China debuts 620 kph train prototype
The Chinese government will trial a high-speed train service from Beijing to the rest of China, starting from the city’s Changli station on November 12, the Xinhua news agency said on Tuesday.
The train is a 620 kph prototype, Xinhua said, adding that it will be operated by a joint venture between China Railway Express and the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Railway.
Xinhua said the train was named “Beijing – Zhili Train” (Beijing – Zhili Train) at the start.
The train runs on tracks built by the state-owned China Western Railway and is one of three high-speed trains to be tested in China by a joint venture of three state-owned companies.
The others are “Xinxiang – Tianjin High Speed Railway” and “Hubei – Chengdu High Speed Rail”. In July, two high speed trains made their first trials between Wuhan and Shanghai.
China Western Railway is one of the world’s biggest train companies, while Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Railway is the world’s largest.
China Western Railway will invest 10 billion yuan (S$1.7 billion) in the project in total, Xinhua said, adding that it was expected to employ 300 people.
Beijing – Zhili Train will be used for a test run to prove the track’s reliability, Xinhua said.
Other projects to be tested in China include the trial of the Beijing – Tianjin-Hebei-Shanghai high-speed railway, as well as an intercity high-speed rail service between Beijing and Guangzhou.
After its maiden voyage, the high-speed train can do the equivalent of running at speeds of 180 to 200mph, China’s domestic media reported on Monday.
“After several experimental trips, the train’s speed has been tested to the top end… We are very happy with the train,” said Wang Dong, a spokesman of China Railway Administration.
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