China has revealed its most advanced high-speed rail innovation to date — the CR450 bullet train — currently undergoing final testing to run at 400 km/h (250 mph). This next-generation electric multiple unit (EMU) may soon become the world’s fastest conventional train in commercial operation, pushing the boundaries of aerodynamic design and energy efficiency.

The CR450 marks a leap from the existing 350 km/h CR400 Fuxing trains. Engineers achieved this by redesigning the train’s nose based on birds of prey and streamlining its undercarriage — resulting in a 22% drag reduction. Despite the 50 km/h speed boost, the train maintains energy use on par with older models, thanks to these aerodynamic advances.

Brake systems also received a material overhaul, enabling the train to halt from 400 km/h to zero within 6.5 km — generating enough heat to boil 6.8 tonnes of water in just two minutes.

The CR450 made its debut at the 12th UIC High-Speed Railway Congress in Beijing earlier this month. Its development is part of China’s broader goal to expand its rail network to 50,000 km by the end of 2025. Currently, China accounts for over 70% of global high-speed rail lines, linking nearly all cities with populations above 500,000.

Meanwhile, the United States is backpedaling. The Trump administration recently terminated $4 billion in federal funding for California’s long-delayed high-speed rail project. Touted to link Los Angeles and San Francisco in under three hours, the project has been plagued by overruns and regulatory hurdles. A similar plan in Texas, meant to connect Houston and Dallas using Japan’s shinkansen system, also lost $64 million in grants in April.

China’s CR450 may soon redefine what “fast” means in rail travel — while the U.S. continues to put the brakes on its bullet train ambitions.