The Beijing-Shanghai high speed line is in its final phase of testing.
The line links China’s two most important cities on a 1,318km long line. It is scheduled to be put into commercial service on June 20, 2011.
China’s Ministry of Railways has tested high speed rolling stock on the line up to ‘665 times’ covering up to ’60 million km.’
The high speed trains will run at speeds between 155mph – 185mph. A non-stop service is available (which actually stops in the capital of Nanjing) along with a service that stops in 24 stations along the line.
Separate tests on the track, noise, vibrations, train control and infrastructure have been completed but this will be the first time the line is tested in its entirety.
Since the dismissal of Minister of Railways Liu Zhijun in February, high speed projects in China have faced much concern over the speed of the trains and mounting costs.
The service will take less than five hours for a ‘nonstop train’, which is nearly half the current train journey of 9hrs and 49m.
