The need for speed: China unveils the world’s fastest commercial train

At a blistering 280 mph, China’s new CR450 high-speed train is ready to steal the spotlight as the world’s fastest commercial train, making 700 miles feel like a quick sprint.

When taking a normal choo-choo from Shanghai to Beijing, it typically takes around four and a half hours. Speed that up to two and a half hours with the new model of the high-speed rail in China, and now you’ve got yourself a fast train.

To put that into perspective, that’s a whopping 700-mile journey covered at a peak speed of 280 miles an hour. The China State Railway Group has just announced a prototype for its CR450 train, which will become the fastest commercial train in the world.

This new design is so innovative that the CR450 will weigh 10% less than the previous train and have 22% lower operational resistance.

In 2008 when it launched the Beijing – Tianjin Intercity Railway, China became the most advanced country in the world in terms of cutting-edge rail design.

China has also built rail systems in Indonesia and Serbia and is therefore eager to expand its global reach.

The current world record for land speed for a train remains at 357.2 miles an hour, achieved by the French TGV on 3rd April 2007.

However, in terms of regular travel options, China offers services at 217 mph, with commuter trains that have similar times to aviation options.

And in 2018, Morocco opened its Al Boraq train that runs from Tangiers to Casablanca in less than 2 hours.

High-speed rail trains are a global phenomenon, and it’s exciting to see such technological feats of engineering spread across the globe.

Whether California is ready to unleash its high-speed railway anytime soon is anyone's guess, but the latest projection suggests it’s planned for sometime between 2030 and 2033.

Fast things come to those who wait.