CHINA: CRRC Ziyang has unveiled a rack trainset for a 129 km metre-gauge railway being built to link Dujiangyan with a panda reserve and the Mount Siguniang scenic tourist area in Sichuan province.
The four-car 1·5 kV DC electric multiple-unit which was rolled out on November 24 uses rack equipment independently developed by CRRC. It has a maximum speed of 120 km/h in adhesion mode, and 40 km/h on a rack section.
There are 145 seats in three classes, with large curved panoramic windows. Automation, monitoring and fault diagnostics are supported by 5G and the BeiDou satellite navigation system.
Scenic mountain link
The railway connecting Dujiangyan and Siguniangshan Town is being built at cost of 21·6bn yuan. It will include 11 stations, 25 bridges totalling 35 km and 86 km of tunnel.
The first section is expected to open at the end of 2023, with full operation in 2026. This will reduce the journey time between Dujiangyan and Siguniangshan from 5 h to 2 h.
CRRC Ziyang said it expects rack railways to become an important means of transport and sightseeing in mountainous areas, being safe and environmentally friendly with low construction costs.
