Zhou Ande: Innovator of Meter Gauge Trains
China Today by Dang Xiaofei, October 13, 2016 Adjust font size:
On the meter gauge railway of Kuala Lumpur, capital of Malaysia, an electric multiple unit (EMU) runs at a speed of 160 km per hour. Compared with the speed of over 300 km per hour of high-speed trains, many would argue that this is not fast. However, for this type of track, it is the fastest in the world.
A standard railway track is 1,435 mm wide, whereas the meter gauge, or narrow gauge, is 1,000 mm. Because Malaysia was once a British colony, existing rails in use are of the narrow gauge. The EMU running on a meter gauge track is like trying to sprint on a balance beam, requiring a great deal of maintenance of stability for comfort when running at high speed.
Zhou Ande and his team work on the meter gauge railway project in Malaysia.
Zhou Ande, one of the designers of this EMU in Malaysia, is the head of the Research and Development Department of the Motor Train Unit of CRRC Zhuzhou Locomotive Co., Ltd. (CRRC Zhuzhou). In his 20-year R&D career, Zhou has been dedicated to train safety and speed. According to him, innovation never stops.
