China plans X-prefix trains for 400 km/h high-speed rail

Why it matters: China already runs the world's largest high-speed network, and faster trains could reshape how people commute between cities and compete with short-haul flights. Train prefixes matter to passengers because they signal speed tiers on tickets and timetables.

China Railway plans to introduce a new X-prefix category for high-speed trains designed to run faster than 350 km/h, according to the business account Jieju Caijing. The X label would rank above the familiar G-prefix trains as the fastest service.

The first X-prefix route is expected on the Chengdu-Chongqing middle line, a section of the Yangtze River corridor line due to open in 2027. Trains there are to run at 400 km/h, linking Chengdu and Chongqing in about 50 minutes, China Railway said.

The CR450 test train has reached 453 km/h, according to the report, which would allow 400 km/h in commercial service. The railway science and technology plan for the next five-year period calls for putting 400 km/h trains into wider use.

Train prefixes are also being reorganized: G for 350 km/h, T for 300 km/h, K for 200–250 km/h and D for 200 km/h, the report said. The number of prefix categories rises from four to seven, expanding the pool of available train numbers by nearly 40%.

China's high-speed network has passed 50,000 km, more than 70% of the world total, and is targeted to reach 60,000 km by 2030. The report says faster rail is already pulling passengers from short flights, with the share of routes under 800 km falling over the past six years.