Shanghai-Kunming high-speed rail to increase top speed to 350 km/h
(ECNS) -- A major section of China's Shanghai-Kunming high-speed railway is set to boost its operating speed to 350 kilometers per hour (217 mph), following successful tests of the Fuxing bullet train that reached 385 kph, railway authorities said.
The China State Railway Group announced the successful completion of safety standard demonstration line tests on the high-speed railway's Hangzhou-Changsha section.
Following final evaluation and approval, Fuxing trains on this route will commence regular operations at 350 km/h, significantly reducing travel time between cities and improving passenger experience.
As a vital artery of China's ambitious national grid of high-speed rail corridors, known as the ‘Eight Vertical and Eight Horizontal' network, the 924-kilometer Hangzhou-Changsha section connects Zhejiang, Jiangxi, and Hunan provinces. It also links key economic zones including the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration, Poyang Lake Ecological Economic Zone, and Changsha-Zhuzhou-Xiangtan city cluster.
Since its launch in 2014, this segment has maintained safe and stable operations at 310 km/h. The upgraded operation will strengthen regional connectivity and inject new momentum into socioeconomic development along the route.
The upgrade places the Hangzhou-Changsha route among the fastest long-distance rail corridors in the world.
(By Zhang Dongfang)