China develops carbon fiber light rail train

CHANGCHUN. KAZINFORM China's leading train maker on Friday released its new-generation carbon-fiber light rail train at an exhibition held in Changchun, capital of northeast China's Jilin Province.

The body of the train is made of carbon fiber composite and weighs 30 percent less than those made of stainless steel, making it more energy-efficient, according to its manufacturer CRRC Changchun Railway Vehicles Co. Lt, Xinhua reports.

The material also provides better thermal and sound insulation performance than traditional metal, which makes the new train less noisy during operation, according to the company.

The train is designed to travel at 80 km per hour and can carry up to 368 passengers. It is equipped with a super-capacitor which can power it to run 10 km with a two-minute charge.

CRRC Changchun is a major train maker in China with more than 18,000 employees producing over 8,000 trains each year.