Carbon fiber metro train to hit the rails in China

Several sources are highlighting the build of a carbon fiber commercial metro train in China. The Cetrovo 1.0 prototype, featuring a composite body shell, is a joint project between CG Rail, Chinese-German Research and Development Center for Railway and Traffic Technology Dresden founded as a spin-off of TU Dresden, and rail vehicle manufacturer CRRC Sifang based in China. The “Next Generation Metro Train” project reportedly makes new strides in eco-friendly urban transportation, with an 11% weight reduction compared to metal models, and between 7-15% reduction in energy consumption. 

Additional project partners include Qingdao Metro Group, Harbin FRP Institute, Weihai Guangwei Composite and AVIC Composite.

“Lightweight vehicles are a key technology for developing eco-friendly and low-carbon rail vehicles,” Lyu Xiaojun, a senior designer at CRRC Qingdao Sifang, told ChinaDaily.com.cn, adding that carbon fiber — with its light weight and high strength, as well as its fatigue and corrosion resistance — is an ideal material for the purpose of improving China’s urban rail sector.

Cetrovo 1.0 features carbon fiber for its main load-bearing structures, as reported by CG Rail and JEC World. The system’s composite content exceeds 70%:

• CG Rail implemented a composite front cabin, car body, underfloor paneling and bogie frame.
• Harbin FRP Institute developed and produced Cetrovo’s carbon fiber bogie crossbeam component
• Guangwei Composite provided carbon fiber, fabrics, prepregs and other materials support
• AVIC Composite assisted CRRC Sifang in conducting research on composite side wall materials, processes and connection forms, as well as completed the design and optimized manufacturing of the main and connection structure.

Of additional interest is the metro’s use of digital twin technology platform, called SmartCare, that is capable of “self-diagnosing and detecting potential problems, ensuring safe and efficient operation while minimizing maintenance costs, which are projected to be 22% lower over the train’s life cycle.” The car is designed for fully automated operation at a maximum speed of 140 kilometers/hour, compared to the 80 kilometers/hour of previous designs.

CRRC originally presented the carbon fiber metro at InnoTrans 2018. The train, still under testing, is expected to go into passenger trial operation later this year.