On October 29, six sets of 60kg/m-12 GLC turnouts are assembled in the turnout workshop of China Railway Baoji Bridge Group Co., Ltd. (CRBBG) under CRHIC and start shipping, which marks the successful delivery of the first batch of China-Laos Railway turnouts by CRBBG and also indicates the official launch of the manufacturing of subsequent products.

The China-Laos Railway is a major flagship project of strategic cooperation personally decided and promoted by the top leaders of the two countries, and an iconic project that aligns China’s Belt and Road Initiative and the strategy of Laos to transform itself from a landlocked to a land-linked country. The railway starts from the Mohan-Boten crossing at the China-Laos border in the north and arrives at Vientiane, capital of Laos in the south. This is the first overseas railway project to be invested and constructed by China, jointly operated by China and Laos and provide a direct link to China’s internal rail network. The whole line extends 414km and is all constructed following Chinese technical standards. With a designed speed of 160km/h, the railway is expected to be completed in December 2021.

For the China-Laos Railway project, CRBBG has won the supply contract for 8 models and more than 100 sets of railway turnouts, covering all models of turnouts used in the project. On December 20, 2019, the Contract for the China-Laos Railway Turnout Project was signed in Vientiane, capital of Laos. Once commencing production, CRBBG has put more efforts in technology R&D by focusing on delivering high-quality turnouts in a high-standard and all-round manner. The company applies the full-hanging subplate process for the first time to achieve overall assembly and shipment of turnouts, prepares a special production plan, implements “three inspections and three compliances” on site, establishes the quality exposure platform system to ensure zero discount in production management and zero defect in product quality. As such, the first batch product manufacturing contract is fulfilled 20 days ahead of schedule. Meanwhile, the after-sales service staff also went to Laos to provide on-site services and to instruct the turnout laying work against the COVID-19, wholeheartedly addressing the last mile problem of turnout laying.

Till now, CRHIC has taken the initiative to develop all types of railway turnouts in China, ranging from the first set of conventional railway turnouts in China to the first heavy-haul railway turnout, from China’s sixth railway speed up, to 350 km/h No. 18, 42, 62 high-speed railway turnouts and then to 600 km/h high-speed maglev turnout. CRHIC has had many firsts in both China and the world in this regard, and it has over 60% share in the domestic turnout market.