By Hassan Tayir, CNN
A prototype of the CR450 bullet train that will run at 400kmh. Photo: JU HUANZONG / XINHUA via AFP
China has revealed a prototype of its next generation high-speed train, a vehicle it says is on track to be the world's fastest.
The CR450, which was unveiled in Beijing on 29 December, had reached test speeds as high as 450km/h and an operational speed of 400km/h, according to China's Ministry of Transport.
Once in commercial service, it could be the fastest high-speed train in the world, surpassing China's current CR400 model, which debuted in 2017 and operates at 350km/h.
The latest CR450 prototype has been hailed by its developers - CRRC Changchun Railway Vehicles and CRRC Sifang Co - for its excellence in operational speed, energy efficiency, noise control, and braking performance.
It had undergone more than 3000 simulations and 2000 platform tests to meet the rigourous demands of commercial operation, according to state-run China Daily.
An interior view of a business class carriage of the CR450AF bullet train. Photo: JU HUANZONG / XINHUA via AFP
Further line tests and refinements were needed to ensure it met all necessary standards for commercial operations, the China State Railway Group said.
In the last decade, China has become an undisputed world leader in railway development, building thousands of kilometres of new railways reaching almost every corner of the country. Its rail network spans over 160,000km, including more than 46,000km of high-speed rail lines, according to China's transport ministry.
High-speed rail has long been an effective alternative to air travel for journeys of up to 1200km, connecting people moving between major cities and rural parts of the country with ease and comfort.
Since the 1980s, hundreds of billions of dollars have been invested in new high-speed, high-capacity railways across Europe and Asia, pioneered by Japan's Shinkansen and the Train à Grande Vitesse (TGV) in France.
- CNN
