China Trains of the Westbahn in Regular Operation for the First Time

The European Union Agency for Railways (ERA) has granted approval to the double-decker trains from the Chinese manufacturer CRRC. From mid-December, the China trains are expected to improve the schedule of the Westbahn route. Westbahn ordered the trains from the Chinese manufacturer CRRC in 2019, and they have been in Austria for test runs since 2022.

China Trains of Westbahn: Employee Representatives and Railway Industry See Jobs at Risk

The approval has sparked criticism from employee representatives and the railway industry, who see jobs in Europe at risk. Westbahn countered that there is an oligopoly in Europe, meaning that a few large train manufacturers control the market, leading to long waiting times and inflated prices. With the commissioning, Westbahn is Europe's first rail operator to use trains from the state-owned China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation in long-distance traffic. In the Czech Republic, RegioJet also relies on trains from CRRC.

(APA/Red)

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