Meet China’s newest high-speed train – the Fuxing Hao

Two new “Fuxing Hao” trains debuted on the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed rail link on Monday. Owned by China Railway Corporation, the two trains – G123 and G124 – set off at 11.05am. Traveling at 300 km/h, they were expected to make the 1,318km journey in five and three-quarter hours, according to Taiwan’s United Daily News.

The Fuxing Hao, which translates as “the Rejuvenation”, is known as a China Standardized EMU (electric multiple unit) train. Its launch comes eight years after Hexie Hao high-speed trains were first put into use in 2007.

The trains have undergone testing at over 400 km/h, which is faster than the 380 km/h that can be reached by the CRH380 (China Railway High-Speed 380), the newest type of Hexie Hao high-speed train. The Fuxing Hao’s projected life-span is a decade longer than Hexie Hao’s 20 years.

The Fuxing Hao accommodates over 2,500 monitoring points to supervise temperature, braking and surroundings in real-time. Its interior space is also more comfortable than its predecessor as the carriage height has increased to around four meters from 3.7 meters and seat space is at least 102 centimeters. WiFi is available for the whole journey and more stable charging and lighting equipment are provided.

There are two types of Fuxing Hao, made by different manufacturers and presented in different colors: the “Dolphin Blue” (CR400AF) and the “Golden Phoenix” (CR400BF). Both have streamlined body work, producing lower resistance than the CRH380. The abbreviation “CR” refers to “China Railway”, which is distinct from CRH.

The launch of the Fuxing Hao took five years from conception. Of the 254 criteria used in construction, around 84% meet Chinese national standards, while the remainder match international standards.

He Huawu, CRC’s Chief Engineer, told Sina Finance that the Chinese Standard EMU technology would be used in a forthcoming high-speed rail project in Indonesia and that the Fuxing Hao will spearhead Chinese high-speed rail on the global stage.

Originally published on ASIA TIMES