Tests on the Meizhou Bay cross-sea bridge, part of the 277-km Fuzhou-Xiamen high-speed railway, June 28, 2023. /China Academy of Railway Sciences
China will unveil the prototype of its self-developed intelligent high-speed bullet train CR450 in 2024, the China State Railway Group Co., Ltd (China Railway) announced on Tuesday.
The CR450 science and technology innovation project is one of the key national science programs outlined in China's 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025). A massive amount of research, simulations and tests are required to pave the way for developing the next-generation bullet trains.
Last June, China Railway tested CR450 on the Fuzhou-Xiamen high-speed railway from Fuqing to Quanzhou in southeast China's Fujian Province.
The train ran at 453 kilometers per hour in the test. It's relative speed, measured when two trains move in the opposite direction, reached as high as 891 kilometers per hour during the test.
The screen shows the train running 453 kilometers per hour during the test, June 28, 2023. /China Academy of Railway Sciences
In 2023, China Railway gave full play to the operational advantages of its high-speed rail network and optimized train operation plans, increasing the passenger transport capacity during peak hours.
The country's rail sector handled 3.68 billion trips throughout 2023, with the peak day passenger trips exceeding 20 million and the average daily passenger trips surpassing 10 million. Both the annual and peak day passenger traffic volumes reached record highs.
In 2024, China Railway is poised to deepen sci-tech innovation in the CR450 project, advancing key technological research for trip safety, key equipment, infrastructure and operational services. The group will also accelerate research and testing on 5G network technology in railways and further work on information connectivity.