BSP RZ25T Soft Seat Coach Overview

May 2012. BSP-RZ25T soft seat coach. (Photo / Electric Coach K9017)

The BSP-RZ25T soft seat coach is a high-speed railway coach produced by the joint venture between Sifang and Bombardier (BSP) in 2002, with a structural speed of 200 km/h and an operational speed of 160 km/h.

Development History

In 1998, Bombardier Transportation and Sifang Factory jointly established Qingdao Sifang-Bombardier-Power Railway Transportation Equipment Co., Ltd., abbreviated as BSP (Bombardier Sifang Power (Qingdao) Transportation Ltd.). It has since been renamed Qingdao Sifang Bombardier Railway Transportation Equipment Co., Ltd. (abbreviated as BST).

On November 12, 1999, BSP signed an order with the Ministry of Railways, Beijing Bureau, Shanghai Bureau, Shenyang Bureau, Zhengzhou Bureau, and Guangzhou Railway Group for 300 high-end railway coaches, including 199 soft seat cars and 101 soft sleeper cars.

On January 17, 2003, 2 sets of BSP soft seat cars (a total of 22 cars) were put into operation on the Shanghai-Hangzhou line. Since the passenger cars were not yet finalized at that time, the car numbers were RZ25K110992-111014.

On August 7, 2003, BSP signed a contract with the Ministry of Railways, Harbin Bureau, Beijing Bureau, Shanghai Bureau, and Zhengzhou Bureau for 38 high-end passenger cars, including 21 high-end soft sleeper cars and 17 high-end dining cars.

In November 2003, preparations for China’s fifth speed-up were underway to launch a 160 km/h direct express train, with BST coaches and DF11G locomotives conducting joint tests on the Beijing ring railway.

In December 2003, the Ministry of Railways began bidding for a new type of 160 km/h passenger car, starting mass production based on the BSP model by Changchun Railway Factory, Tangshan Factory, and Puzhen Factory, and officially finalizing it as the 25T model, with T representing “speed-up”.

BSP’s high-speed passenger cars include all models such as soft seat, soft sleeper, and dining cars, totaling 338 cars. The soft seat car type A has a capacity of 78 people, while type B has a broadcasting room with a capacity of 72 people. The soft sleeper car has a capacity of 36 people, and the dining car has a capacity of 48 people.

May 2012. BSP-RZ25T soft seat coach. (Photo / Electric Coach K9017)

BSP RZ25T

The design of the BSP RW25T coach adopts UIC standards and Chinese standards. The body structure refers to the Belgian railway I11 type coach (SNCB I11), with a design speed of 160 km/h.

The vehicle bogies are divided into two types: French AM96 type (200 km/h), totaling 187 cars, and Chinese SW-220K type (200 km/h), totaling 151 cars.

May 2012. BSP-RZ25T soft seat coach. AM96 type bogie. (Photo / Electric Coach K9017)

The passenger car features a floating floor design, significantly improving comfort and sound insulation. The interior seating is arranged in a 2+2 configuration, equipped with an internal communication and crew call system, and the carriage lighting uses hidden fluorescent lights, halogen spotlights, and reading lights. The air conditioning system uses a 40.7 kW rooftop unit and includes an electric heater. The passenger compartment is equipped with a vacuum toilet.

BSP passenger cars are connected by close-coupled couplers, with damping devices installed above the windscreen, greatly enhancing the comfort of the vehicles. The passenger cars use an AC380V centralized power supply mode, which can be powered by DF11G locomotives or generator cars.

The passenger car has a smooth appearance, with the rooftop air conditioning installed in a recessed manner and wrapped in a fairing, featuring reinforced ribs on the roof (this is the most significant characteristic of BSP type passenger cars). The lower part of the passenger car is covered with skirt panels. The windows are tinted green.