CHINA: CRRC Sifang unveiled what it says is a 200 km/h, fully automated suburban trainset at the MetroTrans 2025 urban rail fair, held in Qingdao on September 18-20.
Also designated as a Type D intelligent suburban rail vehicle, the 187·2 m long trainset features 1·4 m wide doors, and it has first, second and business class accommodation.
The first class seats feature adjustable backs and leg rests and a bar. The brightness and colour temperature is automatically adjusted to light conditions.
The vehicle’s nose was designed with a more streamlined appearance using AI, reducing air resistance by more than 16%, according to the manufacturer.
The carbody was built using carbon fibre composite materials, which has led to a 30% weight reduction compared to previous designs. The high power density lithium-ion batteries used for auxiliary power supply are also 30% lighter than previous variants, which CRRC says has contributed to a 16% reduction in overall energy consumption.
The train also features a reduced weight traction inverter and a permanent magnet synchronous traction motors, equipped with variable-frequency air cooling.
The train was designed to deliver reduced vibration and advanced sound-proofing, keeping interior noise below 67 dB.
The EMU is equipped with an intelligent control technology that can ’learn’ and make decisions on its own, which the manufacturer says can cut train-related operational failures by more than 95%.
It also uses a form of equipment redundancy known as hot-standby switching. This can automatically transfer control of the train to a backup control unit if the main control circuit fails, allowing the train to keep running without interruption.
Beijing – Daxing Airport – Xiong’an line
The EMU is to be deployed on the Beijing – Daxing Airport – Xiong’an regional line. This is under construction over a 86 km route south from Daxing Airport to Xiong’an, augmenting the 350 km/h Beijing – Xiongan high speed line, which opened in 2020.
Trains will run through onto the route of the Daxing Airport Express northwards to reach Lize in Beijing.
There are also plans to extend the route by a further 40 km southwest from Xiong’an to Baoding, providing a service to towns not on the high speed line.
The service is qintended to support the government-led scheme to relocate businesses and government offices to Xiong’an to relieve the pressure on space in the capital.
