China HSR News And Information: Original Translation

[Akasa]

Does anybody have information on the following rolling stock? Are they still active?

CRH400: http://bbs.railcn.net/thread-610685-1-1.html
CRH500: www.carnewschina.com/2011/12/27/introducing-the-mighty-crh-500-chinas-new-500kmh-record-train/

 

[AndrewJin]

Does anybody have information on the following rolling stock? Are they still active?

CRH400: http://bbs.railcn.net/thread-610685-1-1.html
CRH500: www.carnewschina.com/2011/12/27/introducing-the-mighty-crh-500-chinas-new-500kmh-record-train/

The second one has to wait for 500km/h tracks to come out (operation speed, not highest trial speed)
The first one is an inspection train, the so-called yellow doctor, adapted from CRH380A.

Now, the focus is the standardised CRH350 (official name yet to be decided), and intercity trains.

 

[Akasa]

The second one has to wait for 500km/h tracks to come out (operation speed, not highest trial speed)
The first one is an inspection train, the so-called yellow doctor, adapted from CRH380A.

View attachment 383193


Now, the focus is the standardised CRH350 (official name yet to be decided), and intercity trains.
View attachment 383195 View attachment 383194

Is the CRH500 still active, but merely waiting for tracks cleared for 500 kph operation? I think the official name of the CRH350 is the CR400.

 

[AndrewJin]

Is the CRH500 still active, but merely waiting for tracks cleared for 500 kph operation? I think the official name of the CRH350 is the CR400.

That's the 编号。I am not sure it will be named 和谐号 as usual.

That photo was taken in 2016, you can see CRH500 and two standardised trains in the same photo.

 

[Akasa]

That's the 编号。I am not sure it will be named 和谐号 as usual.

That photo was taken in 2016, you can see CRH500 and two standardised trains in the same photo.

Interesting; thanks for the photos. The CRH500 seems to be a test train then rather than a production model.

 

[AndrewJin]

Interesting; thanks for the photos. The CRH500 seems to be a test train then rather than a production model.

It is a test train, yet to be find a good timing for any commercialisation, at least not for the next 1-2 decades.
CR400 will be the main topic of this decade.
There are already 4-5 units in operation.

 

[AndrewJin]

Chinese Standardised Bullet Trains (CR400)
now operating on Beijing-Guangzhou HSR

Train No. G65
Beijing West- Guangzhou South
2298km
9h43min 10:33am-8:16pm
17 stops

CRH380A vs CR400

Business Class

1st Class

2nd Class

 

[AndrewJin]

Pingnan South Railway Station
Nanning-Kunming HSR
Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, SW China

Xie Yan, former solider from PLA

 

[AndrewJin]

Chinese Standardised Bullet Trains (CR400)
now operating on Beijing-Guangzhou HSR

Train No. G65
Beijing West- Guangzhou South
2298km
9h43min 10:33am-8:16pm
17 stops

CRH380A vs CR400
View attachment 383320

View attachment 383319

View attachment 383316

Business Class
View attachment 383318 View attachment 383317

1st Class
View attachment 383313

2nd Class
View attachment 383321

View attachment 383314

View attachment 383315

The most significant thing from CR400 is not about speed.
In terms of speed, CRH380A is in the same league.

The improvement is huge in two aspects,

1, Standardisation of components, maintenance, operation, etc. It's an entire overhaul of China's bullet trains industry.

2, A huge leap forward in industrial design. Passengers' comfort is priority, the cheapest seat is more spacious than any economical seat on any airplane.

Let's have a look at details.

@TaiShang @cirr @jkroo @JSCh @samsara

 

[TaiShang]

2, A huge leap forward in industrial design. Passengers' comfort is priority, the cheapest seat is more spacious than any economical seat on any airplane.

I was just going to say this when I was viewing the previous pictures of CR400. Such a beautiful, comfortable, relaxing and spacious interior. And some of the pictures belong to the cars with cheaper rates, I believe, but still, much more desirable than any economy class plane seat or coaches.

I do hope that CR400 will be standardized in more and more routes.

 

[AndrewJin]

I was just going to say this when I was viewing the previous pictures of CR400. Such a beautiful, comfortable, relaxing and spacious interior. And some of the pictures belong to the cars with cheaper rates, I believe, but still, much more desirable than any economy class plane seat or coaches.

I do hope that CR400 will be standardized in more and more routes.

Yes, not just CR400 but all old types provide way more comfort than any economy class.
CR400 makes such comfort to another level, remember second class is very affordable for Chinese passengers, cheaper than most discounted plane tickets.

In terms of industrial design, huge improvement could be noticed in every industry in China.

 

[AndrewJin]

China's Southernmost CRH Depot
Sanya City, Hainan Island

Connecting line from Hainan Island Ring HSR to Sanya Depot

Sanya's high-speed railway bridge near Sanya Airport

Sanya Railway Station
World's southernmost HSR terminal

@Götterdämmerung @Gibbs @AViet @Zain Malik @anant_s @Godman @TopCat

 

[samsara]

The most significant thing from CR400 is not about speed.
In terms of speed, CRH380A is in the same league.

The improvement is huge in two aspects,

1, Standardisation of components, maintenance, operation, etc. It's an entirely overhaul of China's bullet trains industry.

2, A huge leap forward in industrial design. Passengers' comfort is priority, the cheapest seat is more spacious than any economical seat on any airplane.

Let's have a look at details.

View attachment 383331 View attachment 383332 View attachment 383333 View attachment 383334 View attachment 383336 View attachment 38333

@TaiShang @cirr @jkroo @JSCh @samsara

I can only dream that such excellent train and luxurious cabin is available as a much convenient substitution for the long distance air trip.

If for instance, for a trip with distance as long as 800 - 1,000 km, using such HSR is around one hour longer in total duration than using an airplane at almost the same total cost (take into consideration the airport tax and taxi fare & time differences to & from airports that are located in suburban areas cf. the railway stations mostly located in the downtown)... I'll still happily opt to a HSR with this kind of quality at comparable total cost (even for one hour longer) for I hate to fly with the tight seat (various economy classes) and lots of accompanying airplane inconveniences... and frankly, I feel better be at land than in the air

All these HSR and vast railroad networks will certainly change the ways how people do travel in China in the 2nd decade of the 21st century onward, as well as the people's wider choices of dwelling places being linked with the HSR networks! For many other countries with vast land and large enough population, this high quality HSR will be the much coveted transportation mode!

Moreover the availability of HSR will also put the airfare in check

 

[lonelyman]

Yes, not just CR400 but all old types provide way more comfort than any economy class.
CR400 makes such comfort to another level, remember second class is very affordable for Chinese passengers, cheaper than most discounted plane tickets.

In terms of industrial design, huge improvement could be noticed in every industry in China.
View attachment 383704 View attachment 383705 View attachment 383706

So when do we expect CR400 to replace all existing models fully?

 

[cirr]

China's Southernmost CRH Depot
Sanya City, Hainan Island

View attachment 383731
View attachment 383733 View attachment 383730 View attachment 383729

Connecting line from Hainan Island Ring HSR to Sanya Depot
View attachment 383735

Sanya's high-speed railway bridge near Sanya Airport
View attachment 383734 View attachment 383732

Sanya Railway Station
World's southernmost HSR terminal
View attachment 383736


@Götterdämmerung @Gibbs @AViet @Zain Malik @anant_s @Godman @TopCat

Construction of an HSR connecting Haikou in Hainan Island and Zhanjiang in the Leizhou Peninsula, Guangdong will begin in 2 years.