In 2004, the Ministry of Railway in China purchased an initial 60 sets of the train from Kawasaki Heavy Industries with a maximum speed of 250 km/h (155 mph).

[1] On October 20, 2004, the Ministry of Railway in China ordered 60 sets of CRH2A trains from Kawasaki Heavy Industries in Japan.

According to Chinese and Japanese media, CRH2A trains started test trials ahead of commercial operation on the Shanghai-Hangzhou and Shanghai-Nanjing lines on January 28, 2007.

On September 14, 2010, the Chinese MOR ordered additional 40 sets of CRH2A trains (CRH2-151A - CRH2-190A) from CSR Sifang.

[4] After the introduction of the modified E2-1000 Series, Sifang built its own CRH2 with a maximum safe operating speed of 350 km/h (217 mph).

The original train sets imported from Kawasaki had a maximum safe operating speed of 250 km/h (160 mph).

In development and research of the 350 km/h (217 mph) high speed train, The CRH2-300 project was launched by Chinese MOR and CSR.

In 2006 the China Development Bank provided CNY 15 billion developmental financial loans to CSR Group for the projects of 200–300 km/h (124–186 mph) high speed trains.

According to CSR Sifang, the improvements include the following aspects: Chinese MOR ordered 30 sets of CRH2C stage two, name code CRH2-091C - CRH2-110C and CRH2-141C - CRH2-150C.

[13] In November and December 2007, the Ministry of Railway in China ordered 20 CRH2 sleeper trains with 16 cars per set (8M8T).

These trains are modified CRH2Bs, outfitted with traditional railway sleeping berths (couchette car) and have been given designations CRH2E (numbered CRH2-121E - CRH2-140E).

[17] Each capsule is similar in layout to airplane first class, and passengers are no longer sharing the room.

The post-2008 production model of the CRH2 are designed and made solely by Sifang with a maximum safe operation speed of 350 km/h (217 mph).