Cooperation between Brazil and China on the Jade and Ruby lines

Por Wang Jinxu

The summer of 2024 was marked by extreme heat, both in the northern and southern hemispheres. This perception was shared by Chinese Sun Haijing, who lives in Brazil, and his colleagues who recently arrived from Beijing. Sun Haijing works in after-sales services at CRRC, which stands for China Railway Rolling Stock Corp. When leaving Guarulhos Airport and boarding Line 13 – Jade, which connects the airport to the east side of the city of São Paulo, I couldn’t help but remember what the subway cars were like five years ago.

“I was there at the delivery ceremony, full of people and cameras on the platform, not to mention cell phones. When taking photos, everyone had to reach up.” In September 2019, Sun Haijing, 29 years old and a technician responsible for testing and adjusting trainsets, was sent to Brazil to complete the delivery of the electrical trainsets and prepare their operation on Line 13 – Jade. The contract includes eight trains from the 2500 Series of the São Paulo Metropolitan Train and provides for five years of after-sales maintenance warranty by CRRC Qingdao Sifang Co Ltd, a subsidiary of CRRC, located in Shandong province, on the east coast of China. This is CPTM’s first series of Chinese origin.

“During that period I had a lot of contact with a quality engineer from CPTM”, recalled Sun Haijing. “Her name was Juliana. I never asked her last name, but she speaks Chinese and had just completed a Masters in Engineering at China Central South University (CSU) before returning to Brazil.” With the aim of sharing the technology and experience of Chinese railway modernization, the CRRC has opened training opportunities at higher education institutions in China, especially for those interested in railways. To date, it has sent a dozen groups from the Southern Hemisphere to the North.

“The Brazilian market is a main focus of CRRC abroad and has strategic importance for business outside China”, said the head of CRRC to China Hoje. “During Lula’s current presidency, relations between China and Brazil have become closer in political, economic, technological and other areas, creating a favorable environment for business cooperation.”

CRRC is the world’s largest supplier of rail transportation equipment, with products and services covering 116 countries and regions, including Australia, Chile, and Singapore.

In 2017, the company exported a series of stainless steel electrical multiple units (EMU) to Australia. In Chile, a contract to build electrical units for Chilean State Railways, the company responsible for the country’s state railways, was signed in August 2023, providing for the delivery of 32 three-car units for Santiago’s suburban railway network.

On 14 June 2023, the Singapore Land Transport Authorities awarded a vehicle contract (CR151) of the Singapore Inter-Island Line Project to Sifang Co. Ltd. The base contract includes 44 six-car metro trains, in addition to the procurement of 11 additional trains and long-term support services (LTSS), which include technical support for 30 years and parts supply. Within the scope of technological support, the world’s first autonomous hydrogen-powered rapid transit train (ART), a new green railway developed by CRRC, made its official debut in Malaysia in September 2023. In January 2024, the “train Turkey’s fastest metro train” rolled off the line at the CRRC Zhuzhou factory in Turkey. To drive the development of the Turkish rail transport sector, CRRC’s production follows the principles of local manufacturing, purchasing, labor, service and management, benefiting suppliers across the entire industrial chain from end to end and setting new milestones for the urban rail transport in Turkey.

Currently, the railway products that CRRC supplies to Brazil include high-quality electrical trains, subways and passenger trains. These vehicles have played a fundamental role in important events in the country, such as the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

But CRRC’s work goes beyond producing trains. This is haute couture in the railway equipment sector.

According to Sun Haijing, the trains must be adjusted to suit the electrical configurations of the tracks, thus allowing automated train operation (ATO) with precise stops on platforms. To achieve this goal, Sun and his team performed more than a hundred tests and adjustments. During the process, CPTM even made new requests, asking that the eight-car trains be divided into two units, each equipped with brake and traction systems to facilitate regular maintenance.

“Brazil has a longer summer with higher temperatures, in addition to very intense rains. Therefore, we focus on improving specific functions, such as the cooling of the air conditioning system and the waterproof and airtight performance of the trains.”

From the Jade to Ruby line – Every morning, engineer Sun Haijing goes to the maintenance base in Mooca, where, in addition to the Line 13 trains, the Line 7 fleets are inspected. With the Jade line mission completed, he will continue his work on the Rubi line.

On May 29 of this year, the concession contract for the construction and operation of the Intercidades Eixo Norte Train was signed, auctioned to a consortium formed by the Brazilian company Comporte and the Chinese CRRC. The new railway, which will have a route of 101 km, promises to offer a trip from São Paulo to Campinas with an average speed of 95 km/h, reaching up to 140 km/h. Thus, it will be the fastest and most modern railway in Brazil.

“There has always been a certain consensus in the country that Brazil needed to invest more in rail transport, but there were many difficulties in gathering the necessary capital, especially in the 80s and 90s”, commented Haroldo Ceravolo Sereza, journalist and editorial director of Opera Mundi during the interview, “The New PAC is an instrument of the Brazilian government to reactivate long-term projects, and the implementation of the Intercidades Train (TIC) demonstrates that solid projects can survive the most complex circumstances.”

“Currently, due to economic pressure, the Brazilian government has financing difficulties, and there is a greater demand and willingness to participate in infrastructure through the introduction of private capital, making Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) and concession projects a main form in this sector”, explained the person in charge.

The Eixo Central project has already been included in the new Growth Acceleration Plan (PAC). “In the 30 years of operation, the group made up of CRRC and Comporte will invest R$14.2 billion, and will be responsible for the design, financing, construction and operation, connecting São Paulo, Jundiaí and Campinas,” Liu Gang, president, told China Hoje. from CRRC Hong Kong, the company responsible for the project.

This implies that CRRC’s role is transforming from a train producer to an operator of the entire process. “We applied DLS (Digital Whole Cycle System Solution) in this project, and we wanted to provide a digitalized, green and smart service, which represents a deepening of cooperation on site,” explained Liu.

According to public information, the project is divided into three distinct parts: an express train (TIC) connecting Campinas to Barra Funda station, in São Paulo; a metropolitan train (TIM) to connect Jundiaí to Campinas, with stops in Valinhos, Vinhedo, Louveira and Jundiaí; and the current CPTM 7-Rubi line. The journey from south to north will take at least just one hour, stimulating the development of cities along the tracks and promoting the transition from road to rail speeds.

“The quick connection between São Paulo and Campinas is essential for businesses that connect the interior of São Paulo to the capital. It is estimated that its completion will generate a total of 10.5 thousand jobs. But a project like Trem Intercidades must not just be an end in itself,” analyzed Sereza, “this is an engine for Brazil to once again have a cutting-edge industry in the production of subway cars, train cars, engines and rail tracks. be used on this and other railways, the new railways need to be a tool for industrial reconstruction in the country.”

From 1974 to 2024 – “Be faithful and do good, reaping the fruits of good deeds.” This is the main value of CRRC. In 1881, the machine repair factory of Xuge Village in Tangshan produced China’s first steam locomotive, known as the country’s “Dragon”. Since then, China has been dedicated to continuous developments in independent research and development.

In July 2024, CRRC launched CETROVO 1.0, the world’s first subway train made of carbon fiber, developed for Line 1 of the subway in the city of Qingdao, in eastern China. Furthermore, in September of the same year, CINOVA H2 was presented at InnoTrans 2024, a leading international transport technology fair held in Berlin. This innovative train, equipped with smart amenities and powered by hydrogen, achieves zero carbon emissions throughout the journey, representing a new green solution for non-electrified rail passenger transport.

In the Brazilian market, CRRC received the first order in 2003, for a freight train for Vale. A decade later, the company established CRRC Brasil Equipamentos Ferroviários Ltda. in São Paulo. The year 2017 was a milestone for the company, with the signing of its first contract with the state of São Paulo, which involved a fleet of 64 electric cars.

In 2022, CRRC made history by exporting, for the first time in Brazil, 62 passenger railway cars. This year, in Minas Gerais, the state government announced the purchase of 24 new trains by the concessionaire Metrô BH, and the Chinese company has already started the manufacturing project. The expectation is that the first train will arrive in Brazil and enter into operation in the first half of 2026.

In addition to its commercial activities, CRRC has been actively dedicated to fulfilling its social responsibility since its arrival in Brazil. The company has established a science and technology exchange center in the country, the first of its kind outside China. To encourage dialogue, the “Estante Chinesa” project was implemented, which offers books to the community.

In addition to the previously mentioned study abroad opportunities, CRRC has also organized exchange groups at local universities. In November 2023, a cultural exchange team, composed of representatives from CRRC subsidiaries in Brazil, visited the University of São Paulo. During the visit, a lecture on science and technology was held, in which students learned about the natural rules applied to the operation of high-speed trains. The activity also included the presentation of the “Fuxing” train model, which means “revitalization” in Portuguese, a completely national series with independent intellectual property rights. The lectures provoked a heated discussion among the event participants.

“This year, we celebrate 50 years of the establishment of diplomatic relations and 31 years of strategic partnership. CRRC will continue to actively participate in economic cooperation between China and Brazil, bringing Chinese wisdom to the construction of a railway system. Our objective is to serve the Brazilian people with a green, intelligent, safe, convenient and modern railway system, which meets the demands for comfort during travel and promotes the sustainable development of quality Brazilian railways. In this way, we hope to contribute to the deepening of economic and commercial relations between the two countries”, he states.

From the Jade to Rubi lines, from train exports to DLS digital solutions, and from manufacturer to operator, CRRC’s trajectory in the Brazilian market reflects the gradual deepening of cooperation and exchange between the two countries.

“In the future, China’s CRRC will actively explore the alignment of the Belt and Road Initiative with Brazilian strategic plans, such as the New Industry Brazil (NIB) and the new Growth Acceleration Plan (PAC), so that the fruits of cooperation not only benefit the local population, but also support China and Brazil to expand new areas of cooperation,” concluded the CRRC official.

This text was originally published in China Hoje magazine. Click here, sign up to our community, receive a free digital subscription and access the full content.