China's bullet train sets new global benchmark

The Fuxing bullet train, China's self-developed high-speed locomotive, has won the country's top sci-tech award, setting a benchmark for high-speed trains across the world, according to the China State Railway Group, the national railway regulator and operator.

The award was revealed recently at China's top sci-tech gathering in Beijing that combined the national sci-tech conference, the national science and technology award conference, and the general assemblies of the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering.

In December 2013, China began to develop the bullet train with fully independent intellectual property rights. On June 25, 2017, the China-developed bullet trains were given the official name "Fuxing". The following day, two Fuxing bullet trains made the debut by departing from Beijing and Shanghai at the same time. On Sept 21, 2017, the Fuxing trains were put into operation on the Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway at a speed of 350 kilometers per hour.

Now there are many types of Fuxing bullet trains, ranging from the speed of 250 to 350 km/h, and with eight, 16 and 17 carriages.

Those trains also cater to meet the diverse operational environments such as traveling under extremely cold weather and in high-altitude region.

By the end of 2023, a total of 1,194 Fuxing high-speed trains have been put into service, transporting 2.2 billion passenger trips. Those trains operate in 30 provincial level regions, including Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

Based on the Fuxing train technology, China also developed bullet trains tailored for Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway in Indonesia and Hungary-Serbia High-Speed Railway, contributing to the international railway development.

Now China is developing the Fuxing train with faster speed, which can reach the operation speed of 400 km/h.