Chinese, Portuguese companies to deepen rail ties

Continued, deepened cooperation between Chinese and Portuguese companies to provide metro services in Portugal is expected in the future, according to the Portuguese ambassador to China.

"We hope Chinese companies will continue to explore new methods of maintenance and carry out in-depth exchange and cooperation with companies in Portugal," Ambassador Paulo Nascimento said during a meeting recently with the company leaders of CRRC Tangshan, a train manufacturer based in Tangshan, Hebei province.

CRRC Tangshan delivered a subway train to Porto in February. It was the first urban train China has exported to a European Union country, according to the company, which is one of the country's largest makers of trains and subway vehicles.

The four-carriage train was designed by CRRC and the Porto Metro Co in Porto. It is lighter and features low energy consumption and intelligent design, part of a new generation of subway trains in line with European standards. It has a maximum capacity of 244 passengers, 64 seats, and a top speed of 80 kilometers per hour.

The carriage was placed on public display at Porto's Trindade Metro Station, drawing plenty of visitors. After it was handed over, the train completed trial runs along four subway lines, proving that it is compatible with existing lines.

Under a contract signed in 2020, another 17 trains will also be made in Tangshan, four of which are expected to be delivered this month, with the rest delivered by the end of September. The first train should enter operation in the next month. CRRC Tangshan will offer five years of maintenance. "It is a testament to the strength of CRRC Tangshan that it won the subway and maintenance project in an open tender," Nascimento said.

Huang Liewei, deputy general manager of CRRC, said: "We are very interested in the Portuguese market and will implement the project strictly. We look forward to cooperating with Portuguese companies in the future and to contributing our knowledge and strength to the development of rail transit in Portugal."