After two years of collaboration between Shanghai Petrochemical and CRRC, domestically produced carbon fiber has for the first time found its way onto the "Bay Area Blue (Wan Qu Lan)" high-speed metro train in Guangzhou. Data collected over one month of operation show that the carbon fiber composites used in the train's nose cone fully meet operational requirements.
On September 28, Guangzhou Metro Line 18-dubbed the fastest metro in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area with a top speed of 160 km/h-officially launched its initial section. The "Bay Area Blue" train, featuring a bullet-style cockpit similar to high-speed rail and a nose cone made of lightweight, high-strength carbon fiber composites, marks China's first such application. Carbon fiber offers exceptional mechanical properties, weighing less than a quarter of steel while being 7 to 9 times stronger. This breakthrough enables significant weight reduction and higher speeds for the train.
Since 2019, Shanghai Petrochemical and CRRC have jointly pioneered core technologies for scaling carbon fiber composite applications in rail transit. Sinopec (Shanghai Petrochemical's parent company) leads in carbon fiber innovation, ranking first in China and third globally in related patent filings. Using carbon fiber fabric independently developed by Shanghai Petrochemical and woven by Xin Di Liang Textile, CRRC advanced a world-leading "one-stop" lightweight technical solution, ultimately implemented on the "Bay Area Blue" train.
With advantages in integrated molding and cost efficiency, carbon fiber composites will drive the next generation of high-speed train front-end module innovations. This milestone expands applications for China's carbon fiber composites and propels the nation's smart manufacturing ambitions.
