China Railway High-speed - CRH Rolling Stock

CRH Rolling Stock

China Railway High-speed runs different electric multiple unit trainsets, the designs for which are imported from other nations and designated CRH-1 through CRH-5. CRH trainsets are intended to provide fast and convenient travel between cities. Some of the trainsets are manufactured locally through technology transfer, a key requirement for China. The signalling, track and support structures, control software, and station design are developed domestically with foreign elements as well, so the system as a whole is predominantly Chinese. China currently holds many new patents related to the internal components of these trains, re-designed in China to allow the trains to run at higher speeds than the foreign designs allowed.

The trainsets are as follows:

• CRH1 produced by Bombardier Transportation's joint venture Sifang Power (Qingdao) Transportation (BST), CRH1A, and CRH1B, nicknamed "Metro" or "Bread", derived from Bombardier's Regina; CRH1E, nickname "Lizard", is Bombardier's ZEFIRO 250 design
  • CRH1A; sets consists of 8 cars; maximum operating speed of 250 km/h
  • CRH1B; a modified 16-car version; maximum operating speed of 250 km/h
  • CRH1E; is a 16-car high-speed sleeper version; maximum operating speed of 250 km/h
• CRH2; nickname "Hairtail", derived from E2 Series 1000 Shinkansen
  • CRH2A; In 2006, China unveiled CRH2, a modified version of the Japanese Shinkansen E2-1000 series. An order for 60 8-car sets had been placed in 2004, with the first few built in Japan, the rest produced by Sifang Locomotive and Rolling Stock in China.
  • CRH2B; a modified 16-car version of CRH2; maximum operating speed of 250 km/h
  • CRH2C (Stage one); a modified version of CRH2 with a maximum operating speed up to 300 km/h as a result of replacing two intermediate trailer cars with motored cars
  • CRH2C (Stage two); a modified version of CRH2C (stage one version) has a maximum operating speed up to 350 km/h by using more powerful motors
  • CRH2E; a modified 16-car version of CRH2 with sleeping cars
• CRH3C; nickname "Rabbit", derived from Siemens ICE3 (class 403); 8-car sets; maximum operating speed of 350 km/h
• CRH5A, derived from Alstom Pendolino ETR600; 8-car sets; maximum operating speed of 250 km/h
• CRH6; Designed by CSR Puzhen and CSR Sifang, will be manufactured by CSR Jiangmen. It is designed to have two versions: a top operating speed of 220 km/h version and top operating speed of 160 km/h version. They will be used at 200 km/h or 250 km/h Inter-city High Speed Rail lines; planned to enter service by 2011
• CRH380A; Maximum operating speed of 380 km/h. Manufactured by Sifang Locomotive and Rolling Stock; entered service in 2010
  • CRH380A; 8-car version
  • CRH380AL; 16-car version
• CRH380B; upgraded version of CRH3; maximum operating speed of 380 km/h, manufactured by Tangshan Railway Vehicle and Changchun Railway Vehicles; entered service in 2011
  • CRH380B; 8-car version
  • CRH380BL; 16-car version
• CRH380CL; designed and manufactured by Changchun Railway Vehicles. Maximum operating speed of 380 km/h; planned to enter service in 2012
• CRH380D; also named Zefiro 380; maximum operating speed of 380 km/h, manufactured by Bombardier Sifang (Qingdao) Transportation Ltd.; planned to enter service in 2012
  • CRH380D; 8-car version
  • CRH380DL; 16-car version (Cancelled in place of additional CRH1A and Zefiro 250NG sets)

CRH1A, B,E, CRH2A, B,E, and CRH5A are designed for a maximum operating speed (MOR) of 200 km/h and can reach up to 250 km/h. CRH3C and CRH2C designs have an MOR of 300 km/h, and can reach up to 350 km/h, with a top testing speed more than 380 km/h. However, in practical terms, issues such as maintenance costs, comfort, and safety make the maximum speed of more than 380 km/h impractical and remain limiting factors.