Study of China’s Urban Rail Transit Market

Eurasia Development Group: in 2021, metro systems operated in 42 Chinese cities, while the production of railway rolling stock exceeded 966,000 units.

Urban rail transit remains a key pillar of sustainable mobility in China’s major cities amid continued urbanization and growing passenger traffic.

The report analyzes the development of metro and LRT networks, rolling stock production volumes, and investment in infrastructure modernization.

Key Findings

• China ranks second globally in total railway network length and first in high-speed rail, with approximately 40,000 km of high-speed lines.
• Freight traffic exceeded 4 trillion tonne-km in 2021, supporting the growth of domestic trade and industrial production.
• Metro systems operate in 42 cities. In 2021–2022, 34 cities expanded their networks, while 29 purchased new rolling stock.
• Between 2013 and 2021, investment in the transport sector exceeded USD 3.8 trillion. The total railway network expanded by 54.4%, while the high-speed rail network grew 4.3 times.
• In 2021, China produced 966,000 freight cars, 78,000 passenger cars, and 22,000 locomotives. CRRC accounted for 80% of production.

Market Drivers
Growth in domestic trade and industrial production, together with government subsidies for infrastructure development, is driving the expansion and modernization of urban rail systems.
Rising passenger volumes and increasingly stringent environmental requirements are supporting investment in new lines and rolling stock upgrades.

What This Means for Russian Players

• Import of advanced locomotives, railcars, components and systems for metro and light rail projects based on CRRC technologies.
• Participation in consortiums and EPC contracts for the construction and modernization of urban rail networks.
• Supply of traffic management, automation, signaling, and maintenance solutions for rail transport operations.