Researchers fast-track a train for all systems

China working on next step in high-speed rail transport, says innovation expert

China is developping a next-generation bullet train that can run at 400 kilometers an hour and is suitable for cross-border services, a senior researcher with the nation's high-speed rail program said on Sunday.

"The train, to be developed in the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-20), will have wheels that can be adjusted to fit various gauges on other countries' tracks, compared with trains now that need to have their wheels changed before entering foreign systems," said Jia Limin, a professor at Beijing Jiaotong University and head of China's high-speed rail innovation program.