China's expertise in railway development turns out popular at the ongoing Latinrieles 2015 expo here in the Argentine capital.
Organizers of the two-day industry event said China is a key attraction of the expo, which features Argentine and foreign companies keen to exploit the region's railway sector.
A popular stand at the expo is that of CRRC Corp., the Chinese manufacturer of high-speed trains.
Chen Jian, the company's deputy director, greeted visitors who are keen to know more about CRRC's electrical power supply and signaling systems, sliding doors, and other equipment.
The Mitre line, which carries passengers in Buenos Aires Province, was renovated as part of a joint investment plan by Buenos Aires and Beijing in the context of the two countries' comprehensive strategic partnership.
Argentina has sought to tap Chinese expertise in the renovation of its own railway line, through investments to expand passenger railway lines, including Sarmiento, Roca and Mitre, as well as the Belgrano cargo railway line.
Belgrano alone will receive a total of 2.47 billion U.S. dollars, 85 percent of which will be from Beijing.
In an interview with Xinhua, Chen said China would be providing a range of equipment for the Roca line, including traction systems, auxiliary converters, and control and monitoring devices.
He also took stock of certain challenges, such as the country's distance from China, which CRRC is working to overcome.
"Technical assistance and post-sales services, therefore, become challenges that we must resolve due to the distance," Chen noted.
Noting that the railway renovation process that Argentina is undergoing was carried out by China in the late 1990s, he said: " This means Argentina could take advantage of our experiences."
Daniel Scoli, governor of Buenos Aires province and current presidential candidate, sent a message to Latinrieles to encourage the "strengthening of railway development, both for passengers and for cargo," highlighting his "engagement" with the sector.
Now in its tenth edition, Latinrieles counts on the support of the Ministry of the Interior and Transport to offer a program which includes over 30 conferences and booths offering railway- related products and services.
CRRC's Chen used the platform to showcase the development of China's railway industry over the last ten years.
"In 2014, China had 12,000km of railway in operation for bullet trains. This will rise to 20,000km in 2020," he said, adding that the country's fleet of bullet trains will also grow from 13,696 to 23,000 in that time frame.
"Furthermore, by 2020, 50 Chinese cities will have a metro system, as compared to 22 in 2014," he said.
