In December, several high-speed railways and general-speed railways co-built by CASCO successfully went into operation, adding vibrant color to the 13th Five-Year Plan of Chinese railway construction. In the past year, CASCO participated in the construction of 16 high-speed railways and passenger dedicated lines, and successfully applied the advanced technology of China Railway to several local railways. In the past year, CASCO continued to fulfill the mission of "Belt and Road" initiative, and delivered satisfactory results by securing several contracts of overseas projects in 2020.
Seven Railway Lines Went into Operation, Giving a Boost to the Successful Conclusion of the 13th Five-Year Plan
On December 11, Huai'An-Zhenjiang Section of Lianyungang-Zhenjiang High-speed Railway (referred to as "Lianzhen High-speed Railway" below) was officially launched, marking the completion of the whole line of Lianzhen High-speed Railway. Lianzhen High-speed Railway connects southern and northern Jiangsu province, and is referred to as the "backbone" of Jiangsu high-speed railway network. After the whole line was completed, Lianzhen High-speed Railway will bring new opportunities for the development of northern Jiangsu, which is of great significance to the building of the intercity network in the Yangtze River Delta.
Lianzhen High-speed Railway is 305.286 kilometers long, and the whole line is equipped with CASCO CTC3.0 system, among which Lianyungang-Huai'An section was completed and opened on December 16, 2019. The construction of Huai'An-Zhenjiang Section was quite difficult, since it required to be connected with the existing lines at both ends and the middle of the railway line, thus making the connection engineering highly complex and stressful. Despite the tight schedules, CASCO team successfully completed the tasks after intensively working on technical difficulties, which was highly recognized by the construction unit and the railway authority.
Only one day later, Zhengzhou-Taiyuan High-speed Railway (referred to as "Zhengtai High-speed Railway" below) was successfully inaugurated. The total length of the line is 358.761 kilometers, starting from Taiyuan in Shanxi province and running south to Jiaozuo in Henan province. Zhengtai High-speed Railway is not only an important part of Hohhot-Nanning high-speed railway, which is a main passage in the "eight verticals and eight horizontals" high-speed railway network in China, but also the main passenger transportation passage in the south end of Shanxi province. After completion of the line, there is no need to transfer in Shijiazhuang when traveling from Taiyuan to Zhengzhou, reducing the travel time from previously 4 hours to 2 hours now, which greatly improves the travel experience of citizens and helps promote the coordinated development of regional economy in Shanxi and Henan provinces.
CASCO provided CTC3.0 system for Zhengtai High-speed Railway, and equipped each station with station training system, which provided a better training simulation environment for train attendants. In addition, the integrated operation and maintenance management platform equipment deployed by CASCO can help electricity section officers to reduce routine maintenance workload, improve troubleshooting efficiency and make the entire system much safer.
On December 22, the G8311 CRH train started from Hefei South Railway Station and headed for Anqing, the ancient city along the Yangtze River and the hometown of Huangmei Opera, which marked the official launch of Hefei-Anqing High-speed Railway (referred to as "He’an High-speed Railway" below). He’an High-speed Railway connects Hefei and Anqing, and is an important part of Beijing-Hong Kong high-speed railway.
As the signaling system supplier of this line, CASCO provided CTC3.0 system and CTC center equipment. He’an High-speed Railway has shortened the distance between cities in the province, making the travel time from Hefei to Anqing reduced from 2 hours in the past to 40 minutes now, 1 hour to Jiujiang, and 2 hours to Nanchang. This railway line has great significance for promoting the circulation of resources along the line, accelerating the urbanization process and the rise of Central China.
On December 26, Fuzhou-Pingtan Railway (Fuping Railway) and Yinchuan- Xi'an High-speed Railway (Yinxi High-speed Railway) were inaugurated on the same day.
Fuping Railway is an important extension of Beijing-Fuzhou High-speed Railway on Beijing-Hong Kong (Taiwan) passage. The total length of the railway is about 88.43 kilometers, connecting Fuzhou and Pingtan, the fifth largest island in China, which is the closest location on the Chinese mainland to Taiwan. Fuping Railway has ended the history of no railway to Pingtan Island, and is beneficial to Fuzhou, as the traffic hub, in leading the overall development of Northeast Fujian province.
CASCO provided CTC3.0 system and iLOCK interlocking equipment for Fuping Railway. Based on the demand of railway safety production, this system provides control on the equipment for train arrival and departure, ensures safety by science and technology, meets the requirements of station operations, and can deliver more convenience in routine work of train attendants.
The launch of Yinxi High-speed Railway declared the end of history of no external high-speed railway to Ningxia. With a total length of 618 kilometers, Yinxi High-speed Railway is not only an important part of the Baotou (Yinchuan)-Haikou passage of China's 8V8H high-speed railway network, but also the first high-speed railway in China that crosses the Loess Plateau and connects the old revolutionary base areas of Shaanxi, Gansu and Ningxia provinces, which helps to accelerate regional economic and social development, and promote the implementation of the "Belt and Road" initiative of China.
CASCO equipped the line with FZk-CTC3.0 system and centralized signal monitoring system, which enable the automatic remote control of shunting routes and centralized control and monitoring of signal equipment, boosting the transportation efficiency as well as the routine maintenance efficiency and accuracy of electrical workers, and ensuring the safe and stable operation of trains.
On December 30, Yancheng-Nantong high-speed railway (Yantong High-speed Railway) and Dali-Lincang railway (Dalin Railway) were completed.
As an important part of the main "coastal channel" on the 8V8H, the construction of Yantong High-speed Railway will become a significant addition to the coastal railway. After completion, it can establish seamless connection with several high-speed railways along the Yangtze River, connecting China's coastal railway passages, which has a great impact on building a 1.5-hour commute circle from Yancheng to Shanghai, and on promoting the high-quality development of regional economy.
CASCO provided CTC3.0 system and computer interlocking system for Yantong High-speed Railway, and installed intelligent CTC system for the first time. In the future, it can realize important functions such as automatic adjustment of operation plan, control of shunting routes and command safety, vehicle information data platform, comprehensive simulation, departure forecast and so on. It plays a pilot role for intelligent CTC application and provides convenience for dispatching and commanding by transportation departments.
The inauguration of Dalin Railway marked the official connection of Lincang on the border of Yunnan province, into the national railway network, and the end of the history of no railway along the line. Dalin Railway has a total length of about 202 kilometers, starting from Dali in the north, running through Weishan County and Nanjian County, crossing Lancang River and entering Lincang via Yunxian County. It is a veritable mountain railway, and a "key poverty alleviation project by transportation construction" in the 13th Five-Year Plan of Yunnan province. The completion of the line is of great help to the development and opening up of border areas and ethnic minority areas, and to the poverty alleviation for people along the line.
CASCO provided computer interlocking system and monitoring system for Dalin Railway, and empowered the passengers along the line with highly secure and reliable signaling system. In addition, CASCO also participated in the poverty alleviation project of Quzhou-Ningde Railway this year, which has contributed to the poverty alleviation of underdeveloped counties and cities along the line and ending their history of no railway.
Whether it's a fast-moving high-speed rail or a winding green train, CASCO has demonstrated its professional strength and quality services for the increasing railway network construction, safeguarded the rapid development of Chinese railways, and also conveyed the warmth and enthusiasm of Chinese railway builders. In addition to the above new lines, other typical lines that CASCO participated this year include: Shanghai-Suzhou-Nantong Railway, Qinghai-Tibet Golmud-Korla Railway, Guangzhou-Qingyuan Intercity Railway.
By the end of December, CASCO had realized the coverage of China Railway products in 18 China Railway group companies, and successfully applied the advanced technology of national railway to local railways. Among them:
-The centralized dispatching command system was widely used in more than 3,100 stations, 127 high-speed railways and passenger dedicated lines;
-The train dispatching command system was applied to more than 4,400 stations;
-The computer interlocking system was deployed in 1,140 stations in 16 China Railway group companies, 43 local railway companies, 5 overseas countries or regions;
-The centralized signal monitoring system covered more than 3,000 stations in 15 China Railway group companies and 14 local railway companies;
-Train control products covered Beijing, Shenyang, Xi'an, Jinan, Kunming, Guangzhou and Shanghai Railway group companies, with more than 170 stations;
-Shunting train protection system was applied in 8 China Railway group companies and 3 local railway companies, with more than 190 stations in operation.
Despite the Challenges of COVID-19, We Achieved Another Fruitful Result in the Overseas Market
Lahore Orange Line, the first metro in Pakistan was officially launched on October 25. This line was the first large-scale rail transit project in China-Pakistan Economic Corridor under the "Belt and Road" initiative, with a total length of about 27 kilometers. The whole line was constructed in Chinese standards, with Chinese technology and Chinese equipment. CASCO provided it with a complete CBTC signaling system solution, and successfully created another project to implement "going global" strategy of China's equipment manufacturing industry.
Despite the lockdown imposed due to the pandemic this year, CASCO has successfully created a new overseas market in Bangladesh, where it will be responsible for all the communication and signaling projects of Padma Bridge Rail Link Project as EPC. In addition, CASCO has won new project contracts in Laos and Australia, which are the communication and signaling integration project of Vientiane Station in Laos-Thailand Railway Phase II, Sydney Metro City and Southwest Line Project. CASCO has made progress overseas in many respects, and continuously expanded the international presence of China's rail transit technology, equipment and services.
Scientific R&D Helps Connect the Preceding and the Following
CASCO's business is booming in the national railway, local railway and overseas markets, which is an inevitable result of its continuous R&D efforts. This year, CASCO continued to make great efforts in the field of research and development, and also expanded its "friend group" in scientific research. In July, CASCO and Shaanxi Railway and Logistics Industry Group Co., Ltd. jointly established Railway Intelligent Train Control Laboratory. In November, CASCO jointly established Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Railway Intelligent Dispatching Command System, with China Railway Shanghai Group Co., Ltd., Shanghai Shen-tie Investment Co., Ltd. and Tongji University, aiming at accelerating collaborative innovation and promoting the rapid development of railway signal control industry.
2020 is the closing year of the 13th Five-Year Plan, and 2021 is the starting year of the 14th Five-Year Plan. At this turning point, we summarize the honors we received in the past and prepare for a new start. In the new year, CASCO will continue to provide China's railway construction with advanced and reliable signal system, based on its technological innovations and industry experience, follow the tide of "new infrastructure" development, and drive China's growth as a powerhouse in the railway sector.
