bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

sponsorType

authorLocations

authors

paywallTypes

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

factSheets

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

copyrighted

customTimezone

liveContents

Meredith Chen

China’s rail operator has unveiled a prototype of the country’s next-generation commercial bullet train, a vehicle that its developer says is on track to be the world’s fastest and will give Chinese high-speed technology an even bigger global edge.
State-owned China State Railway Group said on Sunday that the CR450 could reach speeds of up to 450km/h (280mph), with a commercial operating speed of 400km/h.
In a post on social media, the group said the unveiling of the prototype signalled a “breakthrough” in the CR450 project, work that would greatly raise the level of innovation in China’s railway technology and improve its capacity for technological self-reliance.
“[The project] will also further consolidate and expand China’s leading advantage in high-speed rail technology globally,” the group said.

The CR450 Technology Innovation Project was launched in 2021 with the goal of developing “safer, more environmentally friendly, more energy-efficient, and smarter” trains.
The new trains will supersede the CR400 in the “Fuxing” high-speed train series, vehicles that now run at 350km/h on the backbones of China’s network and are the fastest of their kind in the world, according to state media.
If the new train goes into service as expected, it could cut travel time between the capital Beijing and Shanghai from 4½ hours to 3.3 hours.
China Railway said efforts to raise that speed to 400km/h started in 2018, and production of the prototype officially began in 2024.
Making that leap meant ensuring the train’s braking system “can stop safely, steadily, and accurately”, Zhao Hongwei, chief researcher at the China Academy of Railway Sciences, told state broadcaster CCTV in April.

The prototype unveiled on Sunday – and glimpsed on a test run from Tianjin to Beijing during the week – “leads internationally in key indicators”, including operating speed, energy consumption, interior noise, and braking distance, China Railway said.
The CR450 train resembles an arrow when viewed from the side and weighs in at about 10 tonnes, making it more than 10 per cent lighter than its predecessor, state media reported.
Operating resistance and energy consumption indicators have each been reduced by around 20 per cent, while braking performance has also improved by about 20 per cent.
China Railway said on Sunday that the next step was to put the prototype through a series of line tests and assessments to further assess its performance.
The group did not specify when the train would be in service, saying only that it would “continuously optimise technical specifications” and “strive to put it into commercial operation as soon as possible”.
But previous reports said the train could be up and running as early as next year.


China has the world’s biggest high-speed rail network, with 47,000km (29,200 miles) of line in service and 2,000km added in the past year alone, according to state news agency Xinhua.
The first route was opened between Beijing and Tianjin in 2008 in time for the Beijing Olympic Games.
China started developing the Fuxing series in 2012, and had the high-speed trains - fully Chinese designed and built – up and running about five years later.


China unveils the future of high-speed rail with a next-gen prototype

State Council guideline encourages private investment in China’s railways

China green lights a game-changing new railway through Central Asia

‘Infrastructure monster’: how China built the world’s longest high-speed railway

China Railway

Further tests are in store for the CR450. Photo: Xinhua 

A view of CR450 from the driver’s cabin. Photo: Xinhua

The prototype includes a business class section. Photo: Xinhua

China’s high-speed rail enthusiasts glimpse the future as 450km/h train spotted

China’s next-generation Fuxing bullet train, the CR450, was seen travelling from Tianjin to Beijing on Wednesday. Photo: Weibo/龙龙井拿铁

An image taken from the video that appeared on Chinese social media showing the CR450. Photo: Weibo/蜗牛同学LX

China’s 450km/h high-speed CR450 train to be tested this year, set to enter service by 2025

China’s existing bullet trains can travel at 350km/h (563mph). Photo: Xinhua

Chinese scientists hope to smooth the path of fastest ever bullet trains, which travel at 400km/h

The country’s fastest trains can reach speeds of 350km/h, but a new model could raise this to 400km/h. Photo: XinHua

The country is developing a network of ever-faster trains. Photo: Xinhua

News

China

China Future Tech

The CR450 is expected to become the fastest commercial vehicle of its kind and has been several years in the making


The CR450 is expected to become the fastest commercial vehicle of its kind and has been several years in the making.


China technology

China economy