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Two of China's latest model of high-speed train made their maiden journeys on the Beijing-Shanghai railway line this morning. The CR400AF left Beijing South Railway Station at 11.05am for Shanghai while the CR400BF departed Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station for Beijing at the same time.
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Named at an official naming ceremony, Fuxing means rejuvenation in English, while 'F' also indicates a special power technology utilised by the trains. CR stands for China Railway and the numeric 400 indicates the max speed that the trains are capable of, 400kph. 'A' and 'B' simply represent different trains. You didn't ask, but now you know.
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With a constant speed of 350kph, the trains include a sophisticated monitoring system that constantly checks its performance and automatically slows the train in case of emergencies or to adjust to deal with abnormal conditions. They are also monitored in real time by the control centre, using a remote data transmission system. The trains can seat 576 people, 20 more than the old Harmony (Hexie) model.
The cabin height will increase from 3.7m to about 4m (precisely 4.05m, for the curious). Those of us who have a mortal fear of brushing arm hairs with seat neighbours will be happy to hear that space between seats will also see a minor increase.
Credit: Weibo/新华视点
As if adjusting brightness wasn’t enough for a reading lamp, you’ll also be able to adjust its colour temperature from warm to cool for more meticulous mood-setting. Not all Hexie train models have outlets for chargers, but all the Fuxing ones do, so you’re safe to leave home with your phone battery in the yellow. Wi-Fi will be provided, too.
It's unclear when the trains will be rolled out across the rest of the country, but for now, enjoy pursuing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese people the next time you pop up to Beijing.