Image copyright AFP Image caption The real CNR train is set to cross the Tibetan Plateau en route to Guangzhou by 2050
China has unveiled a prototype for its next generation train to be used across the country.
The track, which reached a top speed of 620 kilometres per hour (382 miles per hour), was demonstrated in Beijing.
When it comes into use, the CNR Cross-River Express train will haul passengers at speeds of 400 kilometres per hour along a 1,300-kilometre track.
It is supposed to be in operation by 2023.
The express train will link large Chinese cities such as Harbin, Chengdu and Chongqing.
It will be able to run along the Yangtze River, the Han River and a myriad of tributaries.
Mr Zhang Koilin, the chief designer, said the prototype can run at top speeds for 45 minutes at regular intervals. It will generate energy from vibrations to power systems.
“You can buy a train in China or you can buy a jumbo jet – you cannot buy the train,” he said.
The CNR Railways is the world’s biggest train manufacturer, with projects across Europe and other developing markets.
The CNR Cross-River Express prototype has been developed by China Railway Corporation and its overseas subsidiary, CRRC, in cooperation with three Chinese cities – Qinhuangdao, Hangzhou and Harbin.
It contains 21 layers of steel and aluminium, weighs 230 tonnes and is filled with a special paint designed to withstand temperatures as low as -55 degrees Celsius (-60 degrees Fahrenheit).
When it becomes operational, the real train will cross the Tibetan Plateau en route to Guangzhou by 2050.
If it does, it will be the first such train to travel west across the plateau.