Across China: Jilin

Get ready for speed

Construction of China's biggest manufacturing base for high-speed trains is to be completed in the northeastern Jilin province in June next year, local sources confirmed yesterday. It will also become China's biggest research and development center, according to Han Fengwu, deputy general manager of the Changchun Railway Vehicle Co Ltd (CRC). The base, which cost 2.5 billion yuan ($360 million), is capable of producing 500 cars for ordinary passenger trains, 800 cars for high-speed trains which run at a speed above 350 km per hour and 800 cars for inter-city express trains above 120 km per hour.