[3] The predecessors of the holding company: CNR Group and CSR Group, were formed in 2002 by splitting China National Railway Locomotive & Rolling Stock Industry Corporation [zh] (LORIC), a corporation under the Ministry of Railways.

[4]: 70 The control of CNR Group and CSR Group were also transferred from the Ministry of Railways to the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council (SASAC) in the same year,[4]: 70  became duopoly in locomotives and rolling stock manufacturing.

In 2015, as part of the reform of the whole railway industry, which saw the closure of the Ministry of Railways and spin-off the China Railway as operator and purchaser, the National Railway Administration as regulator, the two duopoly also merged back into one holding company under the SASAC, by CNR Group absorbing CSR Group, and renamed into CRRC Group; their two main listed subsidiaries were also merged to form CRRC (excluding CRRC Times Electric and Times Material Technology).

In 2017, CRRC Group was reincorporated from "Industrial Enterprises Owned by the Whole People" (Chinese: 全民所有制工业企业) to state-owned limited company (国有独资公司), renaming from 中国中车集团公司 to 中国中车集团有限公司.

CRRC Group paid CN¥1.711 billion to bid back the land lease from the local government.