The 12th World Congress on High-Speed Rail opened in Beijing on Tuesday, bringing together policy-makers, engineers and suppliers to discuss the future of fast rail transport. Organisers highlighted China’s domestic network, which now spans about 48,000 kilometres and carries more than 16 million passenger trips a day, as evidence of the system’s commercial viability and technical maturity. China State Railway Group said it has created a dedicated committee to accelerate the internationalisation of technical standards, part of a broader campaign to boost the country’s influence in global rail projects. Conference delegates will visit the National Railway Test Center on 9 July for demonstrations of new signalling systems, intelligent maintenance technology and next-generation trainsets. Sessions during the week-long event will cover cross-border corridors, digital operations and sustainable financing, organisers said, with the aim of producing recommendations for governments and industry regulators. Exhibitors from several continents are showcasing components and services as China positions itself as a leading exporter of high-speed rail expertise.