High-speed rail showcasing China's rapid modernization

China's railway sector has achieved leapfrog development over the past decades, as evidenced by a range of impressive statistics.

In an hour, the Fuxing bullet train travels 350 kilometers, making it the fastest train service in the world. Besides, China is developing a new high-speed train model CR450, which will be able to operate at speeds of 400 kilometers per hour, showing strong innovation dynamism.

Primary school students watch models of high-speed trains in a railway museum in Qingdao, east China's Shandong province. (People's Daily Online/Wang Haibin)

In a single day, China's railway network transports over 10 million passengers, making it the busiest rail system globally. These bustling services demonstrate China's vitality, with the railway network reaching 99 percent of cities across the country, each with a population of over 200,000, and the high-speed rail network covering 96 percent of cities, each with a population surpassing 500,000.

In a year, China's modern railway network expands by about 3,600 kilometers, marking the most significant growth worldwide. China has built the most modern railway system and the most advanced high-speed rail network in the world. The operating mileage of China's railway network is expected to surpass 160,000 kilometers, and the total length of China's operating high-speed rail tracks is set to approach 46,000 kilometers, the longest in the world.

In front of the archive of the China Academy of Railway Sciences Corporation Limited (CARS), there is a 100-meter-long railway track made up of different types of sleepers.

"Each kind of sleepers used in China's railway, starting from wood and cement to integral track beds, marks significant milestones in the country's railway modernization," said Li Xuefeng, general manager of CARS.

"The goal of building 160,000 kilometers of railway, a vision proposed over a century ago, is now becoming a reality in the new era,” said Fu Meisheng, deputy head of the China Railway Museum.

The newly launched high-speed railways in China are equipped with state-of-the-art heavy-duty tracks to accommodate the speed of 350 kilometers per hour, with each track spanning 100 meters.

A passenger train runs on the China-Laos Railway in Hongjing, southwest China's Yunnan province. (People's Daily Online/Zheng Yi)

"If you want the trains to be fast and steady, it is necessary to use 100-meter heavy-duty tracks and reduce the number of welding lines on the tracks," said Zeng Xianhai, head of the department of track, communication & signaling and power supply of China Railway.

To extend 25-meter steel rails to 100-meter heavy-duty tracks, Chinese enterprises, universities and research institutes have collaborated extensively, achieving more than 100 technology patents in China and around the world.

For instance, to overcome the challenge, the CARS performed extensive tests to find the best technical parameters for the tracks. Leading steel companies in China have collaborated on research and development and conducted trial production at the same time.

Today, China's high-speed heavy-duty rails boast world-leading performance, with a straightness deviation of no more than the thickness of three A4 sheets per meter.

A high-speed train running at 350 kilometers per hour consists of approximately 40,000 parts, with the network control system considered the train's "brain." China used to rely on foreign technology in this regard, which limited the technological iteration and advancement of the trains.

To tackle the technological challenge, China Railway managed to develop the testing platform and produce network chips independently. From technical documents to system architecture, from diverse hardware specifications to component testing and code debugging, it took five years for the company to break through key technologies of this network control system.

A purple bullet train runs on a bridge in Hengdian township, Dongyang, east China's Zhejiang province. (People's Daily Online/Jin Sicheng)

Today, this advanced, independently developed "brain" boasts a data transmission speed 60 times higher than existing products, with a transmission capacity 100 times greater. It is reported that of the 254 important standards adopted by the Fuxing bullet train, 84 percent are Chinese standards.

Innovation knows no bounds. The prototype of the next-generation Fuxing bullet train CR450 is being manufactured on the production lines of China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation's Changchun and Qingdao bases. It will roll off the assembly line later this year, expected to break new ground in several areas of high-speed railway technology.

The Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway marks the first time that all systems, all elements, and the entire industrial chain of China's high-speed railway are landed overseas. It also serves as a vivid example of China's openness and inclusiveness.

During the railway's construction, over 75 percent of services and procurement are local to Indonesia, creating 51,000 jobs for local communities. During the operation, China provided on-site training for over 160 local drivers and technicians. The project has significantly boosted the development of Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway economic belt, serving as the path to prosperity and happiness for local communities.

Chinese railway technology is rapidly advancing on a global level, contributing Chinese wisdom to the global modernization. For instance, China-Europe freight trains have reached 223 cities in 25 European countries and over 100 cities in 11 Asian countries. The China-Laos Railway has transported over 4.3 million tons of cargo since it was put into operation in 2021.

So far, China's high-speed railway network has handled a total of over 20 billion passenger trips. More than 8,700 Fuxing bullet trains are in operation every day in China. Known for its exceptional safety performance, China's high-speed railway network is widely recognized as the safest railway system worldwide.