China unveils world’s first carbon fiber commuter train
Nalin Rawat
China has just built the world’s first carbon fiber passenger train, making it much lighter and more energy-efficient.
We have heard of carbon fiber cars, but a carbon fiber train is definitely a first.
Known as Cetrovo 1.0 or the Carbon Star Rapid Transit — the train was unveiled in Qingdao.
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World’s first carbon fiber passenger train
The Cetrovo 1.0 has completed its in-factory testing and is ready to go into operation later this year.
It is built by Qingdao Sifang Rolling Stock Co. which is a subsidiary of the China Railway Construction Corporation.
According to the company, the train’s main load-bearing structures are built with carbon fiber composite materials.
This includes the car’s main body and the bogie frame.
Although it is not as quick as the fastest train in the world (which is also in China), it still has an impressive top speed of 140km per hour.
How is the carbon fiber train better than a traditional train?
The new carbon fiber passenger train is 11 percent lighter than a traditional train and reduces energy consumption by 7 percent.
It might not seem like a lot, but it can reduce carbon emissions by 130 tonnes a year.
Carbon fiber is five times stronger than steel but 75 percent lighter.
Previously, due to its high costs, it was only used in supercars, luxury watches, and speedboats.
However, the price of carbon fiber has significantly come down in the past few decades.
Nowadays, prices for industrial-grade carbon fiber range from $7 to $15 per pound.
So building a passenger train with carbon fiber isn’t nearly as expensive as before.
China’s new passenger train also is fully automated and driverless.
It can easily maneuver around curved or steep tracks.
Other than this, China also has a ‘sky train,’ claimed to be the world’s first suspended maglev train.
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