The development of China's railway locomotives has gone through four key stages, achieving a leapfrog breakthrough from technology introduction to independent innovation.
I. The Steam Locomotive Era (1950s - 1980s)
After the founding of the People's Republic of China, steam locomotives became the main force in railway transportation. In 1952, the Sifang Locomotive & Rolling Stock Factory produced the first JF steam locomotive by imitating the Soviet MA type locomotive, with a maximum speed of 80 kilometers per hour. By 1960, a total of 455 units had been manufactured. In 1956, the forward type (QJ) steam locomotive independently designed by the Dalian Factory became the most produced (4,708 units) and powerful mainline freight locomotive in China, with a speed of 80 kilometers per hour. It was in service until 1988 when production ceased. During the same period, there were also construction type (JS) (with a speed of 85 kilometers per hour and a cumulative production of 1,916 units) and upstream type (SY) mining and industrial locomotives, which formed the main models of the Steam Age.
Ii. The Era of Diesel Locomotives (Late 1950s - Early 21st Century
The Dongfeng 4 diesel locomotive was introduced in 1970 and upgraded to the Dongfeng 4B in 1982, becoming the most produced (over 4,500 units) and widely used model in the history of China's railways. In the passenger transport sector, the Dongfeng-11 quasi-high-speed locomotive, developed in 1992, can reach a speed of 170 kilometers per hour and is used to pull trains on the Guangzhou-Shenzhen Line. The Beijing-type hydraulic transmission locomotive (with a speed of 120 kilometers per hour) and the Dongfanghong series (such as the Dongfanghong 1 passenger locomotive) are also important representatives.
Iii. The Era of Electric Locomotives (1960s - Early 21st Century
In 1969, the SS1 electric locomotive was mass-produced with a continuous power of 3,780 kW and a total of 826 units were manufactured, laying the foundation for domestic electric locomotives. In 1994, the SS8 (SS8) reached a test speed of 240 kilometers per hour, becoming the fastest electric locomotive in China at that time. At the beginning of the 21st century, the Harmony Series (HXD) electric locomotives were localized through technology introduction, covering both freight and high-speed passenger transport demands.
Iv. The Era of High-Speed EMUs (21st Century to Present)
The Harmony (CRH series), which was produced by introducing technology in 2004, has a designed speed of 200 to 350 kilometers per hour and includes models such as CRH1 (Bombardier technology) and CRH2 (Kawasaki technology). In 2017, the Fuxing bullet trains (CR series) with completely independent intellectual property rights were put into operation. The CR400AF/BF models have a speed of 350 kilometers per hour, achieving intelligence and high reliability, and have also given rise to special models such as the high-cold type 2 3 8. In the field of maglev, the Shanghai Maglev demonstration line (with a speed of 430 kilometers per hour) and the domestically produced 600-kilometer-per-hour high-speed maglev test vehicle (rolled off the production line in 2021) mark cutting-edge exploration.
From the difficult start of steam locomotives to the global leading position of Fuxing bullet trains, China's railway locomotives have formed a full range of products covering conventional speed, high-speed and heavy-haul. In the future, the research and development of CR450 higher-speed trains will continue to drive industry innovation