On December 8, the world’s first 35,000-ton heavy-haul group train successfully completed a trial operation on the Baotou-Shenmu Railway.

　　This trial marked the first application in the global heavy-haul transport sector of group control technology, which enables coordinated operation of multiple trains without mechanical couplers, relying solely on wireless signals. Seven test trains, each weighing 5,000 tons, departed from four adjacent stations along the Baotou-Shenmu Railway and were dynamically marshaled into a single group train through “virtual coupling.” The trains operated in coordinated formation, achieving synchronized acceleration and synchronized braking.