From the roar of steam engines to intelligent high-speed trains, China’s railway journey represents a century-long leap in engineering ambition.
CGTN Europe presents Riding the Dragon: Tracks of the Future, exploring the world’s largest and most complex high-speed rail network to uncover the technology powering “China Speed.”
From the CR450 prototype pushing test speeds beyond 450 km/h, to smart trains equipped with 2,718 sensors and autonomous driving systems; from the data-driven 12306 digital command platform to AI-powered inspection robots working through the night — this is not just a story about going faster. It’s about how algorithms, big data, and precision engineering are reshaping the future of mobility.
#RazorInChina #ChinaInnovation #HighSpeedRail #CR450 #ChinaAgenda2026
CGTN Europe presents Riding the Dragon: Tracks of the Future, exploring the world’s largest and most complex high-speed rail network to uncover the technology powering “China Speed.”
From the CR450 prototype pushing test speeds beyond 450 km/h, to smart trains equipped with 2,718 sensors and autonomous driving systems; from the data-driven 12306 digital command platform to AI-powered inspection robots working through the night — this is not just a story about going faster. It’s about how algorithms, big data, and precision engineering are reshaping the future of mobility.
#RazorInChina #ChinaInnovation #HighSpeedRail #CR450 #ChinaAgenda2026
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NewsTranscript
00:07The speed of a 350 kilometer per hour bullet train just flying through the station is unlike
00:17anything you've experienced before. You blink your eyes and it's gone.
00:57You know the thing that strikes you when you first come to China
00:59is the sheer scale of the place. This is a country almost the size of Europe with
01:04roughly double the population and yet getting around is surprisingly easy and
01:09that is largely thanks to the world's most technologically advanced high-speed rail network.
01:14I'm taking a journey all over the country to meet the people driving this
01:18transformative tech and to experience the future of high-speed trains myself.
01:40China is home to the fastest high-speed rail network on the planet, spanning more than
01:4550,000 kilometers of track, more than the rest of the world combined.
01:51You can go from 0 to 350 kilometers. You can see the front of the road.
01:56At high-speed rail, you have to experience a high-speed rail.
01:59High-speed rail connects more than 550 cities across China.
02:20Each day, there are nearly 10,000 high-speed trains in operation, carrying up to 10 million passengers all over
02:29the country.
02:32My job is mainly used to be using the electric train station.
02:39We are now in a professional electric train station.
02:42In this electric train station, we have 2718 sensors.
02:46We have developed a smart-speed rail network.
02:49We have developed a smart-speed rail network.
02:58China's pursuit of rail excellence isn't new.
03:02As far back as 1909,
03:05Jian Tianyou, widely thought of as the father of China's railroad,
03:10led the groundbreaking construction of what would become
03:14the Beijing Zhangjiaqou Railway.
03:19We've come to the historic Qinlong Chao Station
03:22to start our own high-speed train journey.
03:25This small railway museum is close to Jian Tianyou's tomb,
03:30a fitting place to reflect on how far China's rail network has come.
03:37And on this journey, I'm travelling with my translator and guide, Anqi.
03:43Ah, this looks like where we currently are.
03:45What does this say?
03:47This is the Qinglong Chao Station,
03:49on the road after the 갱
03:51Ah, that's the… if we can say that,
03:55that's the family photo of workers worked in the Qinglong Chao Station.
04:16So already using some pretty impressive
04:19engineering talent there.
04:21Ah, some very old mountains
04:23and some very old steam trains.
04:26What's in this photo?
04:35The man responsible for China's railway system.
04:39So this place has played a really important role
04:41in China's railway.
04:45China's rail revolution started here
04:48at Chenlongchao Station,
04:49home to the country's first independently built railway
04:53at a time when trains relied entirely on human skill.
04:57Today, that same spirit of engineering ambition
05:01has powered the rise of the world's largest high-speed rail network.
05:07When trains first left Chenlongchao Station,
05:11their top speed was just 35 kilometres per hour.
05:15Now, China's fastest high-speed train, the Fuxing CR400,
05:20regularly runs at 350 kilometres per hour.
05:25It's called the CR400 because that's its maximum speed,
05:29even though for safety reasons it doesn't operate at its peak.
05:33Soon, an even faster train will join the network,
05:37one designed to run at 400 kilometres per hour,
05:41but testing at speeds exceeding 450.
05:45To learn more about this next-generation train,
05:49we're meeting its designer at Yichang North Train Depot,
05:53where the prototype CR450 is currently being trialled
05:57in real-world conditions.
05:59Dr. Zhou, I'm fascinated by how this design has evolved.
06:04How do you make an already incredibly fast train even faster?
06:08When design a project, we found a challenge
06:13in the highest speed for 400 kilometres and c Sités
06:17to determine captivating 4近 store.
06:20The Kat 1500-4 and Sr-400 has many different positions.
06:27In the same way, we saw the drive process
06:38This is the design of the vehicle, which makes the vehicle more small.
06:46The vehicle is also made of line design.
06:52This vehicle is used to use a new vehicle,
06:55which is also to make the vehicle more smooth and smooth.
07:02The vehicle's vehicle's vehicle is more efficient.
07:08It's about 22%
07:13Where is this prototype now going?
07:17Because we have a new car
07:19It's going to be 60,000 km
07:26It's about 20,000 km
07:29It's about 20,000 km
07:29It's about 20,000 km
07:33Yes, you heard right
07:36That's 600,000 km of testing
07:39Clearly, there's still so much to learn
07:42About the prototype Fuxing CR450
07:45But right now, this train has places to go
07:48Tests to run
07:50And lots and lots of track to cover
07:52Fast
07:53My conversation with Dr Zhao will have to wait
07:56In the meantime, we're meeting someone
07:59Who's been at the forefront of this rail revolution for decades
08:05So you've been driving trains since long before
08:07High-speed trains were launched here in China
08:10How have you seen that transformation for you as a driver of these trains?
08:16From the past year's time
08:18From the past year's red car
08:21To the current car
08:22To the current car
08:25It's quite a big change
08:26There's a lot of mechanics in the vehicle
08:27When you're driving trains
08:27As you're driving trains
08:29It makes the car easier to make the priority
08:34To reduce the battery's arm
08:38The car is due to reduce the power of the train
08:39It's the amount of maintenance
08:39The seasonal driving trains
08:40It needs to be used to work
08:43In the advanced vehicles
08:46What are the vehicles you use
08:51In the decades
08:56in extreme weather conditions, for example.
09:13When you're travelling at such high speeds,
09:16I'd imagine you see something in the distance
09:18and before you've had a chance to register it, it's gone.
09:21What is it that you're having to concentrate so much on?
09:26What's the most famous thing about flying?
09:30I need to have a proof of how to fix this problem.
09:38When you tell people that you're a driver of high speed trains,
09:42of autonomous trains, the newest generation of these trains
09:45here in China, what response do you get?
09:56It's like China's such a high-speed car, it's a little bit crazy.
10:02What about the people designing these trains, tracks and routes?
10:08What high-speed obstacles have they solved with science?
10:13And how has their work evolved as trains push speeds beyond 400 km per hour?
10:21To find out, we're going on a whistle-stop tour with a high-speed rail engineer.
10:31My job is to do the tracks and tracks.
10:34What I'm doing now is to do some tests on the roadway,
10:39which is on our high-speed roadways.
10:42Every 10-15 days, we have to do the whole roadway.
10:47So, in the process of construction and construction,
10:52we have to do the work of a high-speed roadway.
10:56Inspecting 50,000 km of track is a relentless task,
11:01and one that keeps engineer Yen and his team pretty busy.
11:05When it comes to designing and monitoring the infrastructure needed for high-speed rail to run,
11:12how does that differ to traditional train tracks, for example?
11:16The speed of the train tracks will be higher,
11:18so we're going to try to change the speed of the current roadway and high-speed rail.
11:27The speed of the train tracks is the speed of the roadway.
11:27First, in terms of the roadway,
11:30the train tracks enter the roadway after the train,
11:33it's like a hot-speed rail,
11:34as it's quickly-drawn the airway.
11:37The airway through the roadway,
11:39as it's coming out after the train tracks,
11:41the train tracks will create a bigger sound effect.
11:45We have increased the edge of the edge of the road
11:49to allow the high-speed car to enter the隧道
11:52and the effect of the low-speed road.
11:55If it is a simple road,
11:57the隧道 outside is no such a design for us.
12:03But in the high-speed road,
12:05we want to increase the comfort of the乘客's
12:07and reduce the air pressure of the隧道.
12:10We will extend the outside of the隧道
12:12and extend the same direction.
12:14On the other hand,
12:15we have a similar approach to the left-speed car
12:18to make a similar approach to the隧道.
12:21So, we use the vehicle's密閉性功能
12:25which will be very good for
12:27the乘客's safety. In such a situation, it
12:31will affect the隧道,
12:34including the comfort of the乘客's
12:35and the comfort of the乘客.
12:37This is also what we call CR450
12:40in the next phase.
12:43The next phase of the乘客
12:43is to go to 400km speed
12:45to consider the most important things.
12:48Tunnel boom
12:49certainly sounds like something to be avoided.
12:52So, it's reassuring to know
12:54Engineer Yen is on the case.
12:56Our next stop explores
12:59another area of his expertise.
13:01This time, it's bridges.
13:04I've noticed that lots of the high-speed rail network
13:08seems to be on these bridges.
13:10Why?
13:10When we go to the bridge,
13:12we can reduce the damage
13:14for the land of the land.
13:16We have a large bridge.
13:18The width of the bridge is 12 meters.
13:20If we go to the bridge,
13:21we only have a bridge
13:24for the land of the land.
13:26If we use the bridge,
13:28we can use the bridge,
13:29because the bridge is also
13:30a straight edge,
13:31so we can maintain the bridge.
13:35So, when we go to the bridge,
13:37the bridge is almost 20 meters.
13:40So, the bridge is huge.
13:43You also know,
13:44China is a large-scale country.
13:47So, the bridge is very expensive.
13:53So, we need to reduce
13:54the bridge in high-speed rail.
13:58You describe yourself
13:59as the doctor of these high-speed trains,
14:02and one thing doctors do
14:03is innovate and look to the future.
14:04So, what are you most excited about
14:07with these trains
14:07getting faster and faster?
14:09For the future,
14:10what's next?
14:10We are currently using our doctor
14:14to review all the trains
14:15and collect the data,
14:19but we need to use all the data
14:22to use all the data
14:22and use the AI
14:24or the large data model
14:26to do all the trains
14:28and assess the data.
14:31As soon as we go to the train
14:32the speed of the train
14:36We also hope that
14:38through our efforts
14:39to ensure that
14:40the Chinese train
14:41will become
14:43a beautiful name of our country.
14:54As we learn more
14:55about the technology
14:56fueling China's
14:57high-speed rail ambitions,
14:59it's impossible
15:00to ignore the magnitude
15:01of this endeavor
15:02and the vast population
15:04it serves.
15:11Living in London
15:12unused to busy train stations,
15:14this is just a whole lot of level.
15:20We're heading behind the scenes
15:22to see how the world's
15:24busiest high-speed rail
15:25keeps both trains
15:27and people moving.
15:28and the other
15:32things are happening.
15:34Hello, Miss Ling.
15:36Hello.
15:36Lovely to meet you.
15:37Thank you so much for having us.
15:39Wow, tell me what's happening
15:41in this room.
15:42Where are we?
15:42As you can see,
15:43this is our
15:44the national security center
15:45of the national security center.
15:46There are seven national security
15:48stations.
15:49They are responsible for
15:51the national security center
15:52of the national security center
15:52and the national security center.
16:03to get people involved in
16:13this station feels huge.
16:15What is the daily capacity here
16:17at Guangzhou South Railway station?
16:40You mentioned that your role is focused on emergency response.
16:46Does that mean you view it as a personal responsibility?
16:48To ensure every number coming through the train station is safe.
17:08You're the mama of high-speed rail.
17:14It might seem simple but handling so many tickets each day is no small feat.
17:19Time for our next high-speed rail journey with a pit stop at an impressive data centre and ticketing platform,
17:2812306 here in Beijing.
17:31As soon as you enter this room, you can't help but be drawn to this huge live ticket display.
17:37What information is it showing us?
17:39This is the current data of the train station today.
17:45It's a real data data.
17:46Today, it's 200,000 more.
17:49But in fact, our high-speed rail
17:52has reached 2,695.2 million.
17:55Wow.
17:58As impressive as this sounds, there is still one thing I haven't been able to figure out.
18:03Why it's called 12306.
18:22I've heard 12306 described as the brain of China's high-speed rail network.
18:28It's clear that cutting-edge technology is at the heart of China's high-speed rail network.
19:00But there's still more to learn about how data is being used to efficiently and effectively serve the needs of
19:08such a huge country and population.
19:12So, I pronounce it Badali.
19:15Yeah, Badali.
19:16Badali.
19:16Badali.
19:17I'm sure.
19:18Professor Li Ping is leading this intelligent rail revolution.
19:24Wow.
19:25That's a very tall escalator.
19:27Yeah.
19:27What's needed when it's so deep in the ground?
19:29Yeah.
19:30We're currently 102 meters underground.
19:33This is the deepest and largest high-speed rail station in the world.
19:40This car is located in our world cultural heritage, Badali.
19:46So, when we're building this car, we have many challenges.
19:51There are three main challenges.
19:53That first, we need to make the subway in the ground so we can achieve a single problem.
20:01The second challenge is to make the whole sculpture on the streets.
20:07The third challenge is to make the all theия on the streets in the streets.
20:09The third challenge is to make the tourists in the streets and the people in the streets.
20:23mean for regional connectivity, for development here in China.
20:52Proving Professor Li's point, Beijing to Shanghai once took more
20:57than 12 hours on conventional trains. Today, high-speed rail has cut that journey to just
21:03four hours. Speaking of connecting cities, there is somewhere else I still want to see.
21:10So we continue our conversation on board the pioneering Beijing Zhangjiaqou high-speed railway line.
21:17These trains certainly feel very modern, but what makes them intelligent? How is that
21:21different to just being high-tech?
21:27We have 718 sensors. These sensors will be able to collect our cars'
21:32hands-on, digital, and internet information to ensure the safety of our vehicle.
21:38On this car, we have installed a car driving engine system, ATO system.
21:44This system can be able to collect our cars' situation and the outside environment.
21:50to determine what speed to drive the car.
21:54We will be able to use 5G technology,
21:58to transfer to the data center.
22:01If this car has some problems or problems,
22:05we will give the rules and recommendations
22:10to ensure that the car is safe and stable.
22:15According to these data,
22:16we will train our car's計算.
22:18In the future,
22:19we believe that the technology technology
22:22will exceed our most successful vehicle.
22:25That definitely sounds like a good thing.
22:27I just hope they keep our train driver and friend,
22:30Anshou Chi, on board to continue training the AI.
22:35But now, it looks like we've reached our destination.
22:49High-speed rail isn't just about making journeys faster.
22:54It's opening up communities all over China,
22:56and this small mountainous town is a perfect example.
23:01Chongli used to be an underdeveloped area,
23:03a three-hour drive from Beijing,
23:05and it's now a leading ski resort with a thriving economy.
23:09It's taken me just over an hour to get here by train from Beijing,
23:12to China's winter wonderland.
23:30Moving so many people so fast and far
23:33might cause some wear and tear on these high-speed trains.
23:38So when night falls and passenger demand is at its lowest,
23:44it's time for maintenance.
23:47We're making a midnight visit
23:49to Wuhan's Electric Multiple Unit Depot,
23:53or EMU for short,
23:55to meet some of the people and technology
23:59keeping these trains safely on track.
24:02While the trains carry passengers all day long,
24:06when they're not carrying passengers,
24:08what are they doing here?
24:10And what on earth is this very noisy robot
24:12doing underneath them?
24:13This is our training machine.
24:15I'm using our training machine
24:17to conduct our car drivers
24:18to check the job.
24:20So it's currently going along
24:21the full length of the underside of the train.
24:24Why is it doing that?
24:26We're doing our training machine.
24:28At this time, our machine machine
24:29will be able to build up
24:30and to detect our car drivers
24:31and to detect our car drivers
24:33quickly and accurate.
24:36Can I take a closer look?
24:37Is it okay to go and take closer look?
24:39It's not often that you get to go
24:40underneath one of these high-speed trains.
24:43What data is it collecting here?
24:45We're collecting the two-fold and three-fold
24:50and to make a accurate comparison
24:54and to make a accurate comparison
24:55We're using the two-fold and three-fold
24:59We have several steps
25:00now we're using allen
25:01Ten-folds.
25:03First, the point is better.
25:07Third, the point is the test.
25:09The point is built on our precision
25:09all the data.
25:09.
25:10As you can do all of them
25:11We're using our missile-ling
25:12Both, mainly, as Doomillas had to quickly
25:19&competulate on the shoulders of our new system
25:201, half and then hotel
25:20we're using our personnel
25:22toleme penguins
25:24and make the small maintenance
25:26to lower incremental
25:29This is incredible to watch. This robotic arm screening the undercarriage of this train.
25:36Because we're the動作組, we can see all of these images in 5 minutes.
25:43Where is it? Where is it? Where is it? Where is it? Where is it?
25:46Where is it? Where is it? Where is it? Where is it?
25:47What is it? What is it?
25:51Is this an example of AI being able to be more accurate more reliable than a human
25:57inspector?
25:58I think this is a good thing.
26:04We also have a lot of training.
26:07It's very reliable.
26:08We can use our training machine to remove our people from a busy work.
26:14We can use some more valuable things.
26:17For example, we can use our professional work.
26:21We can use our professional work.
26:23We can use our professional work.
26:24We can use our professional work.
26:27Whether it's by humans or robots, the meticulous work carried out here overnight
26:33is vital to keeping these trains running safely through the day.
26:40Our journey across China's high-speed rail network is almost over.
26:44But there are still some unanswered questions about the world's fastest trains.
27:17When a train is travelling this fast, presumably…
27:20…you know…
27:21…you know…
27:21…that stopping distance, the ability to brake becomes a really big technical challenge.
27:25How have you been able to mitigate that with the CR450?
27:28The CR450 is 4,480.
27:32The CR450 will be least distributed distance from the CR450.
27:40It's 6400 meters.
27:43We're able to reach the distance, but it has 1,500 meters.
27:47One thing is that our cars have been reduced.
27:52The other thing is that our steering wheel
27:55and our steering wheel system have improved
28:00the steering wheel, and it has a high temperature.
28:06So that just leaves the big question,
28:09how fast is this train?
28:11On the 6th of January,
28:12we did a high speed test on this road.
28:18The speed of the car is at 453 km per hour.
28:25The answer is very fast.
28:28How does it feel to stand next to the design of a prototype?
28:33It's all of your hard work.
28:35It must be very exciting to see these trains
28:37being rolled out and being tested.
28:50From megacities to snowy mountains,
28:53our journey has revealed the incredible variety
28:56of this fascinating country.
28:58And as the world searches for greener ways
29:02to connect once unimaginable distances,
29:05China's high speed rail network is redefining
29:08what's possible in the 21st century.
29:11My only regret?
29:12Well, not getting to ride the next generation of trains
29:15on this trip.
29:16But then again, it's the perfect reason to come back.
29:34The world vergessen,
29:39And remember,
29:39it seems that the weather seems easier to add
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