China Launches World's Fastest Bullet Train: Reaches 450 Km/hour, There's A Compartment Class

China's CR450 bullet train. (Source: Xinhua /Ju Huanzong)

JAKARTA - China late last year launched a bullet train that would be the fastest in the world, beating the country's previous fastest train, with a number of modern features and advantages.

Launched on December 29, 2024, the CR450 series has reached a test speed of up to 450 kilometers (281 miles) per hour and an operational speed of 400 kilometers (248.5 miles) per hour, according to China's Ministry of Transport.

After operating commercially, the train could be the fastest high-speed train in the world, surpassing China's current CR400 model, which debuted in 2017 and operates at a speed of 350 kilometers (217 miles) per hour, quoted from CNN January 25.

CR450 developer firm CRRC Changchun Railway Vehicles and CRRC Sifang Co., Ltd., praised the train for its operational speed, energy efficiency, noise control and braking performance.

The train has undergone more than 3,000 simulations and more than 2,000 platform tests to meet the demands of strict commercial operations, according to China Daily.

Further track testing and refinement are needed to ensure the train meets all the standards required for commercial operations, the China State Railway Group said.

Quoted from the Chinese Government website, the high-speed train is characterized by a sophisticated water-cooled permanent magnetic transport system, with a reliable and high-stability bogie system to ensure excellent performance and safety during operation.

The train is equipped with a state-of-the-art multilevel emergency braking system and more than 4,000 sensors for real-time main system monitoring, including carriage bodies, high-voltage pantographs, train controls, and fire detection systems. The over-the-horizon system has also been used for better emergency situations recognition, according to CRRC.

The CR450 introduces a new bogie cover design to minimize air drag at high speed, along with a low-brack front and pointed-tip, aerodynamic windshield, and light material.

The new train also combines advanced noise reduction techniques in various areas and frequencies, reduces interior noise by up to 2 inches and improves passenger service space by up to 4 percent compared to its predecessor.

This train has different accommodation classes, ranging from the economy with a comfortable 2-3 seating configuration, business classes to private compartments for those of you who need privacy.

It is known that the Bamboo Curtain Country has become a leading country in the development of trains for the past decade, building thousands of kilometers of new railway lines that reach almost every corner of the country.

Its rail network stretches more than 160,000 kilometers, including more than 46.000 kilometers of high-speed rail lines, according to the Chinese transport ministry.

High-speed trains have long been an effective alternative to replacing air travel for up to 700 miles, connecting people moving between big cities and rural areas of the country easily and comfortably.

Since the 1980s, hundreds of billions of dollars have been invested in high-speed and high-capacity rail lines across Europe and Asia, spearheaded by Shinkansen in Japan and Train a Grand Vitesse (TGV) in France.