Shanghai Metro Line 5 Successfully Implemented Vehicle Overhaul Mode

According to the Rail Transit Exhibition, SHANGHAI, May 10, 2024 – According to Shanghai Shendiantong Rail Transit Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter “Shendiantong”), the overhaul team of its Vehicle Division commenced the five-year maintenance project for the Shanghai Metro Line 5, model 05C02 train, at the Shanghai Rail Transit Pingzhuang Base on May 10, 2024.

This project marks a significant shift from the traditional approach of long-term, out-of-service major overhauls. Instead, the company has introduced an innovative balanced overhaul model that reduces the maintenance period from the conventional 35 working days to just 20 working days—thereby considerably enhancing vehicle maintenance efficiency.

Traditionally, periodic major overhauls have been the norm, a method that suffers from lengthy service interruptions (with each major overhaul taking more than 60 days), severe resource wastage, and delayed fault responses. In 2020, Shanghai Metro proposed a comprehensive, full life-cycle balanced maintenance model. Under a reliability-centered maintenance strategy, an intelligent vehicle operation and maintenance system has been established. This system leverages technologies such as the Internet of Things, big data, artificial intelligence, and advanced sensors to conduct full-process monitoring, analysis, and early warning. By integrating condition-based repairs with preventive maintenance, the new approach restructures the overhaul process—embedding traditional major overhaul tasks into routine maintenance and thus achieving balanced maintenance throughout the vehicle’s life cycle.

For the 05C02 model, which comprises 33 six-car trains (with 29 trains in operation on working days, plus one standby on the mainline and one to two undergoing balanced maintenance), Shendiantong has further refined its process. The innovative approach divides maintenance work into distinct work packages: weekday work packages allow for maintenance without taking vehicles out of service, while weekend work packages are designated for tasks that require the train to be out of service. The company has optimized the number of work packages per train from 15, at the project’s inception, to 12, reducing the overall maintenance duration from 35 working days to 20 working days.

Shendiantong asserts that this balanced overhaul mode is the first of its kind in the Shanghai Metro maintenance market to truly achieve “non-service-breaking” vehicle maintenance. The model has now entered a serial production phase and has already been successfully applied in the maintenance of eight trains.

In related industry news, in 2020, Shanghai Electric Group Co., Ltd. secured the bid for the comprehensive operation and maintenance outsourcing project for Shanghai Metro Line 5 with a contract value of approximately 1.78 billion yuan. The contract, spanning nearly 15 years until December 31, 2034, covers three key areas—vehicles, communication signals, and power supply. Specifically, the vehicle segment includes 50 electric multiple unit trains (17 sets of the 05C01 model and 33 sets of the 05C02 model, totaling 266 cars) and encompasses a wide range of services such as balanced maintenance planning and implementation, preventive and corrective maintenance, major overhauls (including transportation and associated services), provision of overhaul site resources, intra-yard shunting and trial operations, cleaning management, safety and reliability inspections, mainline escort and emergency repair services, as well as maintenance of exterior damage and updates to passenger interfaces. Technical standards and detailed requirements are specified in the project documentation.

Shendiantong is a joint venture established by Shanghai Electric Group Co., Ltd. and Shanghai Shentong Metro Co., Ltd., with Shanghai Shentong Metro holding a 49% stake.

For further details, please refer to the full project documentation issued by Shanghai Shendiantong Rail Transit Technology Co., Ltd.

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