China’s railway officials have announced that a prototype of the CR450 EMU (electric multiple units) high-speed train, China’s most recently designed high-speed bullet train model, debuted in Beijing on Sunday.
Fastest high-speed train
The Global Times cited China State Railway Group Co (China Railway) as saying that it is likely to reach a speed of 400 kilometers per hour, making it the fastest high-speed train in the world.
The Global Times reported that the train will further shorten travel time and improve connectivity, making travel more convenient and efficient for the country’s vast passengers.
A new global benchmark
The CR450 prototype reached a test speed of 450 km per hour, with key performance indicators — operational speed, interior noise, energy consumption, and braking distance — setting a new global benchmark, the company stated.
The CR450 will be significantly faster than the currently operating CR400 Fuxing high-speed trains, which operate at a maximum speed of 350 kilometers per hour, the Global Times added.
CR450 high-speed train will lower operational resistance by 22 percent and decrease weight by 10 percent compared to CR400 bullet train, the Global Times cited the China State Railway Group Co (China Railway) as saying.
Technological innovation
The breakthroughs of the CR450 project will help boost China’s railway technological innovation and independence, further strengthening the country’s global leadership in high-speed rail technology, China Railway said.
China has built the world’s longest and most advanced high-speed rail network and is ready to enhance passenger travel with faster, more comfortable, and efficient rail services, according to the Global Times.
As of September, China’s high-speed rail network exceeds 46,000 km, accounting for over 70 percent of the global high-speed railway length, according to the Xinhua News Agency.
