2023 China Urban Rail Transit Key Technology Forum and the 31st Metro Academic Exchange Conference were held in Kunming

On July 28th, the 2023 China Urban Rail Transit Key Technology Forum and the 31st Metro Academic Exchange Conference were held ceremoniously in Kunming. Four academicians, three national engineering survey and design masters, representatives of relevant governments, enterprises and universities, and those of urban rail transit design, construction, operation units totaling more than 400 people participated in the grand event.

Forum：Focusing on Hotspots of “Intelligence exchange and green and low-carbon pursuit”

In line with the national policy guidance, the conference focused on the theme of "Smart interconnection, Green and low-carbon -- and Rail Transit to Promote Urban Integration Development", and conducted discussions and exchanges on such hot issues as key technologies of rail transit, green and low-carbon technologies and metropolitan areas on rail transit, brought about cutting-edge consultation, and shared the latest research results, thereby injecting new impetus for strengthening high-end exchanges in the field of rail transit, promoting practical cooperation in various fields and facilitating the sustainable development of rail transit.
China Urban Rail Transit Key Technology Forum and Metro Academic Exchange Conference is the earliest, most authoritative and most influential urban rail transit technology exchange platform in China. Founded by the Rail Transit Branch of China Civil Engineering Society in 1979, 31 sessions of the forum and conference have been successfully held so far. It is an important force to promote the development of China's rail transit.

The conference was jointly hosted by Kunming Rail Transit Group Co., Ltd. and Beijing Urban Construction Design & Development Group Co., Limited (UCD). At the opening ceremony, Qu Congwen, member of the standing committee of Kunming municipal Party committee and vice mayor of the municipal people's government, Shang Chunming, vice chairman of China Civil Engineering Society, Peng Wei, general manager of Kunming Rail Transit Group Co., Ltd., and Wang Hanjun, chairman of the rail transit branch of China Civil Engineering Society and general manager of UCD, delivered speeches respectively.
In his speech, Wang Hanjun said that currently the urban rail transit development has entered into the process of large-scale and higher quality incremental construction in China. He said that as a platform of innovation in scientific research, technological exchange, development of the industry and application and popularization of the achievements, the rail transit branch of China Civil Engineering Society always focuses on serving urban rail transit and promotes the high-quality development of the industry with practical action. He said that the conference had gathered wisdom from all parties and brought about new concepts, new technologies and new achievements, which will inevitably usher in greener, more low-carbon and sustainable development of the industry. In the meantime, he added, as a dependent unit of the rail transit branch of China Civil Engineering Society, UCD will give full play to its own roles, exert itself to serve the construction and development of the branch society and join hands with all walks of life to contribute strength for propelling the high-quality development of China’s urban rail transit industry!

High-end dialogue：Academicians, masters and experts sharing research results

Sixteen people, including academicians, national engineering survey and design masters and senior experts from different industries, shared their new trains of thought, latest research results and practice experience from their own research fields, bringing in new wisdom and providing valuable reference for the industry.

At the forum, four academicians made keynote speeches respectively sharing the latest research results of their own fields. In his speech on the theme of water disaster prevention technology for basic engineering, Wang Fuming, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, introduced the application of non-water reactive polymer impermeable repair material, prevention technologies such as excavation-free repair of underground pipeline and construction of the integrated service platform of the “engineering hospital”. Pertinent to the high-quality and sustainable rail transit development in China’s inland cities, Chen Xiangsheng, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, put forth the new model for the sustainable development of rail transit with “hub economy” as the driving source. Revolving around the theme of AI-enabled mobile lidar mapping, Li Jun, academician of Canadian Academy of Engineering and academician of the Academy of Science of the Royal Society of Canada, shared the important roles of AI and lidar in the mapping field. Ma Jun, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, introduced research results in green and low-carbon technology of the rail transit system and put forth trans of thought and suggestions for coping with ecological risks in future urban development.
Yu Songwei and Shi Haiou, national engineering survey and design masters, made keynote speeches on Research Outline Based on the Comprehensive Appraisal of the Sustainable Urban Rail Development of the Complex Giant System and the Development and Realization of the Vibration and Noise Reduction Technology in Urban Rail Transit respectively. And other twelve experts exchanged experience as well.

Sub-forum：Giving advice and suggestions focused on tourist track

On the afternoon of July 28th, the conference held the tourist track sub-forum. Wang Hanjun, chairman of the rail transit branch of China Civil Engineering Society and general manager of UCD addressed the sub-forum. Nine experts and enterprise representatives, including Zhong Jianhua, vice chairman of China Association of Metros and deputy director of expert and academic committee, made exchanges and discussions in terms of tourist track design, construction, operation of the tourist rail track and the development of the rail track industry and gave advice and suggestions for promoting the integrated development of the rail transit and tourism.

Ma Haizhi, vice chairman of the rail transit branch of China Civil Engineering Society and national engineering survey and design master, and Chen Yulin, young expert of the rail transit branch, professor of School of Architecture of Tsinghua University and SPURS scholar of Massachusetts Institute of Technology, presided over the forum；Feng Aijun, vice chairman of the rail transit branch of China Civil Engineering Society, presided over the sub-forum.
At the opening ceremony on July 28th, a ceremony for the release of the 2022 urban rail transit technology innovation popularization projects was held as well and certificates were issued for twenty-four innovation popularization projects; in the meantime, a ceremony for appointing young experts for the rail transit branch of China Civil Engineering Society was held, and letters of appointment were issued to six newly appointed young experts.
On July 29th, the conference also organized the visit to the rail transit projects of Kunming and made the field investigation of Kunming’s metro network, construction and operation and resource development.