Some high-ranking Portuguese government officials take the train from Trindade to Casa da Musica station in Porto, Portugal on Dec 6. (CHINA DAILY)

Chinese-made metro trains started operation in Porto, Portugal, on Dec 6, marking their debut in a European Union country, said CRRC Tangshan, the trains' manufacturer.

At 11:30 am, the first metro train departed from Trindade Metro Station, the busiest station on the Porto metro.

High-ranking government officials participated in the launch and took the train from Trindade to Casa da Musica station.

They included Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa, Environment and Climate Action Minister Duarte Cordeiro, and, from the Chinese side, Huang Liewei, deputy manager of the company, which is based in Tangshan, Hebei province. Costa inaugurated the service, emphasizing his government's substantial investment of nearly 50 million euros ($54 million) from the EU recovery fund, and promising extensive benefits for residents and tourists from the new metro trains, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Costa also revealed plans to allocate more than 1 billion euros for public infrastructure development in key Portuguese cities such as Lisbon, Porto and Braga, the report said.

Cordeiro said that the newly launched Chinese-made metro trains not only met public expectations for more comfortable and secure travel, but also significantly improve the operational efficiency of Porto's metro network.

Huang said the subway train project was signed in January 2020 between CRRC Tangshan and Porto Metro. Under the contract, the Chinese company will produce and deliver 18 metro trains, each with four cars, for Porto Metro, and also provide five years of maintenance support.

Chinese passengers take part in the inauguration ceremony. (CHINA DAILY)

The trains were jointly designed by CRRC Tangshan and Porto Metro.

They have low energy consumption, intelligent operating features and a lower weight than standard metro trains. They also meet the standard for the new generation of European subway trains, according to the Chinese company.

The first train was delivered to Porto in December last year, with 10 others handed over later. The remaining seven will be finished and delivered this month, according to CRRC Tangshan.

In July, the trains passed an independent safety assessment by a third party, which was the first independent safety assessment certificate obtained by Chinese metro vehicles in the EU, the company said.

Portugal's second-largest city, Porto has six metro lines and over 80 stations, covering a total distance of 67 kilometers, serving both Porto and its suburbs.

"We should apply digital and intelligent platforms in the operation and maintenance of the Porto metro project, building the core competitiveness of CRRC's products," Zhou Junnian, chairman of CRRC Tangshan, said during a recent visit to Porto.