China & Germany Cooperate for High Speed Rail Development
China, Germany to cooperate on designing high-speed rail technology
BEIJING, June 8 (AFP) - China's Ministry of Railways said Wednesday it had signed a cooperation agreement with Germany's transport ministry for joint development of high-speed rail technology.
In a statement, the ministry said the two countries will strengthen cooperation on "designing and constructing passenger railway lines with designed speeds of 200 kilometers (125 miles) per hour and higher."
Both sides will also improve cooperation on railway equipment design and manufacturing, railway lines and equipment maintenance, information technology and other technologies in the sector.
State media said the agreement signals that Germany's Maglev train builder has made a breakthrough in competition for high-speed rail orders from China against its French and Japanese rivals.
Maglev technology was developed by Transrapid International, a consortium comprising German industrial giants ThyssenKrupp AG and Siemens, and allows trains to barrel at speeds of up to 430 kilometers (270 miles) per hour.
China currently operates a short Maglev line linking Shanghai's new airport to the city.
China planned last year to invest some 130 billion yuan (16 billion dollars) to build a high speed link between Shanghai and Beijing -- a top priority project for the nation.
China has invited tenders from German, Japanese and French firms to build the 1,300-kilometer (810-mile) link.
Preliminary reports last year that Japan's technology was being strongly considered met with fierce criticism from anti-Japanese websites in China.
Japan's "Shinkansen" Bullet Train technology and France's TGV high-speed trains were once thought to be leading candidates for the bid as maglev technology was considered too expensive.
Vice-Premier Huang Ju Tuesday told visiting German Transport Minister Manfred Stolpe that China will strengthen international cooperation to improve construction, equipment and management of the railway sector.
Huang said that China needs to increase railway construction to meet the demands of a fast-growing national economy and will work with other countries to do so.
China has been conducting a massive railways construction program nationwide with the aim to extend its operational track from 75,000 kilometers (46,500 miles) to 100,000 kilometers (62,000 niles) by 2020.
China, Germany to cooperate on designing high-speed rail technology
BEIJING, June 8 (AFP) - China's Ministry of Railways said Wednesday it had signed a cooperation agreement with Germany's transport ministry for joint development of high-speed rail technology.
In a statement, the ministry said the two countries will strengthen cooperation on "designing and constructing passenger railway lines with designed speeds of 200 kilometers (125 miles) per hour and higher."
Both sides will also improve cooperation on railway equipment design and manufacturing, railway lines and equipment maintenance, information technology and other technologies in the sector.
State media said the agreement signals that Germany's Maglev train builder has made a breakthrough in competition for high-speed rail orders from China against its French and Japanese rivals.
Maglev technology was developed by Transrapid International, a consortium comprising German industrial giants ThyssenKrupp AG and Siemens, and allows trains to barrel at speeds of up to 430 kilometers (270 miles) per hour.
China currently operates a short Maglev line linking Shanghai's new airport to the city.
China planned last year to invest some 130 billion yuan (16 billion dollars) to build a high speed link between Shanghai and Beijing -- a top priority project for the nation.
China has invited tenders from German, Japanese and French firms to build the 1,300-kilometer (810-mile) link.
Preliminary reports last year that Japan's technology was being strongly considered met with fierce criticism from anti-Japanese websites in China.
Japan's "Shinkansen" Bullet Train technology and France's TGV high-speed trains were once thought to be leading candidates for the bid as maglev technology was considered too expensive.
Vice-Premier Huang Ju Tuesday told visiting German Transport Minister Manfred Stolpe that China will strengthen international cooperation to improve construction, equipment and management of the railway sector.
Huang said that China needs to increase railway construction to meet the demands of a fast-growing national economy and will work with other countries to do so.
China has been conducting a massive railways construction program nationwide with the aim to extend its operational track from 75,000 kilometers (46,500 miles) to 100,000 kilometers (62,000 niles) by 2020.