China wirelessly linked seven freight trains for a test run. The tech could reshape freight operations

This new wireless system can bolster China’s already dominant railway freight industry, enabling it to move much larger quantities in a shorter time. Here’s a deeper look.

What was the system?

On December 8, China ran the seven trains as a set using a wireless system on the Baoshen Railway in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, according to state-run broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV).

A major challenge was to connect the trains without mechanical coupling. Coupling refers to the mechanism to join railway vehicles such as locomotives, coaches and wagons.

Instead, the trains were connected using the wireless control system developed by China Shenhua Energy, a subsidiary of state-owned mining and energy company CHN Energy.

Were the trains able to maintain a safe distance from each other?

Usually, trains running on the same line are supposed to maintain a certain distance from each other for safety reasons. The longer and heavier the train, the greater the distance required for acceleration and braking.

So, increasing the frequency of trains on a line must, naturally, be balanced with safety.

In this case, however, China virtually created a single, super-long train without couplers. CHN Energy said that the trains maintained a distance of around 1091 metres between each other while running at a speed of 60 kmph during the trial.

All seven trains were able to synchronise their acceleration and braking throughout the journey, relying only on wireless signals rather than traditional mechanical hooks, the CCTV report said, adding that no collision or separation occurred.

“Using wireless communication and precise control, the system replaces traditional mechanical couplers and ensures coordinated multi-train operation while maintaining safe spacing,” CHN Energy said.

What does this mean for China?

With this major breakthrough, China will be able to increase its freight loading significantly, as high as 50 percent, without building additional infrastructure.

China is a heavyweight in total freight loading and passenger movement in railways. According to China Daily, the country’s railway system transported over 2.33 billion tonnes of cargo during the January-July period of 2025. This volume was a 3.3 percent increase over the previous year. Meanwhile, the total freight loading in Indian Railways during the financial year 2024-25 was 1.6 billion tonnes, which was its all-time high.

While the Chinese railway system is already dominant in the region, it has taken up many tech projects to increase loading without expanding its infrastructure. CHN Energy said this test would provide a new technical option for heavy-haul railway systems worldwide.

“Since its launch in 2022, the project has completed technical verification for multiple operating scenarios, including single-locomotive runs, 5,000-ton loaded and empty trains, and 10,000-ton empty trains,” said CHN Energy.