China’s CR450 Becomes the World’s Fastest Train, Reaching 896 km/h Speed Record

Beijing: India’s fastest train, the Vande Bharat Express, runs at a top operational speed of around 180 km/h — but China has now set a speed record that feels almost unreal. During a recent trial run, China’s newly developed CR450 train clocked an astonishing 896 km/h, officially becoming the world’s fastest train.

This groundbreaking feat surpasses Japan’s L0 Series Maglev, which previously held the record at 603 km/h. With this achievement, China has asserted dominance in the global race for ultra–high-speed rail technology.

The CR450 is part of China’s ambitious high-speed rail expansion and completed its latest test run on the Shanghai–Chengdu High-Speed Rail Corridor, where it is eventually expected to operate. Over 600,000 km of test trials will be completed before it becomes fully operational.

Though the train achieved 896 km/h in trials, its commercial operation speed will be limited to 400 km/h for passenger safety and efficiency. What’s remarkable is that the train can accelerate from zero to 350 km/h in just 4 seconds.

Engineers have given the CR450 a “Falcon Beak” aerodynamic design, reducing air drag by 22% compared to existing models. Its lightweight, streamlined body further enhances speed and stability.

With such innovations, China continues to redefine the limits of rail transport, ushering in an era of near-supersonic train travel that blurs the line between ground and air transport.