China’s high-speed train CRH380A, which has a maximum speed of 380 kilometers per hour during regular operations and can keep a constant speed of 350 kph, was put into service on the Wuhan-Guangzhou high-speed rail line late last week.
This is the train which now holds the speed record for commercial trains, as opposed to special one-off trains going for a record. In the past five years the country has gone from having practically no high-speed rail to becoming the world leader.
China has invested almost US$33 billion in its high-speed rail network, which means high-speed rail can cost up to three times more per ticket. Current trains often run at less than half-capacity. Some estimate that China will have more rail than the rest of the world combined.
China.org.cn reported Wang Yongping, spokesperson of the Ministry of Railways, as saying, "It not only marks a milestone in the construction of the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway, but also is a major achievement of China’s technology innovation."
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