In China, a test run site for the world's fastest train, reaching 453 kph, has been unveiled. The train is more than 100 km/h faster than existing high-speed trains, and after completing test runs, it is expected to begin commercial service as early as next year.
According to China Central Television (CCTV) on the 21st, the test operation site for the Fuxing CR450 on the Shanghai–Chongqing–Chengdu high-speed rail line was unveiled the previous day. The CR450 is a next-generation high-speed train developed under the leadership of China State Railway Group, manufactured by two subsidiaries under the state-owned train maker CRRC. The project began in 2021, and a prototype was unveiled at the end of last year. The CR450 set a new top-speed record for a wheel-on-rail train at 453 kph.
Among trains in commercial operation, Shanghai's magnetic levitation train, the Maglev, is the fastest in the world at 460 kph. Excluding this, among wheel-on-rail trains, China's Fuxing CR400 is the fastest with a top speed of 350 kph. France's TGV and Japan's Shinkansen are second at 320 kph, and in Korea the KTX-Sancheon reaches a maximum speed of 305 km/h.
According to the report, the CR450 features a lower, lighter, and smoother design than the existing CR400 series. To reduce air resistance and increase speed, the train's nose length was extended from 12.5 meters to 15 meters for a sleeker profile, and the lower body minimizes wheel exposure. The carbody height has been lowered by about 20 centimeters and weight reduced by 50 tons. As a result, air resistance has been cut by 22%. The time to accelerate from a standstill to 350 kph is 4 minutes 40 seconds, 100 seconds faster than before.
Once the train reaches a total running distance of 600,000 kilometers, it can receive government approval to carry passengers. During next year, a full-scale test under conditions similar to actual commercial operation is planned for the Chengdu–Chongqing section. The goal is to start commercial service next year. CCTV said, "The recent test run is the final step for the CR450 to enter the commercial operation phase and will be a milestone symbolizing that the technological prowess of China's high-speed rail is leaping from 'Made in China' to 'Created in China.'"
Meanwhile, during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021–2025), China has accelerated the building of its transportation network. According to the Chinese business outlet Cailianshe, the total length of the nationwide three-dimensional transportation network—organically linking rail, road, air, and shipping—has surpassed 6 million kilometers, making it the largest in the world. More than 80% of county-level administrative regions nationwide have been connected, and within them are more than 90% of the national economy and population. During the National Day holiday earlier this month, interregional movements surpassed 2.4 billion people, of which rail passengers alone reached 213 million, averaging about 18 million train users per day.