
![]() |
China plans to raise the speed of bullet trains running between Beijing and Shanghai to 350 km an hour by next October, Chinese media outlet, Caixin, reported.
China Railway (CR), the State-owned enterprise under the management of the central government has verified the feasibility of the speed upgrade and is preparing trials with relevant departments. However, the company refused to provide further information.
The operating time of train G1, the fastest on Beijing-Shanghai High-speed Railway, will be shortened by about 49 minutes after the speed increase. The speed of other trains will also be shortened by about 40 to 50 minutes. Commuting time between the two mega cities will be slashed to 5 hours.
According to a worker with China Railway Signal & Communication Corporation Limited, the speed on this section of high-speed railway has been maintained at 300 km an hour since the start of operations. He said it calls for further examination if the signals can stand higher speed, given that signal debugging is a huge task.
Since July 1, 2011, Chinese high-speed rail started full-scale speed reduction over safety concerns, except for the section between Beijing and Tianjin.
However, a bullet train crashed just 23 days after the speed reduction, resulting in the death of 40 people. Though it was later found out that the accident had no link to speed, China’s Ministry of Railway still decided to reduce speed on all tracks across the country.
Chief CR engineer, He Wuhua, told Caixin that the increase in speed to 350 km per hour will raise operation costs, creating a number of problems. Therefore, whether and when to speed up trains calls for cautious and thorough verification.
It was learnt that the bullet train covered Beijing-Shanghai in 4 hours, 12 minutes during the test run.
A source close to CR said speed increase on other sections of the country’s high-speed rail networks will also be considered after the pioneer section.
Fire brigade in Shanghai holds group wedding
Tourists enjoy ice sculptures in Datan Town, north China
Sunset scenery of Dayan Pagoda in Xi'an
Tourists have fun at scenic spot in Nanlong Town, NW China
Harbin attracts tourists by making best use of ice in winter
In pics: FIS Alpine Ski Women's World Cup Slalom
Black-necked cranes rest at reservoir in Lhunzhub County, Lhasa
China's FAST telescope will be available to foreign scientists in April
"She power" plays indispensable role in poverty alleviation
Top 10 world news events of People's Daily in 2020
Top 10 China news events of People's Daily in 2020
Top 10 media buzzwords of 2020
Year-ender:10 major tourism stories of 2020
No interference in Venezuelan issues
Biz prepares for trade spat
Broadcasting Continent
Australia wins Chinese CEOs as US loses