In China, they imagine a future with ultralight carbon fiber subway trains, so they just made the first one

China is one of the world leaders in the railway sector. The country has built gigantic stations, such as the Guanzhou Baiyun, and has some of the fastest and most modern trains in the world, such as the Fuxing Hao. But there are many more achievements in his record. A few days ago, CRRC Sifang and Qingdao Metro They presented the world’s first carbon fiber metro train.

We are talking about CETROVO1.0 Carbon Star Express Raila ten that has just completed post-manufacturing testing and is set to begin demonstration operations on Qingdao Subway Line 1 sometime this year. According to SinaThis train is up to 11% lighter than an equivalent steel alloy, and is also very resistant.

A carbon fiber train in China

The manufacturer’s mission was to reduce the weight of the train as much as possible to reduce metro operating costs and, in turn, generate a lower environmental impact by consume less energyCarbon fiber, widely used in sports cars and aircraft for its lightness and resistance compared to steelbecame the ideal material to achieve this goal.

Both the chassis and the bogie frame, the structure that supports the wheel assemblies, are made of carbon fiber composite materials. CRRC Sifang points out that the former is 25% lighter than a traditional train while the improvement in the latter is 11%. At the operational energy level, consumption promises to be 7% lower than an equivalent traditional unit.

Weight reduction and improved efficiency are not the only advantages of the CETROVO1.0. The manufacturer assures that the use of carbon fiber has allowed the creation of a much more resistant train. Parts made from this material have higher fatigue resistance and should offer longer service life. They also assure that the train has many other interesting new features.

A maintenance system called SmartCare performs tasks of safety self-diagnosis of the vehicle. It also records metrics related to structural health, performance and efficiency improvements. The result? They promise that maintenance costs will be reduced by around 22%. The carbon fiber metro train is a reality and should soon begin operating as a test in China.

Images | CRRC Sifang

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