Summary：Believed to be the only train in the world capable of such speeds in frozen conditions, it will run on a new line that links Dalian, a port city on China's North East coast, to Harbin, which is blanketed by snow for much of the winter.

Believed to be the only train in the world capable of such speeds in frozen conditions, it will run on a new line that links Dalian, a port city on China's North East coast, to Harbin, which is blanketed by snow for much of the winter.

The new trains will cut the journey time on the 570-mile line from nine hours to just three-and-a-half.

The Chinese authorities said it was particularly challenging to construct a line that would operate not only at -40C in winter, but at temperatures of up to 40C in the summer.

"We researched high-speed railway line construction in relatively cold areas of Germany and Japan and learned from water and electricity supply projects in frigid areas," said Zhang Xize, the chief engineer of the railway, to the China Daily.

He said the ice could disrupt the train's power supply and signals system, but vowed that every possible safety measure had been taken.