This Conference is Organized under the Guidance of

China’s Ministry of Transport and the

Chinese Academy of Sciences,

with the Support of the

Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)

1.Conference Introduction

Launched initially in 2002 alongside the Rail+Metro China exhibition to create a high-quality integrated exhibition and conference platform, and rebranded 3 years ago as the China International Railway Conference for Urban & Intercity Transit (CIRC), our authoritative multi-platform series of forums has won widespread acclaim throughout China’s metropolitan railway industry, enjoying consistently high-level participation.
In order to broaden our platform’s international appeal for business exchange in rail transportation development around the Asia-Pacific, from 2018 CIRC has received official support from the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Transportation Working Group.
CIRC is organized under the guidance of China’s Ministry of Transport and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, with the promotion of industry exchange and the facilitation of cooperation within the rail transit fields the overarching objective of the platform.
The 2018 and 2019 CIRC conferences have together seen more than 230 industry leaders and experts from across China and around the world speak on stage, delivering in-depth presentations to nearly 3,000 industry delegates through numerous forum series.
The topics discussed have included rail transit planning & design, construction & operation, and comprehensive land development. CIRC is renowned for both the depth of insight and analysis of industry trends and developments as well as for the exceptional quality of its content, covering the latest policy planning initiatives, key technological innovations and breakthroughs, which in all provide the ideal space for business networking, dialogue and exchange to flourish.
Ceaselessly striving for progress, now is the time to advance to the next phase in our evolution. From Sept 2nd to 3rd 2020, CIRC will be held for the first time at the esteemed Lujiazui Shanghai International Conference Center, casting rail industry delegates into a vaunted atmosphere of even higher professional standards. In doing so, we are continuing to work with all interests to promote the technological development of China’s rail transit industry, providing a platform for deepening exchanges between Chinese rail transit stakeholders and their international counterparts.

2.CIRC 2020 Core Theme – Integrated, High-Quality Transport

The regional integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta has the firm support of China’s national leadership and has now risen to become part of the official national strategy. Along with China’s flagship Belt and Road economic foreign policy, the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Metropolitan Area, the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, and the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area integration infrastructure, these massive undertakings all complement one another in advancing China’s economic environment and opening up. Transportation Infrastructure Integration is a critical foundation for progressing the development of high-quality regional clusters, and has made a new era of comprehensive development possible.
In the Yangtze River Delta, which has the most dense high-speed rail network in China, transportation integration has extended from “aortas” such as high-speed rail lines and highways to “capillaries” inside the city. With the introduction of the Yangtze River Delta Integrated Ecological Development Master Plan and other policy documents, the development of rail transportation as a backbone network has ushered in important new opportunities.
In 2020 “integration” will continue to be a priority, and so CIRC 2020 will focus on the current state of development of Yangtze River Delta intercity railways, with discussion on how best to integrate and coordinate national, intercity and urban rail transit. The platform will also focus on how to achieve multi-level, multi-modal integrated development, and how the construction of multi-standard rail transit systems provide support for the development of metropolitan areas and supra-urban agglomerations.
Concurrently, as China marks 50 years from the development of its first subway operations, 40 Chinese cities have now entered into the Metro Era, with “high-quality” development an ever-pressing issue for municipal rail transit operators. With operating capabilities continuously improving with various technological innovations now being developed and applied, more and more hot spots are now being engaged by the industry.
The 2020 conference will therefore focus on the two key words of “integration” and “high-quality”, with more than 10 themed forums, salons, tours and other activities planned. In all more than 100 experts will speak, with roughly 2000 delegates set to participate.

3.Schedule of the 2020 CIRC Conference

The first phase: June, 2020

DateConference NameLocation
Sept 2
9:30 - 12:00
CIRC 2020 – The 3rd China International Railway & Urban Rail Transit Conference Opening Forum
– An Exploration of High-Quality Rail Transit Operations
Pearl Hall,
7th floor
Themed Forum 1:
Symposium on Rail Transit Operation & Maintenance Technology
Sept 2
13:00 - 16:30
The challenges of Rail Transit Overhaul in the "Operational Age"Meeting Room 5B/5C, 5th floor
Best Practice in Upgrading Existing Rail Transit LinesMeeting Room 5A, 5th floor
Themed Forum 2:
Symposium on Fully-automated driverless system
Sept 2
13:00 - 16:30
The Application of Automatic Driverless Supporting TechnologyMeeting Room 5D/5E, 5th floor
Themed Forum 3:
Symposium on Risk Management in Rail Transit Underground Construction
Sept 3
13:00 - 16:30
Risk Management & Accident Analysis in Rail Transit Underground Engineering ProjectsMeeting Room 5B/5C, 5th floor
Themed Forum 4:
Symposium on Rail Transit Diversity
Sept 2
10:00 - 16:30
The 8th Tram & Rail Transport Diversity ForumCentury Hall, 1st floor
Sept 3
9:30 - 16:30
The 3rd Symposium on Rail Transit & Medium-Capacity Transit DevelopmentYellow River Hall, 3rd floor
Theme Forum 5:
Symposium on Investment & Financing of Rail Transit & Comprehensive Land Development
Sept 3
9:00 - 16:30
The 6th Rail Transit TOD SummitYangtze River Hall,
5th Floor
Sept 3
13:00 - 16:30
The 8th Rail Transit Vibration & Noise Reduction Technology ForumMeeting Room 5D/5E, 5th floor
Theme Forum 6:
Symposium on the Public Transport Integration in the Yangtze River Delta
Sept3
9:30 - 16:30
The Yangtze River Delta Suburban Railway Planning & Development ForumCentury Hall, 1st floor
Sept 3
13:30 - 16:30
The Yangtze River Delta Urban Public Transport Development SeminarMeeting Room 3B,
3rd Floor
Held concurrently:
The 13th Asia-Pacific Transport Development Conference 2020
& The 33rd Annual Conference of the
International Chinese Transportation Association (ICTPA)
Sept 3
9:30 - 16:30
Yangtze River Hall, 5th Floor

Note: The schedule is subject to change without prior notice.

The second phase: September 2-3, 2020