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China’s Military Railway Transport

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China’s Military Railway Transport

Jun.22 (China Military Story released by China Military Power Mashup and written by Wei Tongbing) — “Food and fodder should go ahead of troops and horses,” says The Art of War, a Chinese military canonical book from more than 2,000 years ago. The Chinese have long been aware of the importance of transport in military operations. Without transport, armies cannot mobilize, making it impossible to carry out military operations. With China’s rapid growth, the country’s rail network has seen six accelerations in its development, enhancing military rail transport in operational mechanisms, hardware and overall support ability.

Exercising on Full Range Transport Support

In the command room of the transport department of the PLA’s General Logistics Department, everyone was intensely absorbed in their work. According to the drill plan, an army would cross three military area commands and four railway networks. The transport operation was one of the most demanding in terms of distance, loads, standards and links.

On receiving their orders before the exercise, the military representatives at the railway bureaus notified the missions and timelines to the bureau’s leaders and local government authorities for coordination. The bureaus set up a military transport management team and joint headquarters with local governments, which also formed military support management teams.
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The coordinated command of the joint headquarters facilitated the cooperation of army and local governments. A transport and support scheme for the troops was immediately formed, including the loading and unloading of supplies, vehicle maintenance, locomotive maintenance, fixtures and reinforcements, train relay arrangements, water supplies, arrangements for cadres, food supplies and secrecy.

During the transport exercise, army representatives in the railway bureaus and government officials supervised the loading and unloading stations, railway stations and food supply stations in case any emergency should arise. The improved command efficiency ensured timely resolutions of issues on site, as orders were given directly at the stations. The operations of military trains were completed in good order within eight days.

Light Troops on High-speed Trains

A motorized infantry regiment of Guangzhou Military Area Command took a high-speed train to their exercise destination.

In the train, the soldiers, sitting on comfortable seats, were in good spirits with weapons placed neatly on specially designed shelves.

The train gained speed as it left the urban area. A screen up front flashed “160 KMPH,” “203 KMPH,” “230 KMPH……”

It was the first time many soldiers had traveled on a high-speed train. Their leader, Deputy Regiment Commander Zhong, said, “I’ve participated in a dozen military exercises on foot, by vehicle or on trains. They used to be ordinary passenger trains, even old-fashioned windowless carriages. Never before had we taken a high-speed train.”

“Moving by high-speed train has three advantages. The first is high speed. The train runs at 250 km an hour and can go faster than 300 km an hour. It’s like flying,” said Li, deputy commander of a motorized infantry battalion.

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“Secondly, the journey is very comfortable. Mobilizing has become a form of rest. The third advantage is the train’s capacity. One train can transport the soldiers and light weapons of three battalions.”

The China Railway High-speed (CRH) trains helped to set mobilization records. During wartime 60 years ago, the PLA’s rapid mobilizations of more than 100 km in a day and night were legendary. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, PLA transport evolved from “iron feet” and horses to machines. With the rapid development of China’s transport capacity, the mobility of its troops has improved greatly.

Race with the Flood

A flood raged on the Yangtze River, threatening central China’s Wuhan City in the summer of 1998.

To ensure the safety of the people and property in Wuhan and prevent the Yangtze River dam from being breached, China’s central military commission ordered army units to join flood prevention along the Yangtze River banks.

“Immediately prepare for military transportation for flood prevention” was the order to a railway military representative office at 4:15 p.m., on Aug. 5,1998.

Within 15 minutes, the office had an emergency meeting, declaring a pre-war state within the organization.

Orders flooded to the railway military representative offices to gather personnel, arrange trains and make transport plans. The railway bureau gave the military trains top priority so they could run directly to their destinations without stopping. Every thirty minutes, a train of disaster relief personnel started off along the Guangzhou to Beijing railway.lt was an unprecedented military mobilization for peacetime China. It set six military records for the fastest loading, shortest train intervals, highest speeds, highest train priority and greatest daily progress.

A Digitalized Transport Network

A railway bridge was destroyed by enemy missiles, blocking the route of a military train.

On receiving the report, the military transportation command center ordered the military train to run back on to another route.
Seven teams of rival military representatives in the drill immediately used the DMIS railway system to locate the train. Within three minutes, they found the best alternative route with a military transportation database, digital maps and the military railway distribution system.

It was a military transportation exercise with modern digital technology.

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Digital military transport systems such as the Military Transport Planning Management System, the Military Transport Loading and Unloading System and the Military Transport Loading and Unloading Video System were employed. With a few clicks of his mouse, the officer on duty could see all the personnel and supplies on thousands of kilometers of track.

The digitalization of China’s military transport system has developed tremendously with the support of the railway authorities. Basic networking and visualization have been realized in the command and organization of China’s military railway transport, making it more convenient and efficient to distribute and coordinate operations.

Cross-border Transport

At 1:10 p.m. on July 28, 2007, a Chinese military train bearing the sign “Peace Mission 2007″ crossed the Sino-Russian border with armored infantry carriers and assault guns.

It was transporting China’s third echelon to the exercise venue in Russia. The echelon started from Xinjiang’s Korla City and crossed six provinces in 110 hours to the northeastern Manzhouli railway station. After intense preparations, the troops and their heavy weapons resumed their journey to Russia by train.

On the train, the soldiers, clad in new uniforms, shining boots and black leather belts, stood in neat lines by the windows. “We are about to visit a foreign country. I must take some time to learn the language,” said Sergeant Huang Yuyu, holding a Chinese-Russian conversation handbook.

The military representatives at the railway bureaus were also on board taking responsibility for the safe transport of troops and weapons. They were also responsible for coordination between the troops, local government and security departments. The representatives played a vital role in the rapid and orderly mobilization.

This transportation of large army units with heavy weapons covered 20,000 km over 20 Chinese and Russian provinces and regions, posing a real test of the PLA’s long distance transport capabilities.

Peacetime Military Transport

In northwest China’s Badan Jaran Desert there is an unmapped railway. It carries equipment and supplies for China’s largest space base. The railway transported every last nut and bolt to the base.

In order to further utilize the railways, the army set up military transport offices at major stations across China. These offices formed a railway national defense system network. In peacetime, the network not only serves the military in support exercises, but also civilian operations, such as disaster relief, emergencies and large events.

The PLA’s transport departments successfully supported the mobilization for the military parade on the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, for taking back Hong Kong and Macao, and for the Beijing Olympic Games.

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The military railway system has successfully transported troops, national defense experimental equipment and space equipment. It has also provided emergency transport for disaster relief and maintenance, as well as cross-border transport for international peace missions and multilateral military exercises.
 

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