Subway commuters in Boston, Chicago and Los Angeles to get a feel of hi-tech Chinese trains
State-owned train maker CRRC says its confidence has received a major boost and that this is a great example of China’s rise in high-end manufacturing
The first batch of “Made in China” subway trains destined for Boston has rolled off the production line at CRRC’s factory in the northeastern city of Changchun, with delivery due in December, said China’s largest state-owned train maker.
This is China’s first subway train with complete independent intellectual property rights, conforming to strict US safety standards, a running speed of 102km/h and a service life of 30 years, the company said on Monday.
“It is an example of China’s rising high-end manufacturing,” CRRC said on its official WeChat account. “The export of the ‘Made in China’ subway train to the US takes place after China experienced great changes in the past few years. It boosts our confidence.
“We are practically exporting ‘Made in China’ technology.”
The train, with the weight of each carriage at around 33 tonnes, is built by CRRC Changchun Railway Vehicles, a subsidiary of CRRC.
In 2014, CRRC Changchun Railway Vehicles won a bid from the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) to build a total of 284 carriages for Boston. In April this year, the CRRC subsidiary signed another contract with the MBTA for more than a 100 carriages.