World’s first carbon fibre passenger train ready to (quietly) roll into Chinese city
- Much lighter and more energy-efficient than conventional trains, the Cetrovo 1.0 is expected to go into operation later this year
It has completed in-factory testing and is ready to go into operation in the coastal city later this year, according to its developer Qingdao Sifang Rolling Stock Co, a subsidiary of China Railway Construction Corporation.
The train’s main load-bearing structures – including car body and bogie frame – are built with carbon fibre composite materials, the company said. That makes its body and frame 25 per cent and 50 per cent lighter, respectively, than those of a conventional train.
Overall, it is 11 per cent lighter than a traditional train, and the company said energy consumption would be reduced by 7 per cent. That would mean a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions of about 130 tonnes a year – equivalent to planting more than 40 hectares (100 acres) of trees.
“In the field of rail transit, a key technology is to reduce the vehicle’s body weight and its energy consumption while ensuring vehicle performance towards a greener, low-carbon future,” Qingdao Sifang said on WeChat.
Cetrovo trains are designed with a top speed of 140km (87 miles) per hour – much faster than the current average speed of 80km per hour, state tabloid Global Times reported in 2019, when a trial run was completed in Qingdao.
It said the train, which is fully automated and driverless, can manoeuvre around curved or steep tracks and can operate in harsh environments such as high temperatures and altitudes.
