State planning for high - speed railway began in the early 1990s, and the country 's first high - speed rail line, the Qinhuangdao -- Shenyang Passenger Railway, was built in 1999 and opened to commercial operation in 2003. This line could accommodate commercial trains running at up to 200 km / h (120 mph). Planners also considered Germany 's Transrapid maglev technology and built the Shanghai Maglev Train, which runs on a 30.5 km (19.0 mi) track linking the city and its international airport. The maglev train service began operating in 2004 with trains reaching a top speed of 431 km / h (268 mph), and remains the fastest high - speed service in the world. Maglev, however, was not adopted nationally and all subsequent expansion features high - speed rail on conventional tracks.
who has the fastest bullet train in the world
Shanghai Maglev Train