Aerial photo taken on Dec 8, 2021 shows people viewing the exhibits at China International Rail Transit and Equipment Manufacturing Industry Exposition in Zhuzhou, central China's Hunan province. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

CHANGCHUN — China's first independently developed hydrogen-powered urban train completed a test at a speed of 160 kph on Thursday, marking a breakthrough in the application of hydrogen energy in rail transit.

The train, developed by CRRC Changchun Railway Vehicles Co, Ltd in Changchun, northeast China's Jilin province, was tested on a test track belonging to the enterprise, achieving a full-system, full-scenario and multi-level performance verification.

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Unlike traditional trains that rely on fossil-fuels or catenary systems for their power supply, the urban train being tested has a built-in hydrogen power system, which can provide a strong and long-lasting power source. The maximum cruising range of the train is over 1,000 km.

Test data also shows that the average energy consumption of the train is 5 kWh per km, which is on par with world leading levels.