World's Fastest train revealed

China reveals world's fastest train

BEIJING: China played host to railway authorities and railway experts from around the world in Beijing , and used the opportunity to showcase a high-speed train that clocked the fastest ever speed in a test run last week.

In the spotlight is the 16-car CRH380A, a new generation of high-speed train which Chinese Ministry of Railways officials say recorded a top speed of 486.1 kilometers per hour on Friday, far exceeding Japan's bullet trains.

Chinese railway officials say the CRH380A, designed to operate at a cruising speed of 380 kph, is the fastest train in operation in the world today.

China is reportedly in the process of developing a super high-speed train that can run at 600 kph.

China South Locomotive & Rolling Stock Corp., which designed the CRH380A, was clearly the focus attention as foreign railway experts toured an international exhibition of railway technology organised by the Ministry of Railways on the sidelines of a world congress on high speed rail.

After attending a briefing by China South Locomotive, an Iranian government official said Iran is considering buying the Chinese high-speed train.

"We definitely want to import it," an Israeli railways executive also said.

Railways executives from the US State of California also listened attentively as China South Locomotive officials briefed the international visitors.

China boasts the world's longest high-speed railway network, which totals 7,531 km, and Chinese railway officials say the country plans to expand the system to 16,000 km by 2020.

The exhibition, held at the China National Convention Center in Beijing, has drawn entries from more than 200 companies worldwide, each showcasing its wares and know-how to a global audience of railway experts and transport officials.