Two international standards for high-speed railway infrastructure design and power supply, which were mainly drafted and developed by China, have been published by the International Union of Railways, demonstrating the nation"s contribution to promoting the internationalization of high-speed railway standards, national railway operator China State Railway Group said.
The International Union of Railways was founded in 1922 in France and is known by its French initials UIC. It is an international association with 210 members, aiming to promote railway transportation and cooperation globally.
The two standards are the second and third in a series of high-speed railway design and construction standards. They are the first of their kind mainly developed by China.
In November, the first standard in the series, which is about communication signals in high-speed railway design, was published by the UIC. Those standards will fill gaps in international standards.
Led by experts from China, more than 20 professionals from a dozen countries, including France, Germany, Japan and Spain, spent four years drafting the two latest standards.
The standards introduced China"s design concept based on its global experience in building high-speed railways, promote China"s advanced technologies, such as a system for power supply, and they provide solutions to designing and building high-speed rail globally, China State Railway Group said.
In recent years, experts from China State Railway Group have participated in drafting, revising and developing more than 60 important technical standards published by the UIC in many fields, including high-speed railways, train networks and braking systems.
China"s involvement has incorporated its experiences into international standards, such as design concepts, technical equipment and maintenance. But in addition to China"s experiences, the new standards have also considered technologies and needs of other countries.
"China has become a major driving force in the development of international high-speed rail standards," according to the group.
"International standards are an important technical foundation for international trade, which is crucial to promote the Belt and Road Initiative. China"s railway sector has relied on the international platform to lead the drafting and revising of technical standards, improving the international influence of China"s railway standards," said Huo Baoshi, chairman of UIC"s Intercity and High-Speed Committee.
"China"s involvement in making international standards showcases its strengths in building high-speed railways globally. It will help China"s railway to "go out"," he added.
By the end of last year, China"s high-speed railway network stood at more than 40,000 kilometers, accounting for over two-thirds of the world"s total high-speed rail.
China"s high-speed railway system spans different geographic conditions, including icy weather, frozen soil, mountainous areas and humid coastal areas, providing abundant experience in building high-speed rail.
