CRI听力:China's First Multiple Unit Train to be Exported to Europe Rolls off Line

A ceremony has been held to announce the multiple units' rolling off the assembly line of Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive Company Limited.

The multiple units which will be delivered to Macedonia are also the first products in accordance with the Technical Specification for Interoperability, or TSI, the rules especially made for railways in Europe.

Lin Wenjun, the chief-designer of the multiple units, says this means Chinese high-speed railway trains have gained recognition and qualification to enter the European market.

"In order to enter Europe, TSI is a technical threshold with a number of specific standards, including safety, comfort level, and even passengers' experiences, such as ensuring customers can smoothly walk inside the carriage, sit comfortably, or if their kids can reach the buttons and so on."

The train painted with red and yellow, based on the colours of Macedonia's national flag, will be put into operation in 6 months.

It's the first time that low-floor technology and articulated bogies have been put into use on Chinese high-speed railway trains' production.

The 3-car train is also designed in line with the strictest safety standards in Europe.

Zhang Minyu with Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive Company Limited explains their strategy to enter the European market.

"We break into the European market with high-quality products rather than prices. For example, they require that the trains have a speed of 140 kilometers per hour, then we design the train with technology for speed at 160, thus gaining advantages on safety operations."

The train will run on the 215-km-long railway between Tabanovce in northern Macedonia and Gevgelija at its southern border with Greece.

The track, passing the Macedonian capital Skopje, is an important part of the No. 10 Pan-European transport corridor.

With the Chinese multiple units put into operation, the ability of the track's passenger transport will be greatly improved.

China has exported railway equipments to over 80 countries and regions in the world with a total amount of nearly 26.8 billion yuan, or over 4.3 billion U.S. dollars.

For CRI, I'm Xie Cheng.