For those wondering why a simple "letter change" is causing such an uproar: China Railway (CR) is completely overhauling its train numbering system (rolling out in late November and December) because they are running out of 4-digit numbers for high-speed EMUs.

However, instead of adding a 5th digit, CR decided to recycle existing prefixes in the most counter-intuitive way possible. To a Chinese passenger or railfan, this feels like Amtrak suddenly deciding to rename the local commuter trains "Acela."

1. Before & After

2. Why is everyone so mad about this?

For nearly three decades, many passengers in China have had one simple rule ingrained in their minds: G and D = Fast, modern, expensive bullet trains; Z, T, and K = Slow, cheap, conventional loco-hauled trains. Under the new system, T and K are now 250–300 km/h high-speed bullet trains. Millions of infrequent travelers are going to see a "K" or "T" train on the booking app and assume it’s a slow overnight train, or vice versa.

The "D-Train" Hijack and the CR200J Controversy

For 20 years, D (Dongche, literally "EMU") stood for true distributed-power bullet trains (200–250 km/h). Now, true EMUs have been completely stripped of the "D" prefix. Instead, D is now exclusively reserved for the CR200J—a 160 km/h power-concentrated push-pull trainset. Chinese railfans despise the CR200J (nicknamed "Green Rubbish Bin"). It is essentially electric locomotives permanently coupled to Traditional 25T coaches painted bright green. CR used these trainsets to replace cheap Z/T/K conventional trains while slapping a "D" prefix on them to charge higher EMU ticket prices. Giving the CR200J exclusive ownership of the historic "D" prefix feels like the ultimate victory for a "fake bullet train."

Killing the Chinese Pinyin Naming Tradition (The Z, N, V Issue)

Historically, every train prefix in China was an abbreviation of a Chinese character and was pronounced as that word over station PAs: - G = Gao (High-speed) - D = Dong (EMU) - Z = Zhi (Direct) - T = Te (Special/Express) - K = Kuai (Fast) Even when N was used prior to 2009, it stood for Nei (Intra-bureau trains). Now, conventional trains are pushed to Z, N, and V. Because N and V don't stand for any Chinese words here (V was previously just an internal technical code for turnaround trains), CR mandated that Z, N, and V must now be pronounced as English letters, stripping "Z" of its Chinese reading (Zhi) and breaking a decades-old linguistic tradition.

The Historical Irony of "C" and "X"

China's very first 350 km/h high-speed line—the 2008 Beijing–Tianjin Intercity Railway introduced the nation to HSR—used the C prefix. Demoting "C" so it can only be used for slow (≤200 km/h) trains feels like an insult to HSR history; while passengers never rode X trains before, railfans know "X" (Xing) stood for loco-hauled parcel and postal freight trains. Watching the baggage train prefix suddenly become the flagship designation for 350+ km/h next-gen CR450 bullet trains is peak comedy.

TL;DR: No, trains aren't getting slower and prices aren't doubling overnight,

Most cities stick to buses and subways, but Kyiv takes it to another level! Between giant metro tunnels, electric trolleybuses, vintage trams, a cliffside funicular, urban ring trains, and chaotic private minibuses (marshrutkas), navigating Ukraine's capital is a whole experience.

I put together a visual guide exploring how each mode functions, how they connect, and what makes transit in Kyiv so unique.

💬 Which mode of transport would you be most excited to try first?

A natural gas powered bus. Mostly used in Calgary and Hamilton, a little in Vancouver.