China Railway CRH5

Variants

In 2004, the Ministry of Railway contracted Alstom and CNR Changchun Railway Vehicles to produce 60 sets of the CRH5A, ordered alongside the CRH1A and CRH2A. The first three sets were built by Alstom in Italy; the next six were delivered in complete knock down form and assembled by CNR Changchun. The remaining 51 sets were built by CNR Changchun through technology transfer from Alstom. The first train departed Savigliano, Italy on December 11, 2006 and arrived at Dalian port on January 28, 2007.

The first CNR Changchun-built set was delivered in April 2007. Service began on April 18, 2007 on the Beijing-Harbin Railway, later expanding to the Jinan-Qingdao and Shijiazhuang-Taiyuan high-speed rails. Each set has eight cars; the initial 12 sets had one first-class car, six second-class cars, and one second-class/dining car, while later sets have two first-class cars and six second-class cars. Early failures were attributed to new technologies and a short trial run.

Additional orders of 30 sets in 2009, 20 in 2010, and 30 on April 26, 2011 completed the fleet. The CRH5E is a cold-resistant sleeper train with traditional berths. The CRH5G is a cold and sand/windstorm resistant version for the Baoji–Lanzhou high-speed railway.

Did You Know?

• A CRH5-based test train named Code Zero Comprehensive Testing Train (CIT001) was ordered on April 2, 2007 by the China Academy of Railway Sciences.
• CIT001 is painted yellow and white and started test runs on July 1, 2007.
• CIT001 monitors track condition, wheel-rail force, overhead wire, communication system, and signal system.