CRRC standard metro train
An SFM18 "Type A" train of the Beijing Subway.
In service2013–present
ManufacturerCRRC, various others
DesignerCNR Changchun
Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development
AssemblyChina
Capacity200-310 passengers per car
Lines servedUrban rail transit in China
Specifications
Car body constructionStainless steel
Car length18–22 m (59 ft 1 in – 72 ft 2 in)
Width2.6–3.0 m (8 ft 6 in – 9 ft 10 in)
Platform height1,250 mm (4 ft 1 in)
EntryLevel boarding
Doors3-5 doors per side
Maximum speed100 km/h (62 mph)
Steep gradientUp to 6%
Minimum turning radius50 m (160 ft)
Coupling systemScharfenberg coupler
SeatingLongitudinal
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in)

China has a standardized classification system for its rolling stock used on its rapid transit systems as a result of a policy adopted in 2013. Different kinds of rolling stock are classified into "types" (Chinese: 编组; pinyin: biānzǔ, lit.'to classify').

History edit

Rapid transit development in China began in Beijing with the Beijing Subway in the late 1960s. Two lines have been built prior to the economic boom of the country in the 1980s. During this time, the Changchun Car Company (now CRRC Changchun Railway Vehicles) designed and manufactured vehicles for these two lines with the DK series. In the 1990s, other cities such as Shanghai and Guangzhou followed suit in building their own Metro systems. Since then, two designs for these high-capacity lines have emerged: an overhead line-powered EMU with five doors per side, and a third rail-powered EMU with four doors per side.

In 2013, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development started enforcing GB 50157-2013 or the Metro Design Code. This started the classification of, based on[1][2][3]

Types edit

There are three major types in China: Types A, B and C. Stock classifications are then further divided into train lengths such as Type 8A (8-car Type A trains) or Type 6B (6-car Type B trains).

Type A edit

Type A is the highest-capacity design in the Chinese classification system. It is designed for lines with 45,000 to 70,000 passengers per hour. Based on the likes of the MTR Metro Cammell EMU (DC) of 1979, it is 22 meters (72 ft 2 in) long and 3 meters (9 ft 10 in) wide. It is also powered by 1,500 volt DC overhead line electrification system. A Type A car can carry as much as 310 passengers, seated and standing and can be easily distinguished from the other types by having 5 sliding door pairs per side.

Three subtypes also emerged out of the original Type A:[4]

  • Type AH is a shorter variant of Type A built for Hangzhou Metro. It is 19.52 meters (64 ft 1 in) long and still has the same 3-meter width of the Type A. As a result, it only has 4 doors per side like Type B trains.
  • Type AS, as with Type AH, is a shorter variant of Type A built for Chongqing Rail Transit but with still the same car width. It is only 19 meters (62 ft 4 in) long to negotiate the steeper terrain in Chongqing.
  • Urban Type A is the long-distance commuter rail variant of the Type A. It is designed for higher speeds of up to 160 km/h (100 mph) and has fewer door pairs than the regular Type A.

Gallery edit

Type B edit

Type B is the most common design in China, being designed for general rapid transit lines with a capacity of 25,000 to 50,000 passengers per hour. Tracing its origins to the original Beijing Subway DK series, it is 19 meters (62 ft 4 in) long and 2.8 meters (9 ft 2 in) wide. Unlike Type A, it can be powered either by 1,500 V DC overhead power or 750 volt DC power using third rail. As with the Type A, the Type Bs also have a number of variated designs:

Type C edit

Type C has the least capacity of all the three standards in China. Built for only two systems, the Changchun Rail Transit and Shanghai Metro, these are either light rail or regular rapid transit vehicles built for lines that can carry from 10,000 to 30,000 passengers per hour. There are two variants of this type:

  • All type C vehicles in Changchun use light rail vehicles.
  • All type C vehicles in Shanghai are regular rapid transit vehicles that use 1,500 volt DC through overhead lines. These trainsets are 2.6 meters (8 ft 6 in) wide and 18.9 meters (62 ft) long.

Other types edit

A

Export edit

 
A CRRC Type B on the Lahore Metro.

While CRRC has been exporting rapid transit trains to various countries, there are only a few systems that were built or being constructed to Chinese standards. Type A has been adopted in Saudi Arabia for the Al Mashaaer Al Mugaddassah Metro line of the Mecca Metro which uses CRRC Changchun Type 12A trains, and in the Philippines where Type 6A trains will be adopted for the under-construction Makati Intra-city Subway. Type B has been adopted in Pakistan for the Lahore Metro, specifically Type 5B trains.

References edit

  1. ^ GB 50157-2013:地铁设计规范 (English: Metro Design Code).Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of the People's Republic of China
  2. ^ Rao Guohua (2013). "Wuhan Rail Transit Line 1 phase 2 metro vehicle". Electric Locomotives & Mass Transit Vehicles. 036 (6): 7–11.
  3. ^ Liu Jianping; Wang Hugao (2013). "Development of Wuhan Rail Transit Line 2 vehicle". Electric Locomotives & Mass Transit Vehicles. 036 (1): 5–8.
  4. ^ Wong, Marcus (April 27, 2022). "Standard metro trains of China". Retrieved February 27, 2023.