Chinese CR450 shown in Berlin as InnoTrans turns into a rolling stock battleground

The Chinese CR450 trainset, billed as the world's fastest high-speed train and sold under the Fuxing brand, went on display at the 15th InnoTrans International Trade Fair for Transport Technology in Berlin. The Chinese outlet Yicai reports that the stand included a mock-up of the CR450 driver's cab.

For the Chinese manufacturer, InnoTrans is above all a chance to be seen by European operators. The Fuxing family has been in development for years, and the CR450 is meant to be its fastest variant. Berlin is less a product launch than an attempt to break into markets outside China.

The venue is no accident. InnoTrans is the world's largest rail industry event, and this year Berlin is where Chinese industry lines up next to its European rivals. The fair also hosts a zone that pairs artificial intelligence with railway hardware, where systems linking rolling stock to analytics are on show.

European rivals are making claims too

Flix set out its plans at the same fair. Flixtrain head Matthias Müller promised an hourly service between Hamburg and Berlin in 2027, with a shorter journey time than Deutsche Bahn's ICE. He also pledged to double the fleet by 2028 from the current 16 units and to buy 65 new high-speed trains from Spain's Talgo. Flix showed the first finished carriage in Berlin.

The other side of the fair: German rolling stock patched up

The contrast with the Chinese debut is stark. At the same fair Deutsche Bahn announced no new generation of superfast trains. Instead it is stretching the life of its oldest ones: the ICE 1 of the 401 series is to keep running in Germany until 2040, and the contract to maintain and develop its software runs until 31 December 2038. Alstom Transportation Germany won that contract in a negotiated procedure without competition.

Competition in the European rolling stock market is playing out on two levels. The Chinese CR450 is a bargaining chip for its manufacturer, not, at least for now, a ticket offer for the European traveller. The answer to the weakness of German railways is an order for 65 high-speed trains from Spain's Talgo, due on German tracks after 2028.

For the European passenger, what counts is not the rolling stock but the timetable and the ticket price. Pressure on both will grow, from operators and from manufacturers alike, as they chase the same market and bring ever faster sets to trade fairs.