On 19 June 2017, a new EMU was unveiled at the UrTran 2017 exhibition in Beijing. The EMU was manufactured by CRRC Qingdao Sifang Co., Ltd.
Designed for journeys of 50 to 100 km, which are longer than those typically made by metro, the EMU has more powerful traction equipment than a metro train, enabling it to reach speeds of up to 140 km/h. Like metro trains, it features rapid acceleration and braking. The dual-system unit is capable of drawing power at 25 kV 50 Hz and 1·5 kV DC.
Adapted type A car-body, the seating capacity of EMU is 2,200 person.
The train forms part of a vision to create a ‘1 h metropolitan area’, where faster trains could serve outer suburbs and satellite cities that could be reached in an hour from the centre of a large city. Several cities are developing such networks, including Beijing, Guangzhou, Wuhan and Wenzhou.