CRRC releases prototypes of CR450 high-speed train

The prototypes of CR450 high-speed EMU (electric multiple unit) were unveiled in Beijing. With a test speed of 450 km/h and a commercial operating speed of 400 km/h, the CR450 will become the fastest high-speed train in the world once it enters service.

The CR450AF and CR450BF models, produced by CRRC Sifang and CRRC Changchun respectively, boast five key improvements: increased speed, advanced safety, energy efficiency, enhanced comfort, and intelligent technology.

The CR450 is significantly faster than the CR400 Fuxing high-speed trains currently in service, which operate at speeds of 350 km/h. A lighter weight is crucial for high-speed trains. The CR450 has cut its weight by over 10 percent compared to the CR400, thanks to the adoption of new materials such as carbon fibre composites and magnesium alloys, as well as the topology optimisation technique.

The CR450’s development represents China’s venture into new and unexplored aspects of the high-speed train industry. CRRC says the R&D team of the CR450 has performed more than 100 experiments to explore how different parameters of the train are affected by the rising train speeds. They have gathered data features in different speed contexts and operating environments such as bridges, tunnels, and curves, laying a robust groundwork for the development of the CR450 high-speed train.

source: CRRC/jeccomposites.com