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Qingdao becomes high-speed train base
By Ju Chuanjiang and Dai Yan (China Daily Shandong Bureau)
Updated: 2009-10-07 19:06

Qingdao: Qingdao city in east China’s Shandong province is set to become one of the most important production bases of high-speed train following the signing of a contract of 45 billion Yuan (6.5 billion US dollars).

According to the contract signed on September 29 between the Ministry of Railways and the CSR Sifang Locomotive and Rolling Stock Co., Ltd., a total of 140 multiple unit trains with a speed of 350 km/h, will be produced by the Qingdao-based company.

The first multiple unit train, to be finished in the first half of the year of 2010, will support the construction of high-speed railways such as Jinghu (Beijing- Shanghai) and Jingguang (Beijing - Guangzhou) routes.

This new generation of 350km/h-multiple unit trains will make full use of the technology achievement of Jingjin Inter-city railways as the company aims to build a complete production system with self-owned intellectual property rights in researching, developing, designing and producing.