The first advanced multiple-unit train exported from China to Europe has been delivered to Skopje, the capital of Macedonia, according to manufacturer Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive Co. Ltd. on Saturday.
The company, in central China's Hunan Province, is a subsidiary of China's high-speed rail (HSR) group CRRC Corp. Ltd.
Assembly and testing has now begun, said Chen Xihong, deputy chief engineer of Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive.
The train has three cars which can carry 280 passengers in total. Its design is in line with the most strict safety standards in Europe, said Chen.
Macedonia requires the trains to have a top speed of 140 km per hour. The train was developed to reach a maximum speed of 160 km per hour, to ensure safety and leave room for future speed increases, said Chen.
The train will run on a 215-km railway between Tabanovce in northern Macedonia and Gevgelija at the southern border with Greece.
The two countries reached an agreement on the purchase in June.
