Chinese bullet train to hit speeds of 250 mph

Railway workers pose for photos with China's latest high speed train capable of reaching 248mph during its maiden service from Beijing. China is relaunching the world's fastest bullet trains in September, running at 350 kilometers (217 miles) per hour. (Chinatopix Via AP, File)

BEIJING — After cutting back the speed of the Beijing to Shanghai bullet train following a deadly crash, China is set to again make it one of the world’s fastest.

New generation trains will service the route starting next month, making the 777-mile journey from the capital to Shanghai in just 4 hours, 30 minutes. The latest trains were unveiled in June and have a top speed of 250 mph (400 kilometers per hour), according to the official Xinhua News Agency.

China first ran trains at 350 kilometers per hour in August 2008, but cut speeds back to 250-300 kilometers per hour in 2011 following a two-train collision near the city of Wenzhou that killed 40 people and injured 191.

China has laid more than 12,400 miles of high-speed rail, with a target of adding another 6,214 miles by 2020.

China has spent an estimated $360 billion on high-speed rail, building by far the largest network in the world.