A mega service station for high-speed trains was put into operation on June 30 in Kunming City, southwest China's Yunnan Province, after nine months of construction. Dubbed the largest service station for high-speed trains of southwest China, the station covers an area of 900,000 square meters and looks like an aircraft carrier from above.

According to a manager at the station, the expansion of the service station for high-speed trains is a huge system project as it involves techniques in over 30 aspects, including railway lines, signal and power supply. It also pertains to the re-handling of four electricity-related types of equipment, such as computer interlocking, train operation system (control) and the high-speed train scheduling system.

"It's as if we put a whole new brain into the service station," said Li Chunsheng, deputy general manager of the China Railway Construction Electrification Bureau of North Engineering Co., Ltd.

The expansion project began in October 2018 and was designated to meet the ever-increasing demand for the maintenance of high-speed trains as railway lines surged in the region. After the expansion, the number of maintenance tracks and vehicle storage tracks has increased from six and 37 before to 10 and 58 today at Kunming's service station for high-speed trains, said Li. "The overall (service) capacity has almost doubled."