The design of the Beijing-Zhangjiakou high-speed train, developed for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, was unveiled on Oct. 5 by CRRC Changchun Railway Vehicles Co., Ltd. The company said this train will be even better than the new Fuxing bullet trains with its smart features and its environmental protection and energy saving capabilities.
CRRC Changchun has previously produced trains serving the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. Since entering Brazil in 2009, the company has provided Rio with more than 600 railway cars, which carry nearly 60 percent of the city’s urban rail transit volume.
The company said the Beijing-Zhangjiakou smart bullet train will exemplify China’s high-end manufacturing capabilities. The train’s smart features will include full Wi-Fi coverage and a special media car that enables professional live broadcasting.
In addition, the train will include a section for the disabled that features wheelchair fixtures, SOS buttons and folding tables. For the Olympic athletes, the train also provides a storage area for winter sport equipment and even an anti-doping testing area.
The Beijing-Zhangjiakou high-speed railway began construction in April 2016 and is expected to complete by the end of 2019. With a total length of 174 kilometers and 10 stops, it will be the world’s first ballasted high-speed railway running trains at 350 kilometers per hour. Upon completion, the railway will reduce the travel time by train between Beijing and Zhangjiakou from three hours and 12 minutes to under an hour.