China rolls out two 350 kmph bullet trains

26 OCT, 2010, 09.12PM IST,PTI 


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BEIJING: China which is on course to develop a train that could run up to 500 kmph has rolled out two bullet trains that travelled at a speed of 350 kmph between Shanghai and Hangzhou, halving travel time between the two cities.

The trains reduced the travel time from 78 minutes to 45 minutes while covering the distance of 202 km. 

After 20 months of construction, the 202-km high-speed railway linking Shanghai and Hangzhou extends the nation's in-service high-speed rail network to 7,431 kilometres, state media here reported today. 

The ticket price for the nine-stop train between Shanghai and Hangzhou costs 156 yuan (USD 23.4) for a first-class seat and 98 yuan for a second-class seat. 

China launched its first high-speed line, a service linking the capital and the port city of Tianjin, during the Beijing Olympics in 2008. Earlier last month, the Shanghai-Hangzhou high-speed line hit a speed of 416.6 kmph. 

On Oct 20, He Huawu, chief engineer of Chinese Ministry of Railways said a high-speed technology that could enable the train to reach 500 kmph was in its final phase of development. 

"We want to lead the world in high-speed railway construction," he said.
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