Chinese company unveils bogies for 400 km/h bullet trains

CHANGCHUN, July 17 (Xinhua) -- A subsidiary of CRRC, China's leading train maker, on Wednesday released a new type of railway bogie that can be used by high-speed trains running at 400 kilometers per hour.

Compared to standard externally mounted bogie, the new built-in bogie is 20 percent lighter. It can reduce a train's operational energy consumption by 15 percent and wheel-rail wear by about 30 percent, and lower the maintenance costs of lines and bogies by 15 percent throughout their life cycle, which will make electrical multiple unit (EMU) trains greener and more energy-efficient, according to the CRRC Changchun Railway Vehicles Co., Ltd., the manufacturer.

Railway bogies are an essential part of the train. The bogies support the mass of the vehicle, use the wheels to guide it along the track and provide some degree of cushioning against the shocks transmitted from the track during motion.

With a designed speed of 400 kilometers per hour, the new bogies can operate at maximum speeds of 600 kilometers per hour, according to a test bench model, the company added.

"The bogie is one of the key technologies needed for high-speed trains to run fast. It's like their 'legs'," said Zhou Dianmai, a senior engineer at the company. "Trains equipped with this new bogies can run faster, more steadily and more quietly."