Six years ago, when CRRC Shandong Company signed a procurement contract with Deutsche Bahn, the European rail transit industry looked at it closely. That was the first time that Chinese railway freight cars entered the strict European market as a whole, which was like a "big test" with no way out. Nowadays, this cross-border cooperation has already borne fruit. On June 24, 2026, with the order from DB Cargo Automotive, the first batch of 60 new Laaeffrs 560.4 railway freight cars developed by CRRC Shandong officially rolled on the German automotive logistics dedicated railway network Automotive RailNet. This batch of "steel camel caravan" specially designed for the era of new energy vehicles is quietly changing the automotive logistics landscape in Europe.

Load upgrade

Compared with traditional fuel vehicles, pure electric vehicles have higher requirements for transportation equipment due to their heavy battery packs. The 560.4 type truck put into operation this time has increased its single vehicle load capacity to 3.2 tons. Behind this key data is the precise optimization of the structure by CRRC engineers. At the same time, the vehicle adopts a flexible and adjustable loading platform and flat parking design, which can stably fix both the increasingly large SUV and the square box truck inside the carriage. This high degree of adaptability allows Deutsche Bahn to handle the diversified vehicle model combinations of car manufacturers with ease, significantly improving the utilization rate of each train's capacity and maximizing the value of every inch of track space.

Deeply cultivating Europe

Looking back at the cooperation process, CRRC Shandong has taken every solid and powerful step in the German market. As early as 2018, the procurement contract signed by both parties set a record for the largest single order of Chinese railway freight cars exported to Europe at that time. 2020 is an important milestone, as CRRC Shandong's independently developed Laaers 560.3 freight truck has successfully obtained EU model authorization, marking the first official vehicle authorization obtained by a Chinese rail transit equipment manufacturer in the EU. Subsequently, in 2021, all 140 560.3 trucks were delivered and put into operation, withstanding the test of the complex operating environment in Europe. In 2024, there were frequent good news. After the 560.5 truck was produced, the 560.6 truck, which further improved its technical performance, successfully passed the EU TSI certification, demonstrating its continuous technological iteration ability.keywords:Foreign engineering construction news

cost reduction and efficiency improvement

When developing the 560.4 truck, the CRRC project team did not stop at meeting transportation functions. They systematically incorporated Deutsche Bahn's years of operational experience and maintenance pain points into the design considerations. By optimizing the structural strength, the durability of the vehicle is significantly enhanced; The design that enhances maintainability effectively shortens the downtime for maintenance. This whole life cycle cost control approach directly improves the availability of vehicles and reduces the operating costs of Deutsche Bahn. As the project leader of Deutsche Bahn stated, from obtaining the European market access certification at the beginning of the year to the smooth operation of the first batch of vehicles, CRRC Shandong has strictly followed the established technical standards and quality requirements. More vehicles of the same model will also be launched in the future, continuing to strengthen this green logistics channel connecting China and Europe's technology and market.Editor/Yang Meiling