(II) Brand-New HSR

i. Over 6,000 km of upgraded existing lines not counted in the HSR network

Compared with other countries, what are the highlights of China's HSR network, in addition to being the world's largest?

The current statistics for the total length of China's HSR network started in 2008, the year when an intercity HSR line opened between Beijing and Tianjin. Even since, the length of the network has increased steadily, reaching 37,900 km at the end of 2020, accounting for 69% of the global total.

There is, however, a number that often goes unnoticed.

The idea of building an HSR line in China first emerged in 1990, when the former Ministry of Railways submitted the Conceptualization Report for the Planned Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Rail Line to the National People's Congress for review. Thirteen years later in 2002, the Qinhuangdao-Shenyang passenger-dedicated line, with a design speed of 250 km/h, was completed, but it was never put into service.

On April 18, 2007, China significantly raised the operating speeds of HSR for the sixth time, and the exiting trunk lines for some city pairs, including Beijing-Harbin, Beijing-Shanghai, Beijing-Guangzhou and Shanghai-Kunming, were upgraded to run high-speed trains with a speed of 200 km/h, and their combined length surpassed 6,000 km.

The International Union of Railways (UIC) defines “high-speed rail” as new rail lines capable of going 250 km/h or upgraded existing lines capable of going 200 km/h.

This means that the over 6,000 km of upgraded exiting lines are HSR under the UIC's definition.

China, however, does not include the 6,000 km in the nation's total HSR track length, whose statistics started with the Beijing-Tianjin intercity HSR line, which was completed in 2008.

In the Code for Design of High-Speed Railway issued by the National Railway Administration, it is explicitly stipulated that HSR construction standards apply only to the Beijing-Tianjin intercity HSR line and lines built thereafter; rail lines built previously do not count as HSR.

So, over 6,000 km are not counted in China's HSR length. Nevertheless, it means that China's HSR network is entirely new and that its No. 1 position is based on a brand-new network.

This is a fact that gives Chinese people a sense of confidence and pride.

ii. 300-350 km/h HSR lines make up at least one-third of the total

China's HSR lines have three speed grades: 250, 300 and 350 km/h.

In the eleven years between 2008 and 2019, the combined length of China's HSR lines with a speed of 300-350 km/h topped 13,700 km, accounting for 36% of the HSR network.

On August 1, 2008, the Beijing-Tianjin intercity HSR line started service, becoming the first HSR line in the Chinese Mainland with a design speed of 350 km/h. Over a decade later, looking again at the news report on the opening of this new line, we can still feel the greatness of China's HSR ambitions: Only newly built lines are counted as HSR, and a speed of over 300 km/h is eyed.

Today, over a decade later, with a speed of 350 km/h, the Beijing-Tianjin intercity HSR line remains the world's fastest HSR line. The remarkable speed is made possible by multiple advanced technologies and highly sophisticated equipment.

Thus, China has the world's fastest high-speed trains, smoothest HSR lines, busiest train control system with a service interval of four minutes.…

On December 3, 2010, CRH380A, the new-generation high-speed trainsets reached a top speed of 486.1 km/h, setting a world record for the fastest trial train service.

On July 15, 2016, “Fuxing” high-speed trainsets CR400AF and CR400BF met at a speed of over 420 km/h on the Zhengzhou-Xuzhou HSR line, setting another world record for the highest HSR speed.

Today, on China's “eight-vertical and eight-horizontal” HSR network, most trains operate at a speed of over 300 km/h, giving China the world's fastest HSR service.

iii. The high-speed train with the longest service distance

Among China's HSR routes, which one was the longest in 2020? The answer is the Beijing-Guangzhou HSR line, stretching 2,298 km.

If the 141-km Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong HSR link is added, the length would rise to 2,439 km, running all the way from Beijing to Guangzhou South Station and on to Hong Kong's West Kowloon Station.

This is exactly the service distance for the G79 train, which travels from Beijing to Hong Kong's West Kowloon. The train departs from Beijing South Station at 10 a.m. and arrives at West Kowloon Station at 6:58 p.m., completing the 2,439-km journey, with several stops, in 8 hours and 58 minutes.

Although the Beijing-Guangzhou HSR line is the longest HSR route, but the G79 train traveling from Beijing to Hong Kong's West Kowloon is not the one with the longest service distance and running time.

In 2019, the G529 train completed the 2,675-km journey from Beijing to Beihai in 15 hours and 22 minutes, becoming the high-speed train with the longest service distance and running time.

In 2020, the G1284/G1281 train completed the 2,858-km journey from Shenyang North Station to Chongqing West Station in 16 hours and 25 minutes, reaching a peak for the longest running high-speed train in terms of distance and time.

With the adjustments of China's rail routes, high-speed trains keep setting new records for the longest service distance and running time.

Even trains which do not operate at the longest distance dazzle: the G1202 train covers the 2,422 km between Harbin West Station and Shanghai Hongqiao Station in 11 hours and 26 minutes, while the D638 train covers the 1,987 km between Chengdu East Station and Shanghai Hongqiao Station in 15 hours and 7 minutes.

Internationally, the longest running time for a high-speed train is about 3 hours.

iv. A large number of “toughest” trains

If you get on the G529 high-speed train in Beihai on an autumn or winter day wearing a short-sleeved shirt, 15 hours later in Beijing, you may need to put on a down jacket as you step off the train.

China's extensive HSR network, spread over a vast territory, means that many trains run for more than 10 hours at a stretch. Racing over long distances across different climatic zones and terrains, China's high-speed trains are born to be the “toughest” trains thanks to their “genes.”

High-speed trains have diverse operational scenarios. They must be able to resist high winds and sandstorms, provide UV protection, and withstand temperature extremes. The new “Fuxing” high-speed EMU trainsets can operate at temperatures ranging from -40℃ to +40℃.

The CRH2G high-speed trainset races at over 200 km per hour across the Gobi Desert amid gales measuring force 8 in a high-wind area that stretches 50 km.

To make long-distance HSR travel more enjoyable, China has rolled out high-speed sleeper trains for travelers. These trains are unique to China. Riding a high-speed sleeper train is a unique experience that China's HSR system offers.

China is home to not only the largest HSR network but also the most advanced HSR system in the world, and its HSR system boasts numerous world records.

This HSR system is like no other.