China Railway CRH1

Variants

The CRH1A and CRH1B are derived from Bombardier's Regina family, jointly adapted by Sifang and Bombardier from the C2008 design developed in Västerås, Sweden. Each CRH1A set consists of eight cars; the first batch had two first-class coaches, five second-class coaches, and one combined second-class and dining car, while the second batch had two first-class coaches, one combined first- and second-class coach, four second-class coaches, and one combined second-class and dining car.

The CRH1A has a design speed of 250 km/h, though the initial 40 sets were software-limited to 220 km/h in service. The first unit was delivered on 30 August 2006, and CRH1A sets entered passenger service on the Guangzhou–Shenzhen railway on 1 February 2007. Passenger facilities differed between batches: original CRH1A second-class seatbacks were not adjustable and power sockets were provided only in first-class sections of cars 1 and 8, while the CRH1A-250 introduced adjustable seatbacks and a socket beneath every row of seats.

In July 2010, an additional 40 CRH1A sets were ordered with top operating speed increased to 250 km/h; during testing on the Qinhuangdao–Shenyang passenger railway in September 2010, CRH1-081A reached 278 km/h. On 1 July 2014, the numbering format changed from CRH1—xxxA to CRH1A-1xxx. The CRH1A-250/CRH1A–A is an aluminium-bodied Zefiro 250NG development rather than a stainless-steel Regina derivative. The CRH1B is a 16-car, higher-capacity development of the CRH1A, comprising three first-class coaches, 12 second-class coaches, and one dining car, with a maximum operating speed of 250 km/h; it entered commercial service between Shanghai and Nanjing, and between Shanghai and Hangzhou, in April 2009.

Formation

CRH1A sets are formed of eight cars with power cars (M) and trailer cars (T), including driver cabins and pantographs. Coach types include first class (ZY), second class (ZE), combined first/second class (ZYE), and combined second class/dining (ZEC). Formation details for many set numbers are currently missing.