CHINA: On December 10 Changchun Railway Vehicles signed a HK$1·1bn contract to supply Hong Kong's MTR with 10 eight-car trainsets which will enable an increase in service frequencies on the Island, Kwun Tong, Tsuen Wan and Tseung Kwan O lines.
Russell Black, Projects Director at MTR Corp, said it is the first time the Hong Kong operator has awarded a passenger rolling stock contract to a supplier in mainland China.
To be delivered in 2011-12, the stainless steel bodied Type A trains will be formed of six motor and two trailer cars, with a top speed of 80 km/h. In place of the LED displays on existing MTR trains, the CRC cars will have 22 inch colour LCD panels providing passengers with news, weather and service information.
Changchun Railway Vehicles is part of the China Northern group, and has supplied more than 80% of the metro cars in China, including the new fleets for Tianjin and Shenyang Line 1.
