The 28th saw the first track train for Shanghai Pearl Line roll off the assembly line at Nanjing. A joint effort of cooperation by Nanjing Puzhen Vehicles Plant with French Alstom as was told, the train, outstanding for its unique personality designs of seats and armrests, presents a trendy outer look. New track trains as ordered are under construction and these will be used for the Pearl Line, to replace those of old on Shanghai's track lines.

Alstom told that trains in France are built flat with a bullet head, carriages in red, black and white, seats all red, orange and blue colored, and windows with stylistic filter glasses mounted to keep off heat especially in summer distinct from those running in Germany.

French trains are as known of an aluminum alloy body at a length of 140 meters, every train pulls six carriages and every carriage has five doors on each side, seats made of polyester material. In all, a whole seating capacity of 356 along with a standing capacity of 2140 and a carrying capacity of as many as 2496 is provided.

French trains contain high technology as are known for their smooth stable running, tight protective linkage at joints of carriages and good air conditioning. Passengers' safety thus is insured.

On May 5, a French import track train made by Alstom arrived at Shanghai and known as "Alstom N0.1 Train", it has tuning-up tests underway. Another French import train is also being tuned up through preliminary tests as "Train N0.2". The track train that has lately rolled off the assembly line in Nanjing has been named "N0.3" and new "Alstom" trains will since be manufactured on a naturalized basis in China.

It is reported that Puzhen Vehicles Plant will manufacture over 200 French-style trains a year. On top of these, it will produce as many as 168 carriages in 28 French trains in a joint cooperative effort with Alstom. By mid August, it will turn over "N0.3" and put it to tests by the concerned parties in Shanghai.

( People's Daily July 31, 2002)