Ultimately, this type of glass was used in the front windshield of the Jinghu EMU (Electric Multiple Unit). Tests showed that a 1 kg aluminum bullet could damage the glass but not penetrate it, ensuring no harm to passengers inside; a 1 kg bird or a 20 g aluminum bullet would not even scratch the glass.
When hit by chickens, the glass remained intact.
The CRH380A EMU designed and manufactured by Qingdao Sifang Company for the Jinghu High-Speed Railway draws its design inspiration from the Long March rocket. The new train head measures 12 meters in length, 2.6 meters longer than that of the CRH2 EMU, offering better results in reducing aerodynamic resistance, lowering noise, and minimizing lift.
During braking, the CRH380BL EMU converts its kinetic energy into electrical energy through inertia, feeding it back into the grid. Tests show that each emergency brake from a speed of 380 km/h returns nearly 3000 megajoules of energy to the grid. This reduces wear on the brake discs and pads while conserving energy, protecting the environment, and cutting operational costs.
Birds are shattered upon impact, but the train's glass remains intact, safeguarding the safety of drivers and passengers.
Traveling at speeds of 500 km/h is still controllable.
Initially, researchers designed 20 candidate train head shapes, including fast animals and rockets. After technical, cultural, and engineering feasibility analyses, they selected 10 basic designs. From these, they optimized five heads for simulation calculations and wind tunnel tests, eventually choosing two designs for construction and completing the prototype of the CRH380A Harmony train head. The final design concept was inspired by the Long March rocket, symbolizing aviation-level performance and dynamic take-off.
Reporter: What are the features of the CRH380BL EMU safety protection system?
At high speeds, red stop lights are impossible to see clearly. Will the driver become disoriented? Can emergencies be handled properly?
Are passengers only able to wait in dangerous situations?
Dialogue (CRH380BL EMU Chief Designer Zhang Lei):
Reporter: In case of emergencies, what emergency systems are available?
The Jinghu High-Speed Railway is planned to officially open at the end of June, with travel time between Beijing and Shanghai taking approximately 4 hours and 48 minutes. Both 300 km/h and 250 km/h EMUs will operate, using three modes: direct service between Beijing and Shanghai (via Nanjing South Station), provincial direct services, and alternating stops at stations along the line.
National Security Glass and Quartz Glass Quality Inspection Center Deputy Director Zang Shuguang used dead chickens in an accelerator to simulate birds. When reaching a speed of 380 km/h, the impact on standard windshield glass would be catastrophic. Therefore, ordinary windshield glass cannot be used on the Jinghu High-Speed Railway trains.
Some CRH380BL trains retain the dolphin-shaped head of the CRH3 EMU, while others adopt a completely new streamlined head, which is 2 meters longer than the dolphin head and resembles a running cheetah. The improved head reduces aerodynamic resistance by nearly 10%.
Can the land-based flight of the Jinghu High-Speed Railway achieve safe operation, and how does it differ from existing lines? Recently, our reporter rode the trial-running Jinghu High-Speed Railway EMU to uncover the secrets of the new route and new trains for readers.
Compared to airplanes where phone calls and internet access are prohibited, being able to use mobile phones and access the internet will be one factor attracting white-collar workers and business people to the Jinghu High-Speed Railway.
Zhang Lei: In the design of the CRH380BL EMU safety protection system, the principle of fault-oriented safety is adopted, including fault diagnosis and remote monitoring. Once the train fault diagnosis system detects any abnormal symptoms, it immediately prompts an alarm. If the fault is not resolved within the set time, the protection system will implement safety measures, either slowing down or stopping the vehicle.
If water accumulates on the tracks exceeding 300 mm deep, it will be unsuitable for train operations, causing the train to automatically stop.
Each carriage of the CRH380BL EMU has a red handle at both ends. If passengers notice any unexpected events inside or outside the train, pulling this handle will stop the train. Simultaneously, the driver will receive the message and judge whether the current section is suitable for stopping, making timely decisions on continuing or halting the journey.
Safety
A relevant person in charge of China North Rail Corporation introduced that when encountering obstacles, passengers have the ability to force the train to stop.
For example, if water accumulation exceeds 300 mm deep on the track, it will be unsuitable for train operations, causing the train to automatically stop.
Every carriage of the CRH380 EMU undergoing trial runs on the Jinghu High-Speed Railway has 3G wireless networks providing wireless internet services. Many charging sockets are available for passenger convenience, with some carriages having sockets behind every seat. Inside the trial-running high-speed train, reporters' mobile phones displayed network connection signals, enabling immediate connection to the 3G network.
If the train reaches 380 km/h and a bird collides with the windshield, what would be the consequence?
Zhang Lei: From an operational economy perspective, reducing speed saves about 1/5 of electricity consumption; many parts' lifespans will extend; lower speed significantly increases safety. For instance, with wheels, at 380 km/h, they might wear out a few millimeters after 10,000 km; at 300 km/h, it might take 20,000-30,000 km to wear out one millimeter.
After multiple experiments, they found a new sample. This tempered glass contains a super-thin resin core within its ultra-thin layer, specially designed to absorb high-speed impacts. When dead chickens were accelerated to simulate bird collisions, the chickens shattered, but the glass remained unscathed.
In the past two years, Zang Shuguang and his team conducted over 20 types of tests, including optical, electrical, impact resistance, and environmental aging, ensuring the dedicated glass for the Jinghu High-Speed Railway trains is indestructible.
Construction of the Jinghu High-Speed Railway began on April 18, 2008, starting from Beijing South Station and terminating at Shanghai Hongqiao Station, spanning a total length of 1318 kilometers with a total investment of approximately 220.9 billion yuan. It passes through Beijing, Tianjin, and Shanghai municipalities as well as Hebei, Shandong, Anhui, and Jiangsu provinces, making it the longest single-construction mileage, largest investment, and highest-standard high-speed railway since the founding of New China. Track laying was completed on November 15, 2010. On May 11 this year, the Jinghu High-Speed Railway entered the operational testing phase.
24 Stations
Jinghu High-Speed Railway - Numbers
The driver's cab is equipped with a driver vigilance device. Beneath the driver's feet is a button requiring them to step on it within a certain time frame. If this time is exceeded without stepping, the button will issue a warning, prompting the driver to respond. If the driver fails to respond within a few seconds, the train will automatically stop.
Initially, 90 pairs of trains will operate on the Jinghu High-Speed Railway.
1318 km
Tang Tao, director of the Key Laboratory of Traffic Control and Safety at Beijing Jiaotong University, introduced that the train's operation control system transforms road conditions and obstacles beyond the braking distance into speed commands, displayed on the speedometer. It can real-time indicate the train's operating speed, requiring the driver to maintain a speed below the indicated limit. Currently, the CRH380 EMU's train control system is tested and made according to a 500 km/h requirement, achieving over 480 km/h during trials on the Jinghu High-Speed Railway. This train control system sufficiently ensures the safety of trains operating at 350 km/h and 300 km/h.
Technicians from China North Rail Corporation introduced that when the CRH380BL EMU operates at 380 km/h, the per capita energy consumption per 100 km is less than 5.2 kilowatts, which is 1/8 of an airplane's and 1/5 of a car's.
Service
Energy Conservation
There are over 1000 sensors on the train, monitoring the temperature, speed, acceleration, pressure, and insulation performance of key systems and parts in real-time. They collect various information about the train's operating state and display it on the driver's cab monitor. If this information exceeds limits or the driver fails to respond correctly within the specified time, the train monitoring network system will trigger the train's emergency brakes via the control system, ensuring safe travel. Similarly, when the train exceeds a certain restricted speed, the network control system can sound alarms in real-time and automatically limit speed.
The head shape resembles a cheetah, reducing resistance by 10%.