Utilizing Human Fascination With Speed, China Pushing Technological Limits Of High-Speed Rail At -40° Fahrenheit

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The global leader in high-speed rail is pushing the technological limits of the system by operating high-speed trains in the extreme temperatures seen on the Harbin-Dalian high-speed rail line. It is currently running through areas of Northeastern China, where temperatures reach -40° Fahrenheit.

Adaptation and Sustainability

Safety concerns? Perhaps. Zhou Li, a technology official with China’s Ministry of Railways, says the Ministry has run 22 research projects to test technology obstacles, including monitoring of the track conditions under a range of temperature differences throughout the different seasons.There are three high-speed railways running in extremely cold regions located in Northern Europe and Russia — they started before the Harbin-Dalian line.

Further and Faster — Adaptation, Distance, and Speed

Notably, the Northern European high-speed rail lines do not really compare to the length and speed of China’s new line. Adaptation is critical for survival and sustainability — for humans, for animals, and for technology.

 
In the streamlined video on Xinhua, one finds the success of adaptation. Through innovation derived from need and human fascination with speed, technology supports sustainable transportation. “A fascination for speed is part of our nature, and the world’s first ever high-speed rail, which operates in extreme weather conditions, is about to set new limits in China’s northeast,” Xinhua writes.

Drivers must meet strict measures to drive these trains — for example, they must operate a special braking system.

Image Credits: Xinhua & Priestmangoode