Zhou Ande: Innovator of Meter Gauge Trains

Going Global

During his visits to Malaysia, many locals asked Zhou: “China is a backward country, so how is it possible to sell electric multiple units to us?”

At first the Malaysian government lacked confidence in CRRC Zhuzhou. “The slightest fault in trials would worry the Malaysian client,” Zhou said. In one case, signal interference grounded the train, but the Malaysian side believed that it was a problem with the EMU.

Zhou led his technicians to check the wires on the railroad and discovered the problem: most of the cables were copper, and had been stolen, which led to signal interference. “We checked along the railway line, meter by meter, in the Malaysian heat,” Zhou said. Breakdowns stopped after the cables were mended, and the EMU progressed normally. This gained the trust of the Malaysian side.

Trust helps deepen cooperation. At present, more than 80 percent of railroad transport equipment in Malaysia comes from CRRC Zhuzhou. The company also has three subsidiaries in Malaysia and 90 percent of their employees are locals.

Besides Malaysia, CRRC Zhuzhou has received orders from more than 10 countries – among them Singapore, Turkey, India, South Africa, Macedonia, and Ethiopia. These orders cover locomotives, subways, tram-trains, and EMUs. The value of orders amounts to more than RMB 30 billion. CRRC Zhuzhou has exported products to 101 countries and regions. All these achievements are testimony to its high level of innovation.