Source: RailFreight
Date: 14th July 2023
China will launch its first regular bullet freight train service. The first test run was completed on 12 July, with two trains running between Chengdu and Kunming in West China at the highest speed of 250 kilometres per hour. The service will be operated on a daily basis in the future.
The freight bullet trains were adapted from the previous passenger bullet train. The new service will cover a distance of 1,127 kilometres and will deliver the goods within six hours. Besides fresh food, this service is targeted at products with high added value such as biomedical products, electronics, and business documents. The new service marks the start of China Railways using bullet trains dedicated to its freight transportation network. Previously, bullet trains had been used for special occasions such as the Double Eleven Shopping Festival, the world’s largest shopping festival.
Bullet train for e-commerce
Last year, China Railways used bullet trains to supply goods for the Double Eleven Shopping Festival. This was the second consecutive year that goods were carried on high-speed trains. Unlike the regular bullet freight train service launched this time, the trains were not dedicated to freight service; instead, the goods were placed directly on top of the passenger seats. After completing the shopping festival mission, those trains were returned to the tracks to serve passenger traffic.