China unveils world's fastest high-speed train prototype, to travel at 450 kmph
Beijing, Dec 29: China on Sunday unveiled an updated model of its high-speed bullet train which its manufacturer claims reached speeds of 450 kmph during the test runs, making it the world’s fastest high-speed train.
According to the China State Railway Group Co (China Railway), the new model, known as the CR450 prototype, will further shorten travel time and improve connectivity, making travel more convenient and efficient for the country's vast passengers.
The CR450 prototype reached a test speed of 450 kmph, with key performance indicators — operational speed, energy consumption, interior noise, and braking distance — setting a new international benchmark, official media here reported.
It is significantly faster than the CR400 Fuxing high-speed rail (HSR) currently in service, which operates at speeds of 350 kmph, a report by state-run Xinhua said.
China Railway will arrange a series of line tests for the prototypes and optimise technical indicators to ensure the CR450 enters commercial service as soon as possible, it said.
According to the latest official figures, China's operational HSR tracks have reached about 47,000 kms, connecting major cities in the country.
Though not profitable, China says the HSR network expansion has played a crucial role in the nation's economic and social development, reducing travel times and boosting industrial development along railway routes.
According to internal surveys, the Beijing-Shanghai train service was the most profitable, while the networks in other cities have yet to turn lucrative.
In recent years, China’s HSR exported its network in Thailand and Indonesia, and built the Belgrade-Novi Sad HSR in Serbia.
China’s Big Move!
— Shen Shiwei 沈诗伟 (@shen_shiwei) December 29, 2024
The world’s fastest and China’s new-generation high-speed train CR450 for commercial operation officially debut in Beijing.
The luxury and intelligent high-speed train will operate at a speed of 400km/h, faster than the current Fuxing which runs at 350km/h. pic.twitter.com/4i4BvUFF8E
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Rupee falls 9 paise to all-time low of 90.58 against US dollar in early trade
Mumbai (PTI): Rupee depreciated 9 paise to an all-time low of 90.58 against US dollar in early trade on Monday, weighed down by uncertainty over an India-US trade deal and persistent foreign fund outflows.
Forex traders said rupee is trading with a negative bias as investors are in wait and watch mode and awaiting cues from the India-US trade deal front.
At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened at 90.53 against the US dollar, then fell further to an all-time intraday low of 90.58 against the greenback, registering a fall of 9 paise over its previous close.
On Friday, the rupee had slipped 17 paise to close at an all-time low of 90.49 against the American currency.
Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading 0.05 per cent lower at 98.35.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading higher by 0.52 per cent at USD 61.44 per barrel in futures trade.
On the domestic equity market front, the 30-share benchmark index Sensex was trading 298.86 points lower at 84,968.80, while the Nifty was down 121.40 points at 25,925.55.
Foreign Institutional Investors sold equities worth Rs 1,114.22 crore on Friday, according to exchange data.
"FPIs continue to be in selling mode in equity and debt while RBI has been selling dollars to fund their long positions," said Anil Kumar Bhansali, Head of Treasury and Executive Director Finrex Treasury Advisors LLP.
