China Unveils World S Fastest High Speed Train The Secrets Behind This 450 Kilometres Per Hour Machine

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China, the world’s most populous nation with 1.4 billion people and the planet’s second biggest economy, possessed the world’s largest network of high-speed railways. As of the end of 2020, China had built 146,300-kmof railways, with over 40,000 kilometres of high-speed rail (HSR) – the world’s longest and most extensive, covering 95% of cities with a population of more than a million.
By late-2020, China National Railways was operating more than 9,600 high-speed trains per day. The driverless “bullet trains” connecting Beijing and Zhangjiakou in northern Hebei province are capable of hitting speeds up to 350 km/h, making them the world’s fastest autonomous trains. Built in just 4 years, the line has 10 stations serving two of the major Beijing 2022 Winter Games venues.
 
In comparison, Spain, a country that has Europe’s most extensive high-speed network and second only to China in the world, has just over 3,200-km (2,000 miles) of dedicated lines built for operation at over 250 km/h. The U.K. has just 107 kilometers while the U.S. has only one – Amtrak’s North East Corridor – where Acela trains currently top out at 240 km/h, covering 735 kilometres.
“The Chinese have created an entire high-speed rail network on an unprecedented scale – often faster and certainly more reliable than Chinese domestic flights. It’s hard not to be impressed by the sheer size of some of the new stations, all with a reserved seat and increasingly without the need for paper tickets, just a scan of an ID card or passport at the ticket gates,” – says rail travel expert Mark Smith.
 
Today, China’s railway network has increased to 160,000 kilometres, including 46,000 kilometres of HSR. During the first 11 months of 2024, it handled record 4.008 billion passenger trips. The railway network now covers 99% of Chinese cities with a population of 200,000 or more. Not bad for a country that only took about 20 years to develop a 45,000km (28,000-mile) network.
 
But the Middle Kingdom has no plan to rest on its laurels. By 2035, China is seeking to expand its overall railway network to 200,000 kilometres, including 70,000 kilometres of high-speed rail (HSR). Its ambitious plan is to achieve a three-hour travel time between all major cities by 2035 under its national comprehensive three-dimensional transport network.
A few days before entering New Year 2025 (December 29, 2024), Beijing revealed a prototype of its next generation high-speed train – the CR450 – which had reached test speeds as high as 450 kilometres per hour (km/h) and an operational speed of 400 kilometres per hour, beating its current CR400 model, which debuted in 2017 and operates at 350 kilometers per hour.
 
Having undergone more than 3,000 simulations and over 2,000 platform tests to meet the rigorous demands of commercial operation, the CR450 could be the fastest high-speed train in the world once in commercial service. The research for the CR450 bullet train began in 2018 with exploratory trials conducted on various routes before finalizing the prototype.
 
Beijing’s long-term plans were to build a pan-Asia railway network that would connect Kunming to Singapore, running through Laos, Thailand and Malaysia, with offshoots in Vietnam and Cambodia. Here’s the secrets behind the latest CR450, which have shorter braking distances and better operation stability, as well as bigger cabin spaces such as larger storage areas to accommodate items such as bicycles and wheelchairs. 
Stronger Power – The CR450, utilizing permanent magnet traction motors, has increased energy conversion efficiency by over 3% compared to the older CR400 model, which uses asynchronous traction motors. The stronger power output enables the train to run faster as it converts electrical energy into mechanical energy.
 
Lower Resistance – As high-speed trains accelerate, aerodynamic resistance escalates exponentially with the velocity. When the speed rises to 400 km/h, the resistance will increase by 30%. This means that most of the energy generated is used to fight air resistance. However, the CR450’s innovative design has managed to slash resistance by 22%.
 
Lighter Weight – To make the train run faster, stop steadily, and lower energy consumption, it needs to be more powerful and lighter. The CR450 has cut its weight by 12% compared to the CR400, thanks to the adoption of new materials such as carbon fiber composites and magnesium alloys, as well as the topology optimization technique.
Better Braking System – From an operating speed of 350 km/h to 400 km/h, the most crucial factor is not about whether the train can speed, but about whether it can stop reliably, stably, and accurately. The CR450 now takes only 6,500 meters to achieve a complete stop from 400 km/h, the same braking distance as the CR400.
 
New Materials – The permanent magnet motor of the CR450 traction system is being used for the first time in China’s HSR. While increasing its speed by 50 kilometres per hour, the CR450 train does not exceed the noise and energy consumption indicators of the CR400 bullet train. This is due to new technologies and high-efficient lightweight new materials
 
More Intelligent – The CR450 is armed with intelligent monitoring and diagnostic systems, which allow the bullet train to collect data such as axle temperature and pressure from over 4,000 monitoring stations in real time. This advanced technology enables the train to recognize, assess and determine its actions by itself.
Additionally, the latest model has managed to reduce its in-cabin noise by two decibels, making the overall noise level comparable to that of the older CR400 model. Thanks to a compact design, where the height of the CR450 has been trimmed from 4.05 meters to 3.85 meters, the CR450 offers 4% more room for passengers and has expanded the storage capacity for large luggage by 100 percent.
 
According to Li Yongheng, an executive with the Department of Science, Technology and Information Technology of China Railway, the CR450’s successful completion was made possible with the data collected from the extensive track tests of over 200,000 kilometers, as well as over 1,000 simulation calculations and more than 1,000 ground-based tests.
 
At 450 km/h, it would only take approximately 5 hours to travel from Guangzhou to Beijing. China State Railway Group has announced that further line tests and refinements will ensure the train meets all necessary standards for commercial operation. Other bells and whistles including adaptive lighting that can adjust brightness according to the outdoor environment.


The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.


- financetwitter

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