Beijing-Zhangjiakou high-speed rail line hailed for innovation

The opening of the Beijing-Zhangjiakou high-speed railway in December, the first smart high-speed train line to use the Beidou Navigation Satellite System, has been hailed as a high-water mark Chinese innovation.

Running at speeds of 350 kilometers per hour between Beijing North Railway Station and Taizicheng Railway Station－the site of the Chongli Olympic Village of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics in Hebei province－the train features advanced automated functions allowing drivers to concentrate on ensuring maximum safety.

The train is also able to climb the Great Wall's Badaling section with its steep higher than 3 percent gradient even when running on as low as half engine power. This is thanks to batteries that can be charged using the kinetic energy of the train itself, guaranteeing that no matter the issue or emergency the train will always be able to reach the next station.

The original Beijing-Zhangjiakou Railway was the first rail route independently developed and built by China. It came into operation in 1909 under the direction of Zhan Tianyou, who is known as the father of China's railroads.

"The biggest highlight of the Beijing-Zhangjiakou high-speed railway is how intelligent and automated it is," said Mo Zhisong, a representative from China State Railway Group.

As well as the advanced technology used on the trains themselves, the construction of the rail route also required innovative approaches. The Badaling Great Wall Station was built 102 meters below ground and required delicate electronic detonations in order to safely carve out the rock under the mountain.

At the railway's biggest transfer station－Qinghe Station in Beijing, an intelligent garbage treatment system has been installed which can automatically transport and sort garbage.

The station also uses the country's first visualized ticket dispenser to help those who do not know how to buy electronic tickets.