Metro line 6 links the eastern and western suburbs of Beijing passing through five districts. Covering almost 43 kilometers, the route serves 27 stations between Wuluju and Dongxiaoying. The first segment of some 33 kilometers is due to become operational in 2012. A second construction phase is slated to add 12.1 kilometers of track and link up seven additional stations, probably in 2015.
The order represents the next step in the successful partnership between Knorr-Bremse and CRC in China. Back in 2009, Knorr-Bremse won four orders for the metro network in Beijing and to date has supplied the brake equipment for seven metro lines in the Chinese metropolis. The latest order has enabled Knorr-Bremse to further strengthen its market position in the high-growth metro segment in China.
Knorr-Bremse has maintained contacts with China since the late 1970s. Its first major project in China came in 1990 and concerned the supply of complete braking systems for 96 cars for the Shanghai metro. In the years that followed, the Rail Vehicle Systems division gradually expanded its portfolio to include automatic door systems and air conditioning equipment. Today, including joint ventures, the Knorr-Bremse Group has a total of 13 production plants in China, where in 2010 a workforce of over 2,200 employees accounted for sales of around EUR 800 million.