China’s high-speed electric multiple units (EMUs) will be exported to Europe, with a commercial contract signed on Tuesday, marking the first time the country’s high-end rail transit equipment goes to the region.
The deal was made during the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, when the CRRC Changchun Railway Vehicles Co., LTD., a subsidiary of China’s leading train maker CRRC Corporation Limited (CRRC), signed a contract with Goran Vesic, Serbia’s Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure.
The contracts include 20 high-speed EMUs, with a top speed of 200 kilometers per hour. The trains are expected to be put into use in 2025.
The EMU signed this time will be designed in accordance with the European Technical Specifications for Interoperability (TSI) and other technical standards in the region, said the CRRC Changchun.
It will also follow the specific needs of the Budapest–Belgrade railway, which connects capitals of Hungary and Serbia, to make it smarter, greener, and more comfortable, the company added.
The Hungary-Serbia railway is a landmark project of the Belt and Road Initiative jointly constructed by China and Central and Eastern European countries.
With a total length of 341.7 kilometers, the travel time between the two capitals will be shortened from eight hours to three hours after completion.