CNR EMU support CRH epoch

The Wuhan-Guangzhou high-speed railway, arguably the world s fastest train journey at a speed of 350 km/h, started operation on 26 December, 2009.

At am 8:50, opening ceremony was held in Guangzhou North Railway Station. The CPC secretary of Guangdong Province Wang Yang, the railway Minister Liu Zhijn and the Governor of Province Huang Huahua presented the ceremony.

At am 8:56, coupled CRH3 EMU started from Guangzhou North Railway Station. With the max. speed of 354 km/h, It only took 2 hour and 49 minute when CRH3 arrived Wuhan, compared with the previous 10-hour journey. The Minister Liu inspected in the driver cab during the journey.

At the same time in Changsha, Huanan Province, the Governor of province Zhou Qiang and the vice Minister of railways Lu Dongfu presented the opening ceremony. No. G6025 CRH3 train started as first train to Guangzhou.

As report, the average speed of the high-speed railway is 243 km/h in Japan, 232 km/h in Germany and 277 km/h in France.

China will build 42 high-speed passenger rail lines with a total length of 13,000 km in the next three years, covering more than 90 percent of the population.

By 2012, trips from Beijing to most provincial capitals would only take between one and eight hours, said Wang Yongping, the Railway Ministry spokesman.

High-speed rail services from Beijing to Hong Kong are expected to open in three years, cutting the journey from 23 hours to eight. The one-way trip from Shanghai to Hong Kong will be shortened to six hours from the current 18, he said

High-speed trains not only shorten the distance between cities but also change the speed of China s economic growth, said Wang Xiaoguang, a professor with the Chinese Academy of Governance.