The "Heavy-haul Train Group Operation Control System Technology Research and Application" project, a key scientific and technological initiative undertaken by China Shenhua Energy Company Limited (601088.SH, 01088.HK), Baoshen Railway Group Co., Ltd. (Baoshen Railway), and Beijing Tonghao Design Institute under the National Energy Investment Group, has achieved a major breakthrough. On December 8, seven 5,000-ton freight heavy-haul trains successfully conducted automatic decoupling and entry at Wanshuiquannan Station on Baoshen Railway, marking the world's first trial operation of a 35,000-ton heavy-haul group train.
Baoshen Railway stated that this successful trial will reconstruct existing railway transportation technology systems, bringing disruptive changes to heavy-haul railway development. It signifies National Energy Group's entry into the "uncharted territory" of global heavy-haul railway technology and provides China's latest comprehensive solutions to challenges such as surging freight volumes and safe operations faced by heavy-haul railways worldwide.
China Shenhua Energy is the flagship A+H-share listed subsidiary of National Energy Group. According to Baoshen Railway representatives, the test involved seven 5,000-ton trains totaling 35,000 tons, which achieved dynamic multi-train coupling through virtual coupling technology at four stations—Nalingoumen, Shabazi, Guannianfang, and Dalatebei—using vehicle-to-vehicle communication and vehicle-to-ground wireless coordination control. The trains then automatically decoupled upon arrival at Wanshuiquannan Station.
Virtual coupling eliminates mechanical couplers between trains, replacing them with wireless signals to enable tight autonomous following of multiple shorter formations as a group. Currently, the departure interval for 10,000-ton empty trains has been reduced to 3 minutes and 43 seconds, marking entry into the "3-minute era" after breaking through the 5-minute and 4-minute industry barriers. At 60 km/h, the minimum safe tracking distance for 5,000-ton loaded trains has been compressed to 1,091 meters (943 meters for empty trains), setting multiple world records.
As the primary R&D unit, China Railway Signal & Communication Corp. (CRSC) Design Institute revealed that field trials began in April 2024 on Baoshen North Line, completing 511 test sequences including single-unit, 5,000-ton, and 10,000-ton loaded train scenarios. On July 30, a 15,000-ton virtual group test with three 5,000-ton trains was conducted, culminating in this seven-train ultimate trial.
Calculations show the group operation control system can increase station throat capacity by 30% and receiving/departure track capacity by over 50%, enabling efficient short-route operations, dynamic en-route coupling, and automatic station decoupling in complex heavy-haul environments.
Tight-tracking coordinated control for heavy-haul trains has long been a global challenge limiting transport efficiency. Compared to traditional single-train or homogeneous formation control, this technology overcomes multiple barriers including real-time multi-train coordination, communication resolution, and dynamic schedule adjustment.
Baoshen Railway confirmed the system validates signaling coordination under high-density conditions while boosting heavy-haul capacity by over 50% without new line construction. "This technology could extend to high-speed rail, urban transit, and conventional railways, providing core technical support for China's rail industry," they added.
China State Railway Group (CHINA RAILWAY) noted current 350 km/h high-speed rail maintains a 3-minute minimum tracking interval with 13.5 km safety distance. While freight and passenger volumes are growing, CHINA RAILWAY hasn't formally tested virtual coupling due to insufficient operational demand and safety considerations regarding distance compression.
China Shenhua's H1 2025 report showed a 5.3% year-on-year decline in self-operated railway turnover to 15.28 billion ton-kilometers. Baoshen Railway, National Energy Group's first railway linking Baotou (Inner Mongolia) and Shenmu (Shaanxi), operates 872 km of track (36.2% of the group's total), handling over 70% of coal loading from core mining areas with 420 million-ton annual capacity.
As China's second-largest rail operator after CHINA RAILWAY, National Energy Group's Baoshen, Shenshuo, and Shuohuang Railways form the country's second west-to-east coal corridor, spanning 2,408 km with 530 million-ton annual capacity.
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