China Railway Group Limited (CREC) signed an agreement to establish a portside assembly and remanufacturing base for tunnel boring machines (TBMs) in the Zhangjiagang Bonded Zone on May 12.
This high-end equipment manufacturing project is spearheaded by China Railway Engineering Equipment Group Co (CREG), a subsidiary of China Railway Hi-Tech Industry Co. It represents a key initiative under the Belt and Road framework and aligns with the group's efforts to optimize its industrial operations in the Yangtze River Delta region. Upon completion, the base is expected to achieve an annual capacity for the assembly and remanufacturing of 10 large-diameter TBMs each.
China Railway Hi-Tech Industry Co, a core subsidiary of CREC — one of the world's Fortune Global 500 and a major state-owned enterprise — is a global leader in advanced equipment manufacturing. Its subsidiary CREG is recognized as the fastest-growing and most dominant TBM manufacturer in China, with the sector's highest market share and strongest technical capabilities.
In recent years, Zhangjiagang has made major strides in transforming its manufacturing sector toward high-end, intelligent, and environmentally sustainable practices. The city has attracted 526 large-scale enterprises specializing in intelligent and high-end equipment. The industry recorded an annual output value of over 100 billion ($13.89 billion) yuan last year, positioning Zhangjiagang as an emerging hub for advanced equipment manufacturing in the Yangtze River Delta region.