At 5:50 p.m. local time on April 21, a subway train with eight 7000 series carriages left Chicago O'Hare International Airport station with passengers on board, and all its carriages were assembled at the Chicago plant of CRRC Sifang. From the overseas expansion of "Intelligent Manufacturing in Qingdao" to the production capacity layout of "Made in USA", CRRC Sifang has demonstrated with its strength the determination and ability of China's high-end rail transportation equipment to integrate into the development of global industry chain.

The Chicago 7000 series subway cars made by CRRC Sifang in the United States.  [Image/Chicago Transit Authority website]

Chicago has the second largest public transportation system in the United States and a long history of local subways. In 2014, the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) procured 846 Series 7000 subway cars through an international tender, which represents half of all subway cars in operation in Chicago. CRRC Sifang Ltd. won the bid, which set a record for the largest number of subway vehicles exported to developed countries.

After the start of the project, CRRC Sifang built a factory on the south side of Chicago to be responsible for the total assembly of the Chicago project vehicles. The project has increased local employment opportunities, boosted the local economy, and revitalized Chicago, which has had subway lines for nearly 130 years, leading to a shared prosperity of upstream and downstream rail transit industries.

The series of subway cars starts no-load test in the summer of 2020. The trial run with passengers starting on the 21st will last for at least 9 months, and upon successful completion, CRRC Sifang will start mass production and delivery.

Up to now, the rail transportation equipment of CRRC Sifang has been exported to 27 countries and regions around the world. The export products have been upgraded from low-end market to "high-end market. (By Fanying)