China will put 120 high-speed trains, which will travel faster than 200 kilometers per hour, into service this year, as part of a nationwide speed upgrade in the railway system.

The first six of the new trains will hit the tracks next Wednesday, according to a Beijing News report yesterday.

The other new rapid trains will be launched on July 1, October 1 and the year's end, the newspaper said.

Of the new trains, 86 will serve the country's major cities, including Shanghai, Beijing, Wuhan, Shenyang, Changchun and Harbin.

The trains will all have CRH, an abbreviation for China Railway High-speed, painted on their body.

Each car of the CRH trains will have its own power supply system, unlike ordinary trains which are towed by a locomotive.

The CRH trains will run faster than 200kph and can also travel at a speed of 250kph in some sections.

As they will be put on short and medium-distance lines, the super-fast trains will not have sleeper compartments.

Ticket prices for the CRH trains will be double those of current express trains.

A first-class seat on the high-speed train between Beijing and Jinan will cost 184 yuan (US$23.80), with a second-class seat going for 153 yuan. A hard seat on the current express train on the same route costs 95 yuan. Students can enjoy a 25 percent discount.

Stations serving as CRH train stops will set up designated booths to facilitate passenger's ticket purchase and set aside special waiting rooms and passages.

The new trains, all made in China, have enhanced safety facilities. In case of emergency, the train can decelerate automatically and stop.

If a car catches fire, the fire-control system at both ends of the car will prevent the blaze from spreading to the next cars within 15 minutes.

In addition, the train's window glass is made from a special material. Even if a window is smashed, the debris will not hurt passengers.

The speed upgrade is also expected to boost the passenger handling capacity of the country's rail network by 18 percent and cargo handling capacity by 12 percent.

(Shanghai Daily April 12, 2007)