On November 2, Chen Jianhua, mayor of Guangzhou and Zheng Changhong, chairman of CSR concluded the Cooperative Agreement on New Rail Transit Equipment Development Project. Among attendees were Zhang Jun, vice president of CSR; Zhang Ji, vice mayor of Guangzhou; Liu Ning, Party secretary of CSR Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive Co., Ltd. CSR Zhuzhou; Ding Rongjun, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and executive director & general manager of CSR Zhuzhou Institute Co., Ltd. CSR ZELRI; Zhu Longju, general manager of CSR Guangzhou; Fu Chengjun, Zhang Hongquan and Luo Chongfu, deputy general manager of CSR Zhuzhou; Xu Hongchun, general manger of the Rail Transit Department of CSR; Ding Jianlong, president of Guangzhou Metro Corporation and heads of relevant sides in Guangzhou. Zhang Jun and Zhang Ji addressed the ceremony on behalf of the two sides.

In the address, Zhang said he believed that the new-type energy-storing tramcar transit research institute, jointly established by the Guangzhou Municipal Government and CSR, would create a new chapter for the construction of the urban rail transit system and pioneers the new direction of global tramcar development. CSR will give uttermost support for the development of the research institute, hoping relevant partners would treasure the cooperation opportunity, pool fine resources and accelerate R & D, to yield fruits as soon as possible and boost Guangzhou’s rail transit.

According to sources, the CPC Guangzhou Municipal Committee and the Guangzhou Municipal Government have hammered out a plan of “new Guangzhou” building in recent years. As an integral part of the plan, how to alleviate the traffic congestion in old downtowns including Haizhu and Liwan, thereby beatifying urban environment and effectively reducing the pollution of transportation to urban environment, has become a problem pressing for solution. The municipal committee and government have organized staff to investigate multiple urban transport systems at home and abroad to seek the optimal solutions.

CSR Zhuzhou joined hands with Siemens to enter the field of 100% low-floor tramcar in June 2012. The prototype of the world’s first energy-storing electric traction light rail train, fully and independently developed by CSR Zhuzhou, rolled off the assembly line in October 2012. Energy-storing electric traction light rail trains are applicable to special lines characterized by small & medium freight volume, frequent start-stop and small radius. These new-type transport systems meet the diversified development needs of urban transport, thus drawing attention from Guangzhou. Ding Jianlong, president of Guangzhou Metro Corporation, headed a delegation for a special investigation into the above-mentioned project of CSR Zhuzhou. After extensive comparison and argumentation, the municipal committee and government decided to join hands with CSR for the project of energy-storing tramcar transport systems for modern cities.

Under the Cooperative Agreement on New Rail Transit Equipment Development Project, Guangzhou Metro Corporation, CSR Zhuzhou and CSR ZELRI will be subjects of investment cooperation, give full play to respective advantages in expertise, talent team, practical experience and infrastructure in the field of rail transit, jointly invest in creating a technical platform for the independent R & D of energy-storing rail transit systems, and endeavor to build up a domestically leading and world-class “modern rail transit research institute” with independent intellectual property.

The municipal government will give full support for CSR’s development in Guangzhou, provide relevant preferential policies for CSR’s projects in Guangzhou in coordination with the provincial government and municipal government and relevant departments, and take Guangzhou’s energy-storing tramcar project as the startup project for the establishment of the research institute.

CSR will, on the basis of its industrial base investment in Guangzhou, perfect technological support, launch new products rapidly and provide quality services. CSR Zhuzhou will be in charge of researching on modern energy-storing tramcar system integration technology, as well as the technologies of maintaining and repairing energy-storing tramcar integration systems, energy-storing components, power supply systems and vehicle systems. As a supplier of major vehicle parts, CSR ZELRI will be in charge of the localization of integrated intelligent signal systems of modern energy-storing tramcars and electric traction systems based on high traffic density. Guangzhou Metro Corporation will be in charge of designing the lines of modern energy-storing tramcar transit systems and the technologies of operating and managing modern energy-storing tramcar transit systems.

As a major project in new Guangzhou building, Guangzhou will set up 10 ground stations in the test section Wanshengwei-Canton Tower of new-type tramcar in Haizhu roundabout, with a full length of some 7.7 km. According to Liu Youmei, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and chairman of the Expert Committee of CSR Zhuzhou, the vehicles manufactured for the line will achieve innovative breakthrough by combining the technology of energy-storing electric traction light rail train and the technology of 100% low-floor tramcar. The world’s original energy-storing tramcars for modern cities will be manufactured and industrialized on Guangzhou Base CSR Guangzhou of CSR Zhuzhou.