Bullet train runs 350km/hr from Beijing to Shanghai

China on Thursday officially began the world’s fastest commercial train service with a top speed of 350 kilometers per hour between Beijing and Shanghai. The next-generation bullet train “Fuxing,” which means “rejuvenation,” is the

first entirely domestically developed high-speed train, or electric multiple unit (EMU). It was launched following nearly three months of test runs.

The Fuxing can be identified by its titanium grey, crimson and black exterior compared to the previous Hexie (harmony) trains, which are painted blue and white.

The Fuxing reached a top speed of 350 kilometers per hour after leaving the Beijing South Railway Station on Thursday.

Travel time between Beijing and Shanghai, a distance of 1,318 kilometers, has been cut by half an hour to four hours and 28 minutes.

The Fuxing tops the service offered in countries such as France and Japan. In Japan, the Shinkansen bullet train travels at a top speed of 320 kilometers per hour.

“The Fuxing is staffed by an elite crew, and represents the highest service standards,” said a manager surnamed Zhou from State-owned train operator China Railway Corporation’s (CRC) Beijing Railway Bureau.

The company spared no efforts to ensure that the Fuxing offers a safe, comfortable, and economical way to travel, train operators and experts told the Global Times.

Compared with the Hexie train, the Fuxing offers better driver vision and is easier to operate, Xue Jun, a 49-year-old train driver told the Global Times on Thursday.

“The Hexie train has a top speed of 300 kilometers per hour, and a minimum emergency braking distance of 3,800 meters,” Xue told the Global Times.

“Because the Fuxing runs at a top speed of 350 kilometers per hour, it requires a minimum emergency braking distance of 6,500 meters,” Xue added.

“We should never take our eyes off the tracks, and we have no time to go to the toilet during the trip,” Xue explained.

Zhao Hongwei, vice-chief engineer and researcher at the China Academy of Railway Sciences, told the Global Times on Thursday that the Beijing-Shanghai line is designed to serve trains with a maximum speed of 350 kilometers per hour.

“2,500 sensors monitor the temperature and stability of components on the EMU to ensure safety,” Zhao said.

Passengers will benefit from the faster train which allows the railway operator to maximize resources and improve efficiency, Zhao said, adding that the higher speeds also showcase China’s prowess in railway technologies and management and will boost exports.

A resident of Ji’nan, East China’s Shandong Province, surnamed Lian, said he travels every weekend to attend a vocational training course in Beijing.

“Home is nearer as our train gets faster. The trip to Ji’nan used to take one hour and 40 minutes, but now it only takes one hour and 22 minutes,” Lian told the Global Times on Thursday.

Ticket prices for Fuxing trains remain the same, and go as low as 553 yuan ($84) for the Beijing-Shanghai ride.

As of the end of 2016, China had 22,000-kilometers of high-speed rail, representing 60 percent of the world’s total, transporting more than five million passengers a day.