By Zhang Lipeng in Beijing | CRRC | Updated: 14-Sep-2018
"Autobots! Transform, and roll out!" Many friends know about the autobots in Transformers, but have you ever met the high speed EMU that can "transform"?
On InnoTrans 2018, such new EMU was introduced to the whole world.
Most of the EMUs currently in operation are in fixed formation. But the highly universalizable inter-city EMU developed by CRRC can change the car formation at will according to the characteristics of the inter-city lines, ranging from 2 cars to 20 cars: large seating capacity longitudinal sleeping car, sleeping car capable of converting sleeping berths to seats, VIP car, business-class seat car, double-deck car, dinning & freight and passenger & freight combined cars...The formation of the EMU can be changed as required. It can be regarded as the "transformer" in high speed EMUs.
Like building blocks, the minimum formation unit of the highly universalizable inter-city EMU consists of two cars, i.e., two power head cars are connected. If the formation is to be expanded, the formation with the optimal efficiency will be calculated according to the speed and power. After motor cars and trailers are added in the formation, EMUs with different speed grades and with the number of cars ranging from 2 to 20 will be formed.
The railway transportation has slack season and peak season. Since the EMUs in fixed formation cannot be disassembled into cars, the number of cars cannot be increased to cope with the peak passenger flow nor be decreased to reduce expenditure or avoid waste of transport capacity. Transport capacity often conflicts with passenger flow. The successful development of the highly universalizable inter-city EMU enables EMUs to be formed according to the actual conditions such as the characteristics of the passenger flow of a specific line. In regions with large passenger flow, double-deck, long-formation and large-capacity EMUs can be used; in economically developed regions, short trains with comfortable and large space can be used; in regions with small passenger flow, short trains can be used. The highly universalizable inter-city EMU can flexibly cope with the fluctuation of passenger flow and passenger demands through its own "transformation".
When you are in the train, you will be more able to understand the new design concept of "all-in-one", "brand-new" and "economical and comfort" of the highly universalizable inter-city EMU. The car capable of converting sleeping berths to seats, longitudinal sleeping car, business-class seat car... these cars enhance the comfort of passengers; their independent and intimate space design will let you eliminate fatigue and enjoy the beauty of the journey. As for the carrying capacity, the longitudinal sleeping car, business-class seat car and double-deck car will be 50%, 70% and 56% higher than that of the conventional high-speed EMU cars, which can increase the passenger ticket discount space during the slack season and increase the economic benefits of the operating department during the peak season. The fast transport capacity can also be realized in the lower part of the double-deck car to achieve small insulated transport, refrigerated container transport, and fast freight and parcel & luggage transport, so as to fill in the gap of EMU in fast freight transport, which will have profound impact on fresh agricultural products transport and emergency medical service.
Moreover, the highly universalizable inter-city EMU has also brought about great changes to the maintenance of EMUs. An EMU consists of tens of thousands of parts, hundreds of units and dozens of systems. In the past, the maintenance of an EMU must be carried out for the whole train because it could not be disassembled into cars. A minor failure will lead to the maintenance of the whole train in the depot. Sometimes it will take several days to replace a module, which undoubtedly reduces the service efficiency of the vehicle. At present, the highly universalizable inter-city EMU can be repaired with the damaged car being disassembled, and the other cars can still be put into service. In this case, the standby maintenance rate can be reduced by 50%.
The manufacturing cost of the highly universalizable inter-city EMU is the same as that of the same kind of EMU of CRH series, but with its exquisite "transformation" ability, the per-capita energy consumption can be greatly reduced, and the operating income during the same period can be greatly increased, bringing passengers a different high-speed rail experience.
If you want to know more information about this, please contact with zhanglipeng@crrcgc.cc