Qingdao train technicians teach school kids in Indonesia

Technicians from CRRC Sifang Co, a subsidiary of China's rail giant China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation, visited a middle school in Bandung, Indonesia, on Tuesday and taught a lesson on high-speed trains to the students.

The lesson, following the commercial operation of the Jakarta-Bandung High-speed Railway in mid-October, was aimed at enhancing education cooperation and people-to-people exchanges between China and Indonesia, CRRC Sifang said.

During the class at Ngamprah No 3 Junior High School, Zhang Fangtao, a senior designer of the high-speed train for the Jakarta-Bandung railway, introduced the advanced technology used in the project. The students eagerly participated, asking questions and creating a lively atmosphere.

CRRC Sifang, which is based in Qingdao, Shandong province, donated teaching materials to the school including computers and audio systems. The school gave souvenirs as gifts in return.

The class was followed by an on-site experience inside the carriage of a running high-speed train from Jakarta-Bandung HSR's Padalarang Station to Halim Station with more than 50 students in attendance.

Aboard the train, as the students saw the speed readout jump from 0 to 180 kilometers per hour, and then to 260 km/h, and finally to 350 km/h, they all cheered. One student, Saskia Fitriani, exclaimed: "This is so cool! It's my first time riding a high-speed train, and it's incredibly fast, like lightning!"

"The high-speed train is beautiful and extremely modern, and it has expanded my horizons. I've learned a lot about high-speed rail during this event and hope to explore more advanced high-speed rail technologies in the future," said another student named Rayi Mahaputri.

"I am very grateful to these Chinese companies for supporting the development of education in West Bandung. CRRC Sifang donated teaching materials to our school, which can help us to improve the quality of education," said Mepi, head of the junior high school.

"The lectures and experience helped broaden the students' horizons, opening the door to a new world for our kids."

Asep Wahyu, West Bandung Regency's economy and development assistant, said: "It is really generous for CRRC Sifang to provide assistance to our local school. The teaching materials and the free class will help our students study better.

"I heard that Chinese people would call their kids 'flowers of the country', and Indonesian people have a similar saying calling our children 'buds of the country', be it flower or bud, they are the future, they are our hope," Asep added.

The Jakarta-Bandung High-speed Railway is a flagship project of Belt and Road cooperation between China and Indonesia. The 142-km railway has a top speed of 350 km/h and connects the Indonesian capital Jakarta with the tourist destination city of Bandung — reducing the previous travel time from three and a half hours to 40 minutes.

According to CRRC Sifang, the railway adopts China's cutting-edge technologies in areas such as speed, intelligence, environmental adaptability, comfort and customization, and applies standards according to the local environment and track conditions in Indonesia.

"The Jakarta-Bandung High-speed Railway is not only a symbol of win-win cooperation between China and Indonesia, but also a connecting bridge to enhance the friendship between our two nations," said Cao Rui, CRRC Sifang's deputy general manager.

Xinhua contributed to this story.