On June 7, 2023, the groundbreaking ceremony of the Istanbul Airport Line Metro localization Manufacturing project was held in Ankara, Turkey. This is the first time that the 120km/h speed class driverless subway project undertaken by CRRC has been started overseas, and it is also the first driverless subway project in Turkey, marking the start of localized manufacturing of Turkey's fastest subway trains.

The Istanbul Airport Line metro train, developed by CRRC Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive Co., LTD., a subsidiary of CRRC, has a maximum operating speed of 120 kilometers per hour, adopts 4 sections, and a maximum passenger capacity of 1,100 people. The first phase of 10 trains (40) has been put into operation on January 22, 2023, running out of the highest operating speed of the Turkish metro.

The second phase is a driverless subway localization manufacturing project, with a total of 15 trains (60 vehicles). The train has a higher level of intelligence, upgraded from automatic driving technology to unmanned technology, adopts the international highest level of GoA4 automatic operation system, eliminates the driver's cab, can complete the unmanned intervention of the start, parking, passenger, maintenance and other operations, to meet the needs of a variety of unmanned operation scenarios, to achieve their own running, their own back, their own inspection, their own repair.

Istanbul Airport Line metro train is ready to depart

At the same time, the train adopts automatic vehicle reconnection operation technology, which makes the formation more flexible and can adapt to the needs of passenger flow at different times of the airport line. The newly developed frame control traction system adapted to the high traction characteristics of large slopes, etc., makes the train show the excellent performance of smooth, high-speed, efficient and comfortable in operation.

At the groundbreaking ceremony, 13 local enterprises signed localized procurement agreements with CRRC Turk. According to Li Yangyang, general manager of CRRC Turk, the contract for the unmanned subway localization manufacturing project requires a localization rate of 60%. At present, the local procurement of parts such as car body, headcover, air conditioning, through road, seats, passenger information system has been signed, and the development of dozens of supporting enterprises will promote the development of Turkey's rail transit industry chain.

Since 2009, CRRC Turk has provided more than 400 high-end urban rail vehicles and services for Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir and other cities through in-depth cooperation with local communities.

Vokan (left), a Turkish employee of CRRC Turk, exchanges welding skills with a Chinese master

In the process of promoting localized manufacturing, CRRC Turkey follows the principle of joint consultation, joint construction and sharing, and promotes the development of the local rail transit industry through the five models of localized procurement, localized manufacturing, localized marketing, localized management and localized after-sales, directly creating more than 200 jobs, and through the "teacher belt", skills competition and other ways. Training a group of localization skills talents. At present, the local employees of CRRC Turkey account for 80%.

The Istanbul Airport Line is an important transportation link between the airport and the city center, and is the first high-speed metro line in Turkey, with 34 kilometers of operation and a daily capacity of 800,000 people. This time, the local manufacturing of driverless metro trains will promote Turkey's metro to higher efficiency, higher quality and higher collaboration.Editor/Ma Xue