China Railway Research Articles

Can China railway express enhance the economic-trade vitality of cities? A spatial empirical evidence from China

The process of globalization has encountered obstacles, with increasing regional conflicts and unforeseen events, posing greater challenges to global cooperation. Particularly, transportation bottlenecks are hindering international economic and trade activities and exerting significant pressure on economic recovery. In response to the principles of economic development, China introduced the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) that targets to enhance economic and trade activities in the regions along the route. China Railway Express (CR Express) is an essential vehicle for the BRI, characterized by advantages such as convenience, safety, stability, and promotion of green economy. It serves as a necessary means for China to enhance economic and trade influence. This study conducts quantitative research utilizing a dataset from 287 prefecture-level Chinese cities, with a primary focus on examining the operational effects of the CR Express and deriving the following conclusions. Firstly, combining theoretical insights with practical experience, a comprehensive analytical framework was established, and an economic and trade vitality (ETV) index was constructed. The results showed that the ETV increased in over 43.9% of cities. Secondly, using a multi-temporal asymptotic spatial different-in-differences (SDID) model, we obtained that CR Express exhibited significant spatial spillover effects, making a substantial contribution to urban ETV. Thirdly, spatial heterogeneity detected that the intensity of CR Express policy effects varied across city types due to diverse patterns of economic development and consumption structures. Ultimately, mechanisms for the impact of CR Express on ETV was examined more precisely and an integrated five-sphere mechanism was proposed. The conclusions of this research enrich the vital connection between CR Express and urban ETV, providing managerial insights for both enterprises and governments seeking new development opportunities.

A Georeferenced Dataset for Mapping and Assessing Subgrade Defects in China’s High-Speed Railways

China has the world’s longest high-speed rail (HSR) network, marked by dense transportation and complex operations. However, frequent train use coupled with extreme weather conditions has led to rising subgrade issues. Existing railway defect records suffer from inconsistency, hindering direct applicability. Currently, there is a lack of a relevant dataset dedicated to HSR subgrade defects. To bridge this gap, we developed a comprehensive georeferenced dataset that encompasses defect records extracted from peer-reviewed literature published between 1999 and 2023 in China. Rigorous quality control procedures were implemented to eliminate duplicate data and ensure the accuracy of the dataset. The dataset consists of georeferenced records for eight different defects, spanning across 661 locations and categorized at various scales, ranging from provinces to townships. The most commonly reported defect types include subgrade settlement, frost damage, uplift deformation, and mud pumping. This dataset provides a comprehensive map of historical subgrade defects affecting high-speed railways in China. It could facilitate operational risk assessments and the prediction of subgrade performance.

Semantic Segmentation of Remote Sensing Images Depicting Environmental Hazards in High-Speed Rail Network Based on Large-Model Pre-Classification.

With the rapid development of China's railways, ensuring the safety of the operating environment of high-speed railways faces daunting challenges. In response to safety hazards posed by light and heavy floating objects during the operation of trains, we propose a dual-branch semantic segmentation network with the fusion of large models (SAMUnet). The encoder part of this network uses a dual-branch structure, in which the backbone branch uses a residual network for feature extraction and the large-model branch leverages the results of feature extraction generated by the segment anything model (SAM). Moreover, a decoding attention module is fused with the results of prediction of the SAM in the decoder part to enhance the performance of the network. We conducted experiments on the Inria Aerial Image Labeling (IAIL), Massachusetts, and high-speed railway hazards datasets to verify the effectiveness and applicability of the proposed SAMUnet network in comparison with commonly used semantic segmentation networks. The results demonstrated its superiority in terms of both the accuracies of segmentation and feature extraction. It was able to precisely extract hazards in the environment of high-speed railways to significantly improve the accuracy of semantic segmentation.

Proximity still matters in research collaboration! Evidence from the introduction of new airline routes and high-speed railways in China

Proximity still matters in research collaboration! Evidence from the introduction of new airline routes and high-speed railways in China

Study on physical and mechanical properties of cement asphalt emulsified mortar under track slab

PurposeDuring the construction process of the China Railway Track System (CRTS) I type filling layer, the nonwoven fabric bags have been used as grouting templates for cement asphalt (CA) emulsified mortar. The porous structure of nonwoven fabrics endowed the templates with breathability and water permeability. The standard requires that the volume expansion rate of CA mortar must be controlled within 1%–3%, which can generate expansion pressure to ensure that the cavities under track slabs are filled fully. However, the expansion pressure caused some of the water to seep out from the periphery of the filling bag, and it would affect the actual mix proportion of CA mortar. The differences in physical and mechanical properties between the CA mortar under track slabs and the CA mortar formed in the laboratory were studied in this paper. The relevant results could provide important methods for the research of filling layer materials for CRTS I type and other types of ballastless tracks in China.Design/methodology/approachDuring the inspection of filling layer, the samples of CA mortar from different working conditions and raw materials were taken by uncovering the track slabs and drilling cores. The physical and mechanical properties of CA mortar under the filling layer of the slab were systematically analyzed by testing the electrical flux, compressive strength and density of mortar in different parts of the filling layer.FindingsIn this paper, the electric flux, the physical properties and mechanical properties of different parts of CA mortar under the track slab were investigated. The results showed that the density, electric flux and compressive strength of CA mortar were affected by the composition of raw materials for dry powders and different parts of the filling layer. In addition, the electrical flux of CA mortar gradually decreased within 90 days’ age. The electrical flux of samples with the thickness of 54 mm was lower than 500 C. Therefore, the impermeability and durability of CA mortar could be improved by increasing the thickness of filling layer. Besides, the results showed that the compressive strength of CA mortar increased, while the density and electric flux decreased gradually, with the prolongation of hardening time.Originality/valueDuring 90 days' age, the electrical flux of the CA mortar gradually decreased with the increase of specimen thickness and the electrical flux of the specimens with the thickness of 54 mm was lower than 500 C. The impermeability and durability of the CA mortar could be improved by increasing the thickness of filling layer. The proposed method can provide reference for the further development and improvement of CRTS I and CRTS II type ballastless track in China.

Association between work environment noise perception and cardiovascular diseases, depressive symptoms, and their comorbidity in occupational population

Objective: To explore the association between occupational noise perception and cardiovascular disease (CVD), depression symptoms, as well as their comorbidity in occupational population and provide evidence for the prevention and control of physical and mental illnesses. Methods: A cross-sectional survey design was adopted, based on baseline data in population in 28 prefectures in Sichuan Province and Guizhou Province, and 33 districts (counties) in Chongqing municipality from Southwest Occupational Population Cohort from China Railway Chengdu Group Co., Ltd. during October to December 2021. A questionnaire survey was conducted to collect information about noise perception, depressive symptoms, and the history of CVD. Latent profile analysis model was used to determine identify noise perception type, and multinomial logistic regression analysis was conducted to explore the relationship between different occupational noise perception types and CVD, depression symptoms and their comorbidity. Results: A total of 30 509 participants were included, the mean age was (36.6±10.5) years, and men accounted for 82.0%. The direct perception of occupational noise, psychological effects and hearing/sleep impact of occupational noise increased the risk for CVD, depressive symptoms, and their comorbidity. By using latent profile analysis, occupational noise perception was classified into four levels: low, medium, high, and very high. As the level of noise perception increased, the association with CVD, depressive symptoms, and their comorbidity increased. In fact, very high level occupational noise perception were found to increase the risk for CVD, depressive symptoms, and their comorbidity by 2.14 (95%CI: 1.73-2.65) times, 8.80 (95%CI: 7.91-9.78) times, and 17.02 (95%CI: 12.78-22.66) times respectively compared with low-level occupational noise perception. Conclusions: Different types of occupational noise perception are associated with CVD and depression symptom, especially in the form of CVD complicated with depression symptom. Furthermore, the intensity of occupational noise in the work environment should be reduced to lower the risk for physical and mental health.

Association between unhealthy lifestyles and hyperuricemia in occupational population and modification effect of hypertension and dyslipidemia

Objective: To understand the relationship between unhealthy lifestyle and hyperuricemia, as well as the modification effects of hypertension and dyslipidemia in occupational population and provide a theoretical basis for the prevention of hyperuricemia. Methods: A cross-sectional survey design was adopted, based on baseline data from the Southwest Occupational Population Cohort from China Railway Chengdu Group Co., Ltd., which included the population in 28 prefectures from Sichuan Province and Guizhou Province, and 33 districts (counties) from Chongqing Municipality between October and December 2021. This study collected the information about the demographics characteristics, lifestyles, and prevalence of chronic non-communicable diseases of the study subjects through questionnaire, physical measurement and laboratory biochemical test. The unhealthy lifestyle score was scored based on smoking, alcohol consumption, dietary patterns, physical activity, and low weight or overweight, with higher scores being associated with more unhealthy lifestyles. The multivariate logistic regression model was used to analyze the relationship between unhealthy lifestyle score, smoking, alcohol consumption, other factors and hyperuricemia, and the stratified analysis was used to explore the modification effect of hypertension and other diseases on the relationship between unhealthy lifestyle and hyperuricemia. Results: A total of 11 748 participants were included in this study, the prevalence of hyperuricemia was 34.4%. Multivariate logistic regression model showed that current/previous smoking, current/previous alcohol consumption and BMI abnormality were risk factors for hyperuricemia, and the unhealthy lifestyle score showed a "cumulative" effect on the risk for hyperuricemia, with higher score increasing the risk of hyperuricemia, and the OR increased from 1.64 (95%CI: 1.34-2.00) to 2.89 (95%CI: 2.39-3.50). Stratified analysis showed that unhealthy lifestyles had a greater impact on the risk for hyperuricemia in people with hypertension and dyslipidemia. Conclusions: The coexistence of multiple unhealthy lifestyles might increase the risk of hyperuricemia, and this effect was stronger in participants with hypertension and dyslipidemia. Timely correction of unhealthy lifestyles, and control of hypertension and dyslipidemia might reduce the risk for hyperuricemia.

Association between unhealthy lifestyles and diabetic dyslipidemia in occupational population and network analysis

Objective: To understand the influence of unhealthy lifestyle on diabetic dyslipidemia and the key influencing factors in occupational population and provided scientific evidence for the prevention of diabetic dyslipidemia. Methods: Based on baseline data and follow-up data of Southwest Occupational Population Cohort from China Railway Chengdu Group Co., Ltd. during 2021. Diabetic dyslipidemia was defined as diabetes plus one or more forms of dyslipidemia, and unhealthy lifestyle factors included smoking, alcohol consumption, unhealthy dietary patterns, low physical activity, and abnormal BMI. Multivariate logistic regression model was used to analyze the relationship between unhealthy lifestyle scores and diabetic dyslipidemia, network analysis was used to find and explore the key lifestyles influencing glycolipid metabolism. Results: A total of 25 631 subjects were included. People with unhealthy lifestyle score 2 and 3 were 1.93 (95%CI: 1.31-2.86) times and 2.37 (95%CI: 1.60-3.50) times more likely to have diabetes with ≥1 forms of dyslipidemia than those with scores of 0; People with unhealthy lifestyle score 1, 2 and 3 were 1.98 (95%CI: 1.08-3.61) times, 2.87 (95%CI: 1.60-5.14) times and 3.95 (95%CI: 2.22-7.06) times more likely to have diabetes with ≥2 forms of dyslipidemia than those with score 0. Network analysis found that abnormal BMI and HDL-C were the "bridge nodes" that link unhealthy lifestyles with diabetic dyslipidemia. Conclusion: The higher the score of unhealthy lifestyle, the higher the risk for diabetic dyslipidemia, abnormal BMI and HDL-C are key factors influencing the association between unhealthy lifestyle and diabetic dyslipidemia.

Mediating effects of body mass index and lipid levels on the association between alcohol consumption and hypertension in occupational population

Objective: To investigate the association between alcohol consumption and hypertension and SBP, DBP and the mediating effects of body mass index (BMI) and lipid level in occupational population, and provide reference for the intervention and prevention of hypertension. Methods: Based on the data of Southwest Occupational Population Cohort from China Railway Chengdu Group Co., Ltd., the information about the demographic characteristics, behavior and lifestyle, blood pressure and lipids level of the participants were collected through questionnaire survey, physical examination and blood biochemical test. Logistic/linear regression was used to analyze the association between alcohol consumption and hypertension, SBP and DBP. The individual and joint mediating effects of BMI, HDL-C, LDL-C, TG, and TC were explored through causal mediating analysis. A network analysis was used to explore the correlation between alcohol consumption, BMI and lipid levels, and hypertension. Results: A total of 22 887 participants were included, in whom 1 825 had newly detected hypertension. Logistic regression analysis found that current/former drinkers had a 33% increase of risk for hypertension compared with never-drinkers (OR=1.33, 95%CI:1.19-1.48). Similarly, alcohol consumption could increase SBP (β=1.05, 95%CI:0.69-1.40) and DBP (β=1.10, 95%CI:0.83-1.38). Overall, BMI and lipid levels could mediate the associations between alcohol consumption and hypertension, SBP and DBP by 21.91%, 28.40% and 22.64%, respectively. BMI and TG were the main mediators, and they were also the two nodes with the highest edge weight and bridge strength centrality in the network of alcohol consumption, BMI, lipid levels and hypertension. Conclusions: Alcohol consumption was associated with increased risk for hypertension, and BMI and TG were important mediators and key nodes in the network. It is suggested that paying attention to the alcohol consumption, BMI and TG might help prevent hypertension in occupational population.

An Analysis of the Enterprise Culture of the China Railway Fourth Bureau

An Analysis of the Enterprise Culture of the China Railway Fourth Bureau

Evaluating the Benefits of the Current BRI Infrastructure Projects to Thailand

This article examines the dynamics and consequences of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in relation to Thailand’s development plan, focusing on cross-border trade from Thailand to China via the Laos–China Railway. Transboundary regulations and constraints in infrastructure are obstacles impeding economic integration and regional connectivity. Evidently, initiatives such as setting up stations for agricultural inspection and quarantine have not led to increased trade volume via the rail network. Continual efforts to fix infrastructural gaps and promote discourse on regulatory and procedural issues are imperative to fully realise the potential of Thailand–China cross-border trade via railway networks under the BRI framework.

Excellent cases of the Ministry of Education’s supply and demand matching employment and education project:Central South University and China Railway Tunnel Bureau Group Co., Ltd. “Honghu Class”Targeted Talent Training Cooperation Project

Central South University and China Railway Tunnel Bureau Group Co., Ltd. cooperated with the Ministry of Education’s supply and demand matching employment and education project “Honghu Class” directional talent training cooperation project, innovatively built the “Honghu Class” dual tutor team training system, and realized the sharing of school-enterprise teachers and high-quality resources Complementary, the integration of industry and education has entered a substantive stage of in-depth cooperation, promoting the construction of a three-dimensional system of school-enterprise directional talent training and training of “top-notch” talent formation, “integrated” practical training combination, and “directional” employment training, which has strong reference meaning and broad practical space. In December 2023, this project stood out from many projects and was rated as an outstanding case of the Ministry of Education’s supply-demand matching employment education project (a total of 35 projects nationwide). This article introduces the results of this project from four aspects: project background, project cooperation situation and project cooperation content, project main achievements and innovation points, and experience gained.

The structural and spatial evolution of the China Railway Express network

To illustrate the structural and spatial evolution of the China Railway Express (CR-Express) network, this paper adopts the Space-P method to construct three complex networks of the CR-Express routes respectively by the block train data in 2013, 2016 and 2019, and the indices of overall network structure (average degree, average path length, and average clustering coefficient) and indices of node importance (degree centrality and betweenness centrality) in the networks are comparatively analyzed. It is shown that the CR-Express network has become more complicated, but in 2016 the overall structure was basically stable, and consistently presents clear small-world and scale-free characteristics. The nodes in the network can be partitioned into four groups based on their influence on network connectivity and the number of block trains departing from them, namely core nodes, freight demand nodes, key nodes and edge nodes. Among them, core nodes and freight demand nodes are located in the central and western regions during the whole study period, and the newly added nodes in the eastern region from 2016 to 2019 are edge nodes. Based on the above analysis, we capture the evolving nature of the CR-Express network across distinct development stages under the influence of policy, economy, geographical location and other factors, and put forward operational suggestions to optimize the CR-Express service, strengthen the maintenance of key nodes, and ensure the efficient operation of China-Europe trains.

Comprehensive evaluation of intrinsic safety of railway facilities and equipment based on improved cloud model-fuzzy Petri net

In order to achieve the goal of transforming China into a modernized railway powerhouse, a comprehensive evaluation model of intrinsic safety is constructed in this paper by focussing on the intrinsic safety of railway facilities and equipment. Firstly, the index system for evaluating the intrinsic safety of railway facilities and equipment is divided. Secondly, the fuzzy Petri net (FPN) model for intrinsic safety evaluation is constructed according to the fuzzy generative rules, and the similarity calculation method of the cloud model based on shape and distance is applied to derive the initial state value of the FPN model and carry out the calculation of fuzzy reasoning of the intrinsic safety. Finally, the comprehensive evaluation of intrinsic safety is carried out using the example of railroad facilities and equipment at one China Railway Group bureau’s station section. The results indicate that the intrinsic safety level of the station section falls into Class IV intrinsic safety, exhibiting a few vulnerabilities. However, the risk level is low, aligning with the findings of the actual research. Moreover, the evaluation results based on the FPN, the cloud model’s similarity calculation method and the suggested method are compared and analysed with the findings of the actual research. The comparative results demonstrate the accuracy and scientificity of the proposed method, providing a reference for enhancing the intrinsic safety of railway facilities and equipment.

Analysis of overvoltage impact on shell-type on-board traction transformer by multi-physics field simulation

With the rapid development and increasing demands for the high-speed railway in China, it is of great significance to examine the defects of the high-speed train and ensure the safety of the operating railway. In the actual operation of the high-speed train, there is a split-phase section to transit the train to the next substation power supply arm. In this particular stage, operational overvoltage would occur as the VCB and the pantograph switch on and off, which threatens the safety of the operation of high-speed trains and contributes to the breakdown of transformer windings, which is indispensable in transformer operation. In this work, a finite element model of shell type on board traction transformer is constructed and multi-physics field simulation results, including electromagnetic field, temperature field, and flow velocity field, are analyzed to investigate the potential risky spots in the practical operation of high-speed train under overvoltage impulse, which could be supportive in maintaining the devices and detecting the winding defects.

The Impact of Digital Inclusive Finance on Innovation of Construction Enterprises

Digital inclusive finance injects new vitality into the innovation of construction enterprises. Based on the data from six construction enterprises, namely China National Chemical Engineering Co., Ltd., China Railway Construction Corporation Limited, China Railway Group Limited, China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC), China Energy Engineering Corporation (CEEC), and China Communications Construction Company Limited (CCCC), from 2012 to 2021, this paper delves into the role of digital inclusive finance in fostering innovation within construction enterprises. The research findings demonstrate that digital inclusive finance not only significantly contributes to fostering innovation in construction enterprises but also exhibits sustainability. Finally, recommendations are proposed to promote the impact of digital inclusive finance on innovation in construction enterprises, encompassing aspects of policy formulation, corporate management, and financial institutions.

Has the opening of high-speed railway in China promoted urban low-carbon transformation along the route: re-estimation based on staggered DID robust estimators.

Considering the opening of high-speed railway (HSR) as a quasi-natural experiment, this paper explores the emission reduction effect of HSR opening and its mechanisms and heterogeneity characteristics based on the panel data of 272 cities in China from 2006 to 2019 by staggered DID model and the mediating effect model. It is found that (1) the opening of HSR significantly reduces the carbon emission level of cities, and the conclusion still holds after controlling the endogeneity issue and a series of robustness tests; (2) Bancon decomposition and negative weight diagnostics both show that the estimated average treatment effect bias is small and the robust estimators are more robust; (3) by reducing production costs and promoting inter-regional industrial division of labor, the opening of HSR promotes intra-industrial structural transformation and inter-industrial structural transformation, respectively, thus reducing urban carbon emissions. At the same time, HSR achieves urban carbon emission reduction by promoting free movement of population and human capital agglomeration; and (4) further study finds that there is regional heterogeneity in the emission reduction effect of HSR opening, and the carbon reduction effect is mainly reflected in large and medium-sized cities, near provincial capitals, non-resource-based cities, and cities with rich educational resources, which indicates that the location of future HSR should be combined with the city's own characteristics and be tailored to the city.

Optimizing high-speed railway express system under uncertainty

The rapid expansion of high-speed railway (HSR) networks has elevated the HSR express system, which combines road and HSR transport, as a notable intermodal transport choice. This research delves into the optimization challenges present in the HSR express system's operation, given the unpredictable freight demands. These challenges encompass vehicle arrangement, station selection, freight allocation, and the optimization of HSR freight routes. To address these challenges, we introduce a two-stage mixed integer linear programming model aiming to optimize the anticipated net gains of the HSR express system. We also put forward a meta-heuristic method to efficiently solve the model. Empirical tests and sensitivity studies, grounded in a real-world example from the China Railway Nanchang Group Co., Ltd., are executed. Additionally, advanced techniques, including parallel computing tailored to the problem's nature, have been employed to trim down computational times, especially for intricate real-world scenarios. The findings from this study provide valuable insights for industry practitioners.

An emerging ‘China-threat-corporatism’? CRRC’s acquisition of a German locomotive company and its impact on labour relations

The China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC) is presently the largest player in the global rolling stock industry and has increasingly expanded to mature markets. In 2019, CRRC acquired a German locomotive company, establishing a manufacturing foothold in the EU. This paper presents the findings of extensive field research on the impact of CRRC’s investment on industrial relations. Drawing on comparative capitalisms research and recent debates on the German model of industrial relations, we discuss key developments in the post-merger process. Our study reveals a continuity in industrial relations at the shop-floor level, characterized by stable co-determination practices. Nevertheless, the acquisition of the locomotive manufacturer has contributed to a new form of ‘China-threat-corporatism’, wherein trade unions and business associations have collaborated to advocate successfully for measures to protect the local rolling stock industry from Chinese competition.

Investigating the fatigue performance of conventional reinforced concrete CRTS III ballastless track structures using a fatigue damage constitutive model

Compared to prestressed track structures, the mechanisms underlying fatigue degradation in conventional reinforced concrete track structures under high-cycle train loads remain elusive. This paper introduces a finite element model for CRTS (China Railway Track System) III slab ballastless track. In this model, fatigue damage constitutive relationships for both concrete and reinforcement are incorporated as material subroutines. The study focuses on investigating the fatigue characteristics of composite plate structures, which consist of track slabs and self-compacting concrete (SCC). An accelerated calculation method for high-cycle fatigue issues is utilized. Several key findings emerge from this study. First, the onset of fatigue cracks is observed on the lower surface of the SCC, directly beneath the applied load. These cracks tend to propagate laterally from the most critical location toward the slab edge. Second, a significant interrelationship exists between material fatigue degradation and stress redistribution. Traditional decoupled fatigue analysis methods are likely to overestimate the rate of fatigue evolution at critical points. Third, increasing the stiffness of geotextiles can partially optimize stress distribution within the track structures, thereby extending the time to initial cracking.