https://j.people.com.cn/n3/2026/0415/c95952-20446786.html

The West Shi High-Speed ​​Railway, designed for a speed of 350 km/h, recorded a speed of 385 km/h during test runs.

People’s Daily Online (Japanese Edition), April 15, 2026, 13:37

A high-speed comprehensive inspection train “DJ602” has prepared for the opening of the West Shi (Xi’an, Shaanxi Province – Shiyan, Hubei Province) high-speed improvement testing and achieved its target speed of 385 km/h. Standard speed will be 350 km/h.

Why is it necessary to reach a speed of 385 km/h during test runs on a high-speed rail line designed for a maximum speed of 350 km/h? Typically, phased speed increase tests are conducted in 20 stages, ranging from 140 km/h to 385 km/h. The high-speed comprehensive inspection train gradually increases its speed, ultimately reaching 110% of the line’s design speed, to verify the safety, stability, and suitability of the line’s infrastructure at high speeds.

The West Shiyan High-Speed ​​Railway will pass through three cities—Xi’an, Shangluo, and Shiyan—connecting to the existing Wuhan-Shiyan High-Speed ​​Railway. The total length of the newly constructed section is 257 kilometers. Once the West Shiyan High-Speed ​​Railway opens, the journey between Xi’an and Shiyan will take approximately one hour, Xi’an and Xiangyang two hours, and Xi’an and Wuhan three hours, significantly shortening the distance between Shaanxi Province and regions such as the Yangtze River Delta and Pearl River Delta.