China debuts 620 kph train prototype on track to run tests
The state-of-the-art train will replace the existing HSR system at stations with tracks over 2.4 km with a speed of about 620 kmph.
The train is capable of running along the entire HSR network at speeds of up to 620 kph.
The HSR services will extend from the CBD to Goulburn.
The system will be tested after the introduction of high-speed trains to the North East corridor, where most of the stations will have platforms that extend over 2.4 km.
The project aims to extend the line from Melbourne to Geelong and beyond, replacing the present HSR network with a high-speed line.
The prototype train, which was unveiled by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, will be tested with trial runs on HSR tracks.
The new rail system will also be tested on existing roads under the Victorian Government’s Fast Track program.
The prototype will include a hybrid electric locomotive with an air-conditioned interior, and will be powered by both diesel and electric traction.
The train’s power is produced by turbines supplied by German company Siemens, which has also provided the drive for the prototype cars the last two years.
“Today our journey begins,” Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said.
“We are about to take a major step towards making the HSR network a reality in Victoria.
“The new train will offer a range of benefits to Victoria’s passengers, as well as a range of benefits for the people who live and work in our state.
“The train will be the culmination of close to 20 years of research across our three parties: the Andrews Labor Government, the Turnbull Liberal Government and the Australian Labor Party.
“We are talking about more than 600 hectares of land, and nearly $200 million in funding for projects with a great outcome for Victoria,” he said.
Victorians have to wait to see the train in action, with the trial run set to occur in early 2017.
The train runs on what is described as the world’s largest test track, capable of covering several kilometres in a distance much greater than the world’s busiest railway, the A2/M1 Zürich line.
“The