China to boost train speed in mid-April

Source: CRI | 04-03-2007 14:51

China is scheduled to increase its passenger trains' speed in mid-April.

With the new round of speed hikes, passenger trains traveling between Beijing and Guangzhou, and on other key rail routes, will upgrade their speed to a record high of 200 kilometers per hour.

According to expert sources attending a recent railway working conference held on Monday in Wuhan, central China's Hubei province, this is the sixth time China has increased its maximum train travel speed in ten years, making certain key rail route passenger trains almost three times faster.

Experts say the upcoming speed increase is due to take place on April 18th. As part of this intensified program, passenger trains traveling between Southwest China’s Chengdu and Chongqing cities, for instance, will cut their current travel time of five hours into two and half.

However, railway experts are also concerned that a train that travels at 200 kilometers per hour will stir up an accompanying wind of over 14 meters per second, possibly drawing passersby into its path.

To avoid unexpected dangers along key railway lines, local authorities in Wuhan have issued a pre-warning against careless crossing of rail tracks or illegal trespass into the vicinity of closed railway lines.

Editor:Du Xiaodan