CHINA: CRRC Qingdao Sifang has unveiled its six-car Cetrovo 1.0 Carbon Star Express metro trainset, which features carbon fibre composite bodyshells, bogies and other load-bearing structures.
The manufacturer says the material is five times stronger than steel, reducing the overall train weight by 11% and power consumption by 7%.
The trainset which was shown to local media on June 26 has completed factory testing and is to enter service on Qingdao Line 1 later this year as a showcase for the technology.
It is equipped for GoA4 unattended driverless operation at up to 140 km/h, and has CRRC’s SmartCare equipment which is designed to reduce maintenance costs throughout the train’s life.
In 2018 CRRC Qingdao Sifang showed a prototype carbon fibre metro car at the InnoTrans trade fair in Berlin.
