China Focus: Chinese high-speed trains roll with innovation progress

WELCOME ABOARD CHINESE TRAINS

China's high-speed trains, a successful example of independent innovation, are now regarded as a Chinese "calling card" and are welcomed globally.

Indonesia's Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway (HSR) noted in July 2024 that it had carried 4 million passengers since it began commercial operations on Oct 17, 2023. Indonesian drivers have successfully operated the trains serving the HSR at a speed of 350 kilometers per hour.

This is the first overseas high-speed railway project fully utilizing Chinese railway systems, technology and industrial components.

The China Academy of Railway Sciences (CARS) has undertaken supervision and consultation concerning this high-speed railway, and has provided support in fields such as on-site quality control, drawing reviews and technical research.

The 142.3-km high-speed railway has shortened the journey between Indonesia's capital, Jakarta, and Bandung, a famous tourist city, to only 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, a landmark project of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, namely the China-Laos Railway, began operations in December 2021.

"Before the China-Laos Railway opened, it took me two days to travel from Vientiane to Mongla by car," said a Lao passenger. "Now, it takes me about five hours by train, which is very fast and convenient."

Another Chinese-built project, the Belgrade-Novi Sad high-speed railway, has transported nearly 8.8 million people between Serbia's two largest cities since starting operation in 2022.

At the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in October 2023, CRRC Changchun Railway Vehicles signed a purchase contract with Serbia to introduce China's bullet trains to this country in Eastern Europe.

Based on a mature and reliable technical platform, both design and production of trains are tailored according to local railway conditions and technical specifications.

In recent years, the products of CRRC Changchun Railway Vehicles have been exported to 23 countries and regions. The company's export business model currently covers the full life cycle service of vehicles, and it has set up 11 branches and subsidiaries worldwide.

"China's high-speed trains feature high levels of science and technology, strong brand influence and thriving innovation," said Tao Guidong, a scientist of CRRC.