The high-speed rail (HSR, ) network in the People's Republic of China (PRC) is almost entirely owned and operated by the China State Railway Group Co. under the brand China Railway High-speed (CRH), including HSR trains, tracks, and services. China's high-speed rail network is the world's longest and has the highest ridership, as it accounts for roughly two-thirds of the world's total and has expanded to more than 50,000 km in operational length. The HSR network encompasses newly built rail lines with a design speed of .

Since the 2000s, China's high-speed rail network has experienced rapid growth. CRH was introduced in April 2007, with the Beijing-Tianjin intercity rail, which became fully operational in August 2008, being the first passenger-dedicated HSR line. Currently, the HSR extends to all provincial-level administrative divisions and the Hong Kong SAR but not the Macau SAR.

Technology Definition and terminology In China, high-speed rail refers to rail services operating at speeds exceeding . The system generally consists of passenger-dedicated lines (PDLs) with a design speed of , which form the backbone of the national network; regional lines with a design speed of , providing fast interprovincial connections; and intercity lines with a design speed of , serving metropolitan areas with more frequent stops for regional service.

Electric multiple unit (EMU) trainsets typically consist of 8 or 16 cars and are designed for frequent service with relatively light axle loads. EMU services running below or on mixed-traffic lines are not classified as high-speed rail unless the line is specifically intended for future speed upgrades.

In practice, high-speed rail services in China are divided into three categories:

G-series trains are the fastest and most common, operating at speeds up to about on dedicated high-speed lines. Example: the G7 service between Beijing South and Shanghai Hongqiao, running at 350 km/h. D-series trains usually run at . They were once common on major daytime routes but have largely been replaced by G-trains. Some are overnight sleeper services, such as the three daily D-trains between Beijing and Shanghai. C-series trains serve short intercity routes, typically . Example: services on the Beijing–Tianjin Intercity Railway reach 350 km/h and complete the trip in approximately 30 minutes.

Technology transfer Acquiring high-speed rail technology had been a major goal of Chinese state planners. Chinese train-makers, after receiving transferred foreign technology, have been able to achieve a degree of self-sufficiency in making the next generation of high-speed trains by producing key parts and improving upon foreign designs.

Examples of technology transfer include Mitsubishi Electric's MT205 traction motor and ATM9 transformer to CSR Zhuzhou Electric, Hitachi's YJ92A traction motor and Alstom's YJ87A Traction motor to CNR Yongji Electric, Siemens' TSG series pantograph to Zhuzhou Gofront Electric.

For foreign train manufacturers, technology transfer was a crucial part of gaining market access in China. Bombardier, the first foreign train manufacturer to form a joint venture in China, has been sharing technology for the manufacture of railway passenger cars and rolling stock since 1998. Zhang Jianwei, President of Bombardier China, stated that in a 2009 interview, "Whatever technology Bombardier has, whatever the Chinese market needs, there is no need to ask. Bombardier transfers advanced and mature technology to China, which we do not treat as an experimental market." Unlike other series, which have imported prototypes, all CRH1 trains have been assembled at Bombardier's joint venture with CSR, Bombardier Sifang in Qingdao.

Kawasaki's cooperation with CSR did not last as long. Within two years of cooperation with Kawasaki to produce 60 CRH2A sets, CSR began in 2008 to build CRH2B, CRH2C, and CRH2E models at its Sifang plant independently without assistance from Kawasaki. According to CSR president Zhang Chenghong, CSR "made the bold move of forming a systemic development platform for high-speed locomotives and further upgrading its design and manufacturing technology. Later, we began to independently develop high-speed CRH trains with a maximum velocity of 300–350 kilometers per hour, which eventually rolled off the production line in December 2007." Since then, CSR has ended its cooperation with Kawasaki. Kawasaki challenged China's high-speed rail project for patent theft, but backed off the effort.

Rolling stock

China Railway High-speed runs different electric multiple unit trainsets, the name Hexie Hao () is for designs which are imported from other nations and designated CRH-1 through CRH-5 and CRH380A(L), CRH380B(L), and CRH380C(L). CRH trainsets are intended to provide fast and convenient travel between cities. Some of the Hexie Hao train sets are manufactured locally through technology transfer, a key requirement for China. The signalling, track and support structures, control software, and station design are developed domestically with foreign elements as well. By 2010, the truck system as a whole is predominantly Chinese. China currently holds several new patents related to the internal components of these trains, redesigned in China to allow the trains to run at higher speeds than the foreign designs allowed. However, these patents are only valid within China, and as such hold no international power. The weakness on intellectual property of Hexie Hao causes obstruction for China to export its high-speed rail related product, which leads to the development of the completely redesigned train franchise called Fuxing Hao () that is based on indigenous technologies.

Maglev The world's first commercial maglev line, capable of speeds up to 430 km/h, opened in Shanghai in 2002 using German technology, linking Longyang Road station with Shanghai Pudong International Airport. On October 19, 2010, the Ministry of Railways announced the beginning of research and development of "super-speed" railway technology, aiming to increase maximum train speeds to over .

In October 2016, CRRC announced research and development of a maglev train, the CRRC 600, and the construction of a test track. In June 2020, a prototype trial run was conducted at Tongji University, with a planned launch targeted for 2025.

In July 2021, China's first high-speed maglev train with a designed top speed of 600 km/h rolled off the production line in Qingdao, Shandong. Developed by CRRC Qingdao Sifang, the train underwent testing on dedicated maglev tracks to prepare for commercial operation.

On 17 July 2025, CRRC officially unveiled the 600 km/h high-speed maglev train at the 12th UIC World Congress on High-Speed Rail in Beijing. The train is designed to bridge the gap between conventional high-speed rail (with a maximum operating speed of 350 km/h) and air travel (900–1,000 km/h). Using electromagnetic suspension, the maglev operates without wheel–rail contact, allowing for quieter, smoother, and more efficient service. According to CRRC, the train offers advantages including high speed, safety, reliability, large passenger capacity, lower maintenance costs, and environmental sustainability. The train is expected to enter commercial service within five to ten years and could significantly reduce travel times; for example, the Beijing–Shanghai journey could be shortened from around five hours to about two and a half hours.

Track technology

China's high-speed rail network relies heavily on advanced track technology to allow trains to operate safely at high speeds. A key innovation is the widespread use of ballastless tracks, which replace the traditional gravel base with a solid concrete slab. These tracks provide a smoother ride, reduce long-term maintenance costs, and can handle frequent, heavy train traffic.

Over the years, China has developed several types of ballastless track within the Chinese Railway Track System (CRTS), including prefabricated slabs that simplify construction and allow precise standardization. Track designs are optimized for different speeds, train loads, and environmental conditions such as temperature variations and uneven subgrade settlement. Advanced design methods, such as the limit state method, are increasingly used to improve safety and material efficiency compared with older allowable stress method approaches.

Currently, four main types of ballastless track are used in China's high-speed rail network: CRTS I, CRTS II, CRTS III slab, and CRTS double-block. CRTS I, CRTS II slab, and CRTS double-block track types were developed by Chinese railway companies based on technology transferred from Germany and Japan. CRTS III slab track is a Chinese innovation, improving upon previous designs and adapted for domestic conditions.

Technology export China has increasingly promoted the export of its high-speed rail technology, with the most significant achievement to date in Indonesia. In October 2023, the Whoosh line between Jakarta and Bandung opened as the first operational high-speed railway in Southeast Asia. Built by China Railway Construction Corporation and operated by a joint venture with Indonesian partners, the project is considered the first complete export of China's HSR system, including design, construction, rolling stock, and operations.

China has also participated in projects elsewhere. In Turkey, the China Railway Construction Corporation built a 30 km section of the Ankara–Istanbul high-speed railway completed in 2014.Chinese Firm Constructs High-Speed Railway in Turkey 2014-01-18 In Europe, Chinese companies are involved in construction of the Belgrade–Budapest railway linking Serbia and Hungary. Moreover, in Southeast Asia, further high-speed rail projects with Chinese involvement are advancing in Thailand and under discussion in Vietnam. Although not designed for the same speeds, China has also exported 160 km/h electrified lines, such as the Boten–Vientiane railway in Laos, often described as part of a broader pan-Asian high-speed corridor.

Beyond completed and under-construction projects, China has signed agreements or placed bids for HSR lines in Russia (the Moscow–Kazan route), Venezuela, Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Brazil (São Paulo–Rio de Janeiro), and the United States. While many of these projects remain at the proposal or bidding stage, they reflect China's emergence as a competitor to established Japanese and European suppliers in the global high-speed rail market.

History

Precursor The earliest example of a fast commercial train service in China was the Asia Express, a luxury passenger train that operated in Japanese-controlled Manchuria from 1934 to 1943.Louise Young. Japan's Total Empire. Berkeley: University of California Press 1998. pp. 246–67. The steam-powered train, which ran on the South Manchuria Railway from Dalian to Xinjing (Changchun), had a top commercial speed of and a test speed of . It was faster than the fastest trains in Japan at the time. After the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, this train model was renamed the SL-7 and was used by the Chinese Minister of Railways.

Early planning

State planning for China's current high-speed railway network began in the early 1990s under the leadership of Deng Xiaoping. He set up what became known as the "high-speed rail dream" after his visit to Japan in 1978, where he was deeply impressed by the Shinkansen, the world's first high speed rail system. In December 1990, the Ministry of Railways (MOR) submitted to the National People's Congress a proposal to build a high-speed railway between Beijing and Shanghai. At the time, the Beijing–Shanghai Railway was already at capacity, and the proposal was jointly studied by the Science & Technology Commission, State Planning Commission, State Economic & Trade Commission, and the MOR. In December 1994, the State Council commissioned a feasibility study for the line.