China Railway plans to revise train-number prefixes and number ranges in late November and late December 2026. The changes introduce X for a future higher-speed category and reassign T and K from conventional services to high-speed train categories.
X, T, and K under the new system
| Prefix | Maximum operating-speed category |
|---|---|
| X | Above 350 km/h, reserved for future faster Fuxing services |
| G | 350 km/h Fuxing services |
| T | 300 km/h trainsets |
| K | 200–250 km/h trainsets |
T and K previously identified conventional tekuai and kuaisu services. Their new meanings apply when the reform takes effect. These are speed categories, rather than a promise that a train travels at that speed throughout its journey.
Z, N, and V for conventional services
| Prefix | Maximum operating speed |
|---|---|
| Z | 160 km/h |
| N | 140 km/h |
| V | 120 km/h |
Under the new rules, Z, N, and V are read using their English letter names. The letters remain Latin characters on tickets.
When will the numbers change?
CCTV's October 16 report places conventional passenger, tourist, and freight changes in late November. High-speed, other trainset, intercity, and suburban categories follow in late December. These are upcoming changes, rather than rules already in use on the publication date.
During the transition, check the train number, stations, and timetable in China Railway 12306. CCTV's follow-up explanation says the numbering change itself does not change onboard service.
Further reading from the original post: Chinese Wikipedia's train-numbering overview.
Translated and clarified from the original Chinese article, published on October 16, 2026.
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