The first multiple-unit train exported from China to Europe was launched on Sunday in Macedonia for a maiden voyage from its capital Skopje to the eastern town Veles.

The first multiple-unit train exported from China to Europe was launched on Sunday in Macedonia for a maiden voyage from its capital Skopje to the eastern town Veles. Among the first passengers was Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski.

Among the first passengers was Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski.

The Macedonian government held a hand-over ceremony on Sunday in welcoming the high-speed train manufactured by Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive Company, a subsidiary of China's high-speed rail (HSR) group CRRC Corp. Ltd. It is the first of six trains that the Macedonia agreed to purchase from China.

The Macedonian government plans to invest over 642 million USD to modernize its national railway system. As part of the project, the six Chinese high-speed trains will cover around 60 percent of the railway lines in Macedonia.

According to Chen Xihong, Deputy Chief Engineer of the Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive Company, the train’s design is in line with the most strict safety standards in Europe. Applying the Technical Specification for Interoperability (TSI) in Europe, this is the first order of Chinese high-speed trains that has entered the European market.