof, and equipped the roof skirt panel with drainage functions."

Additionally, due to local temperatures ranging between 6 C and 28 C throughout the year, the vehicles were designed with some side windows to be operable, allowing for natural ventilation when the temperature is moderate without the need for air conditioning.

"The design not only saves energy and is environmentally friendly, but also reduces operational maintenance costs," said Sun.

On Feb 1, 2015, the trains were put into trial operations in Addis Ababa, marking the first time the "Made in China" modern trains operated on the "Roof of Africa".

After a test run ceremony, 1,200 passengers — including officials, local celebrities and students — took a trial ride.

They said the convenience and comfort of the modern trains were an unprecedented experience that they would never forget, and sincerely thanked the builders from China.

On Sept 20, 2015, Addis Ababa's light rail project officially commenced operations.

The 31.3-kilometer light rail line is not only Ethiopia's first urban light rail network, but also the first modern light rail system in East Africa, launching Ethiopia into a new era of modern urban rail transit in the region.

Since January 2016, the light rail trains have been transporting an average of 113,500 passengers per day, with a peak of 153,000 passengers in a single day.

"The light rail system has effectively alleviated urban traffic congestion, gained recognition from the local population, and become a popular attraction during the holidays," said Liu Feng, on-site manager of the after-sales service department of CRRC Changchun's overseas business division in Ethiopia.

To ensure smooth operation of the light rail trains, after-sales technicians from CRRC have strengthened daily maintenance work on various system components of the carriages.

"We also provided extensive and detailed training courses for Ethiopian maintenance workers, cultivating a large number of management and technical talent," said Hu Zhiyu, an overseas after-sales technical engineer from the company.

"Our work has led to standardized operations of vehicle maintenance, influencing and enhancing the management system of the Ethiopian railway with advanced management processes from the overseas after-sales service department," Hu said. "This approach has effectively improved the quality and efficiency of vehicle maintenance, ensuring the smooth operation of the trains and receiving praise and acclaim from the Ethiopian customers."