On August 11, the large-diameter earth pressure balance (EPB) shield machine CREC 977, developed by China Railway Engineering Equipment Group (CREG), passed online acceptance inspection in the Tianjin Dongjiang Comprehensive Bonded Zone. The equipment will be used for the Naples–Bari high-speed railway project in Italy. This is currently China's largest-diameter EPB shield machine exported to Europe.

　　It is understood that, to meet the project requirements, CREG relied on its own R&D and manufacturing capabilities to tailor two EPB shield machines, CREC 977 and CREC 978. Among them, CREC 977, which rolled off the line this time, has an excavation diameter of 12.2 meters, a total length of about 122 meters, and a weight of about 3,300 tonnes. In response to gas-bearing strata, the designers adopted an explosion-proof design compliant with European standards to address the risk of harmful gases. In addition, a new type of structural device was innovatively adopted on the equipment to increase excavation stability and ensure that the shield machine can excavate quickly and safely in special strata. At the end of this month, the CREC 978 EPB shield machine (12.5 meters in diameter) will also roll off the line. In the future, the two pieces of equipment will travel across the ocean to jointly support the project's construction.

　　According to the introduction, through the full-process production organization and management of the CREC 977 and CREC 978 projects, CREG Tianjin Company has accumulated rich experience for carrying out import and export business and bonded maintenance business in the next step. In the future, the enterprise will rely on Dongjiang's favorable business environment and its own excellent R&D and production capabilities to carry out more diverse forms of business.