(File photo)

Chinese train maker CRRC has kicked off a project to tackle key train technologies for the country’s growing courier services, including building bullet trains that can run 250 kilometers per hour, Science and Technology Daily reported.

The trains will be able to transport fresh sea food from coastal cities to Beijing in one day, said Sun Bangcheng, deputy director of CRRC’s office for major project development.

Industry insiders say expanding carrying capacity and improving parcel handling are key issues to be tackled. China’s delivery services are not available on high-speed trains, and trains for parcel transport are currently running at speeds varying from 120 to 160 kilometers per hour, statistics show.

“Trains with these speeds cannot satisfy the growing need for fast loading and unloading,” Sun said, because high-speed courier trains need to be able to handle containerization.

“Containerization will reduce the reliance on manual labor and improve handling efficiency,” Sun said. Besides, the new trains will open fully for handling, according to file photos provided by CRRC.

CRRC is developing a virtual server that can automatically allocate vehicles to transport parcels, as well as monitor the status of the handling operations.

The company started research and development on the project in July 2017 and has distributed specific missions to its branches across the country, Sun said.

China’s burgeoning courier service sector collected 400 billion yuan ($60 billion) of business revenue last year, up 44.6 percent year-on-year, according to the State Post Bureau, indicating an enormous market for express delivery.