Winter-ready rail in Shandong: Improving passenger comfort while cutting emissions

Winter-ready Rail: How Shandong Stations on the Ji’nan–Zhengzhou High-Speed Railway Improved Passenger Comfort and Cut Emissions

With the Ji’nan–Zhengzhou High-Speed Railway (HSR) now fully operational, travel between western Shandong and northeastern Henan is faster and more seamless than ever. Linking Ji’nan, the capital of Shandong, with Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan, the line brings communities, culture, and commerce closer together.

But when winter temperatures plunge to –15°C in Shandong, a region known for its biting cold winters, the five stations along this section of the line face sharply increased heating demand in their indoor passenger waiting halls. The challenge is to maintain a comfortable indoor temperature of 20°C while improving energy efficiency, without compromising reliability.

To meet these demands, Johnson Controls deployed a high-efficiency, low-carbon heating solution for the passenger waiting halls, engineered to perform reliably in extreme cold conditions. By strengthening heating performance and operational resilience, the project supports a more consistent passenger experience while advancing long-term sustainability objectives.

• Save 3.27 million kWh of electricity annually
• Energy efficiency improved by 15% (with operating costs significantly reduced)
• CO₂ emissions reduced by 2,803 tons per year (≈ carbon absorption of around 150,000 trees)

Modernising winter heating to improve performance and passenger experience

Before the upgrade, winter heating at the Shandong stations indoor passenger waiting halls faced multiple operational constraints. The existing system had limited heating capacity, and long-distance piping from the central heating network caused substantial heat loss before the heat even reached the stations. The result was uneven terminal temperatures, higher energy consumption, and rising operating costs.

High-speed rail stations operate under strict reliability requirements, with little tolerance for heating disruption. Any drop in performance can quickly affect passenger comfort and place pressure on day-to-day operations, especially during peak travel periods and extreme winter weather. This challenge is most pronounced in passenger waiting halls, which are among the busiest and most continuously occupied spaces in a station. Their large open spans, high-volume interiors, and elevated ceilings make efficient heating difficult, while also driving significant energy consumption and carbon emissions.

With China’s dual-carbon goals accelerating the shift to cleaner energy, the five Shandong stations needed a heating solution that could reduce emissions while delivering stable performance and cost-effective operation.

The stations needed a unified approach to:

• Maintain stable winter heating to support uninterrupted operations
• Deliver a consistent indoor temperature of 20°C to keep passengers comfortable in harsh winter conditions
• Reduce energy consumption and operating costs
• Support sustainability objectives through modern, efficient, low-carbon heating