Serving Beijing Winter Olympics, China Launches High-Speed and Eco-Friendly Autonomous Bullet Train

Fuxing 5G express bullet train specially designed for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. (Source: China State Railway Group.Co)

JAKARTA - China launched its latest state-of-the-art Fuxing bullet train, which is said to be the world's first high-speed, intelligent and autonomous train with a top speed of 350 kilometers per hour, as well as a 5G live broadcast studio inside, to serve the upcoming Beijing Winter Olympics.

The demonstration of new rail technology to athletes and guests from around the world during the Beijing Olympics scheduled for February 4-20, is a definite boon to the profile of China's high-speed rail system (HSR), one of the crown jewels of China's industrial achievements, a person said. senior designer of advanced electric dual unit (EMU).

One of the unique characteristics of EMU is that it has a live broadcast studio that can deliver high-definition content over a 5G connection. The installation, which is one of the first on the world's fastest train, will make it easy for global media professionals covering the event.

"With so many advanced technologies brought together in this train, and to present it in front of the world, it shows China's comprehensive strength in terms of the rail system, and will definitely increase exports and overseas efforts of the EMU system," said Zhu Yan, deputy director. The CRRC Engineering Research Center of Changchun Railway Vehicles Co, the train maker, told the Global Times as quoted on Jan. 8.

Using new materials and technologies, as well as an eagle-shaped nose selected from over 40 designs, the EMU has lower wind resistance and is lighter in weight. These properties make it an eco-friendly EMU that is 10 percent more energy-efficient than the previous generation, saving 1.8 million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year.

"With the help of the latest communication hardware, cameras, and sensors, trains can scan up to 14 kilometers ahead to investigate abnormal disturbances on the tracks," according to Zhu.

It has a total of eight sets of carriages that can carry 564 people, but capacity will be limited to half during the Olympics as part of the COVID-19 response, according to China State Railway Group Co, the state-owned rail operator.

This new generation of smart EMUs also has a good opportunity to increase China's existing domestic bullet train fleet, which is the largest in the world, numbering 4,000.

China is the world's superpower when it comes to high-speed rail technology. The country has 40,000 kilometers of high-speed rail and plans to build another 1,400 kilometers by the end of 2022, according to media reports.

The railroad between Beijing and Zhangjiakou in North China's Hebei Province is where China's railway industry started and the development of this railway resembles the process of building China's railways.

In 2019, on the 110th anniversary of China's first railway, China's first EMU equipped with smart technology was unveiled in this section, ushering in a new era of power building in China's transportation industry.

Separately, Sun Zhang, mass transit expert, and professor at Shanghai Tongji University, pointed out one special bonus, Beijing and Zhangjiakou have connected all the gaming venues, from indoor ice sports stadiums in Beijing city to outdoor ski resorts in the suburbs of Yanqing and existing in Hebei Province, with a network of subways, inner-city trains and high-speed trains that allow people to travel in a time-efficient manner.

"Needless to say, it will impress the guests, dignitaries, and athletes participating in the Beijing Olympics," said Sun.

To note, China has exported high-speed rail technology to Indonesia for the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed train. A number of other countries, including Laos, also use Chinese-made trains, although these types travel at lower speeds.