CHINA: China Railway Corp’s Nanning Railway Bureau has placed an order for 40 CRH1A-A high speed train cars with Bombardier Sifang (Qingdao) Transportation Ltd.
Bombardier says that the order is intended to support the ongoing integration of Guangxi's regional high speed routes into the national network of Passenger-Dedicated Lines. The contract covers five eight-car trainsets and is valued at 543m yuan. It follows a separate contract for 144 CRH1A-A cars placed by CRC in March.
Designated Zefiro 250NG by the manufacturer, the aluminium-bodied design was developed by BST as a successor to the steel-bodied CRH1, which had itself been derived from Bombardier’s Regina EMU used in Sweden. The first CRH1A-A trainsets entered service on Hainan Island in November last year.
Bombardier said the design’s ‘unique’ windows, lighting and shape contribute to a distinctive appearance, while the Zerfiro 250NG ‘sets new industry standards’ for sustainability and passenger comfort as well as offering reduced life-cycle costs.
The trainsets are manufactured at BST’s plant in Qingdao, and feature Mitrac traction control equipment supplied by the Bombardier CPC Propulsion System Co joint venture.
