By CGTN’s Hu Chao
China's high-speed railway mileage reached 22,000 kilometers by the end of 2016, representing the largest network in the world.
The country has been striving to make technological breakthroughs to develop its own high-speed railway. Chinese manufacturers have developed domestic versions of high-speed train wheels and axles. This means the country no longer needs to import these vital components.
At the Taiyuan Iron and Steel Company (TISCO) located in the capital of north China’s Shanxi Province, special steel is being produced to make the wheels and axles for high-speed trains.
TISCO's steel meets the strict requirements of components for trains with running speeds of 350 kilometers per hour.
TISCO started to work on the technology to produce the special steel for high-speed train wheels and axles in 2007. The Taiyuan Heavy Industry Company produced its first batch of China’s own wheels and axles in 2014, with testing continuing until the end of 2016.
Now the products are ready to enter the market.
For years, China has been forced to import wheels and axles at high prices. Now the country can produce its own, reducing costs by about a third.
