First self-developed bullet train launched in NE China

The 'China-standard' bullet trains, officially known as electric multiple unit (EMU) trains, have started operation in northeast China's Liaoning Province.

The "China-standard" train G8041 makes its debut in Harbin-Dalian line between Harbin, capital of China's northernmost province of Heilongjiang, and the port city of Dalian in Liaoning province, August 15, 2016. [Photo: Chinanews.com]

Train No. G8041 departed from Dalian for Shenyang, capital of Liaoning on Monday. It is the first passenger service using China-standard EMU trains.

China standard EMU trains, which can reach a speed of 350 kilometers per hour, have been independently researched and manufactured by China railway Corporation, the national rail operator. The trains mark a new milestone in the country's effort to build a high tech railway network in the country.

China has the world's largest high-speed rail network, with a total operating length reaching 19,000 km by the end of 2015, about 60 percent of the world's total.

China Railway Corporation plans to spend 800 billion yuan, or around 120 billion dollars on railways in 2016, especially in less-developed central and western regions of the country.