Founded in 1936, Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive Company is a main researching and manufacturing base of electric locomotive, as well as the designated national company to localize mass transit equipment. It is one of the model enterprises in Hunan, crowned as “capital of Chinese electric locomotive”.

The main business of ZELC covers researching, manufacturing, maintenance, distribution and after service of main line railway electric locomotive, electric multiple unit, mass transit vehicles and related parts and components. With 5300 employees, the company covers an area of 2.2 square kilometers, and reaches total assets of 2.4 billion. RMB. The company has passed ISO9001, ISO14001 and OSHMS.

Adhering the principle of combination of self-development and introduction, absorbing of advanced technology abroad, ZELC manufactures all kinds of AC-DC drive electric locomotive for rapid passenger transportation, dual usage of freight and passenger transportation and heavy duty freight, and trial manufactures a new generation of AC drive electric locomotive and high speed passenger electric multiple unit. ZELC possesses modernized manufacture resources, such as the world largest final assembly station of electric locomotive, advanced bogie center in which the quality of product is entirely under supervision, high-power traction motor and transformer manufacture center, trial running line of 3.6 kilometer and an inspecting & testing center with most functions in the field.

In recent years, ZELC makes great effort to improve manufacture workmanship and to cultivate fine manufacture culture as "accurate operating, improvement pursuing, delicate planning and careful achieving". Our manufacture workmanship is closed to the highest level worldwide. By the end of this year, the manufacture ability will have reached 300 electric locomotives per year. In 2004, by making good use of its technology workmanship advantage, ZELC wins an order for 180 high power AC drive electric locomotives together with Siemens. ZELC succeeds in manufacturing the first main line electric locomotive in 1958, and completely switches to electric locomotive manufacture industry in 1978. So far, ZELC has provided more than 4000 all kinds of electric locomotive for China railway, occupying 70% of total number of Chinese electric locomotive. We contribute a lot for the development of Chinese railway transportation, especially the development of transportation equipment of electric railway.

With its competitive ability developing step by step, ZELC makes great effort to open up international market. In 1997, ZELC exports 12 TM1 type electric locomotive to Iran and realizes the first export of Chinese electric locomotive; Triumphing over many famous international company, in Oct. 2001 and March 2002, ZELC wins an order for 3 AC drive electric locomotives from Kazakstan and 12 AC drive electric locomotives from Uzbekistan respectively. Later that year, i.e. in Oct. 2002, ZELC gets an order for 8 TM1 type electric locomotives from Iran. We achieve signing order of 64 million US dollars in Middle Asia and Middle East within one year. In 2004, ZELC wins an order for four electric locomotives from Iran and two from Kazakstan in 2005. At present, ZELC is the only enterprise exporting whole electric locomotives in China, while its popularity increases internationally day by day.

In recent years, ZELC has been constructing its main business- the mass transit vehicle manufacture, under the guidance of national industry policy. ZELC, hand in hand with Siemens, wins the order for 168 cars for the 2nd Phase of Shanghai Mass Transit Pearl Line, an order for 120 cars for Guangzhou Mass Transit Line 3 and 72 cars for the Capacity Expansion Project of Shanghai Mass Transit Line 1.Referring to mature experience of Siemens and under international standard, ZELW sets up a metro manufacture base of 35,000 m2 with capacity of manufacturing 300 metro vehicles per year, which can meet the need of manufacturing metro vehicles with various types of aluminum alloy car body and the need of localizing mass transit vehicles. Utilizing transferred technology, the mass transit manufacture base of ZELC is of international standard, with its metro vehicles winning high reputation from experts and the metro field world wide. The newly set up main industry and electric locomotive industry are running on parallel lines.