New Beijing-Tianjing train sets record

A new Beijing-Tianjin suburban railway line was put through its paces on Tuesday. A China-made high-speed train was tested on the new rail line, hitting a record speed of 394 kilometers an hour.

It took only five minutes for the train to go from zero to 300 kilometers an hour. The express hit a maximum speed of 394.5 kilometers per hour during the test, setting a world speed record for railway transport.

Beijing and Tianjin are 120 kilometers apart, and the train finished the journey in only 25 minutes and 20 seconds.

The train runs smoothly, so that passengers don't need to wear safety belts.

China developed the technology for high-speed trains with speeds of 200 kilometers an hour in 2004. Then the country developed its own trains with speeds of 300 kilometers and 350 kilometers per hour, becoming one of the few countries to have mastered the technology.

The Beijing-Tianjin inter-city express line is scheduled to open on August 1st, ahead of the Beijing Olympic Games.