grey boy 2
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China HSR News And Information: Original Translation
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onebyone
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Life, housing and business are following the high speed rail lines in China
In China’s three big population centres—the areas around Beijing in the north, Shanghai in the east and Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province, in the south—life and work have started to follow the sinews of the high-speed rail system. Trains were previously too infrequent, too slow and too crowded to allow for daily commutes. Now, each of these three mega-cities is developing commuter corridors. Little wonder: house prices in satellite towns and cities tend to be much cheaper. In Kunshan, for example, homes cost about 70% less than in nearby Shanghai. But the bullet train between the two cities takes just 19 minutes and costs a mere 25 yuan ($3.60). And Kunshan is just one of many options for those seeking to escape Shanghai’s high costs. There are now about 75 million people living within an hour of Shanghai by high-speed rail.
Surveys show that more than half of passengers on the busiest lines are “generated traffic”—that is, people making trips that they would not have made before. This is unquestionably good for the economy. It means the trains are expanding the pool of labour and consumers around China’s most productive cities, while pushing investment and technology to poorer ones. Xu Xiangshang, a dapper businessman, oversees sales of apartments built next to high-speed railway stations in less well-off parts of Anhui. These are less than half an hour from Nanjing, a prosperous city of 8m that is the capital of Jiangsu province. “Bullet trains are becoming just like buses,” he says.
The overall bill is already high. China Railway Corporation, the state-owned operator of the train system, has debts of more than 4 trillion yuan, equal to about 6% of GDP.
Less than a decade ago China had yet to connect any of its cities by bullet train. Today, it has 20,000km (12,500 miles) of high-speed rail lines, more than the rest of the world combined. It is planning to lay another 15,000km by 2025. Just as astonishing is urban growth alongside the tracks. At regular intervals—almost wherever there are stations, even if seemingly in the middle of nowhere—thickets of newly built offices and residential blocks rise from the ground.
But the network expansion now under way is even bolder than Mr Liu had envisaged. China has a four-by-four grid at present: four big north-south and east-west lines. Its new plan is to construct an eight-by-eight grid by 2035. The ultimate goal is to have 45,000km of high-speed track. Zhao Jian of Beijing Jiaotong University, who has long criticised the high-speed push, reckons that only 5,000km of this will be in areas with enough people to justify the cost. “With each new line, the losses will get bigger,” he says.
Some analysts question how much of it has been wisely spent. In a widely circulated study published last autumn, Atif Ansar of Oxford University’s Saïd Business School and his co-authors say the world’s “awe and envy” is misplaced. More than half of China’s infrastructure projects have “destroyed economic value”, they reckon. Their verdict is based on 65 road and rail projects backed by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) or the World Bank since the mid-1980s. Thanks to the banks’ involvement, these projects are well documented.
The ADB expected the Yuanjiang-Mohei highway (Yuan-Mo for short) to cut travel times, reduce traffic accidents and lower the costs of fuelling and repairing vehicles, adding up to a compelling economic return of 17.4% a year. By 2004, however, traffic was 49% below projections and costs were more than 20% over budget, thanks to unforgiving terrain prone to landslides.
As a rule, the ADB and World Bank will approve an undertaking only if they expect its broad benefits (the economic gains from reduced travel times, fewer accidents, etc) to exceed its costs by a large margin, leaving ample room for error. Mr Ansar and his co-authors assume this margin is 40%: they posit a ratio of expected benefits to costs of 1.4 for every project. They scoured the banks’ review documents for examples of cost overruns and traffic shortfalls. Given these assumptions, a project becomes unviable if costs overrun by more than 40%, traffic undershoots by 29%, or some combination of the two. Of the 65 projects, 55% fell into this category.
The authors’ conclusion, however, rests on their assumption about the margin for error built into the projects they looked at. Take Yuan-Mo, for example. Its projected benefits, over its first 20 years of operation, were several times greater than its costs. But as often with roads, the costs arrive early; the benefits are spread thinly over many years
At a discount rate equal to China's borrowing costs only 8% of the project are not economic and HSR traffic gains can lag for a few years
It is necessary to reduce the future payoffs by some annual percentage, known as a “discount rate”. The higher this is, the lower the value placed today on tomorrow’s gains.
So a lot turns on what rate is chosen. For historical reasons, the ADB adopts a high one of 12%. At that rate, Yuan-Mo’s ratio of expected benefits to costs equals 1.5, roughly in line with the authors’ assumptions.
But at a gentler rate of 9%, the ratio improves to about 2.
At a rate of 5.3% (more in line with government borrowing costs) the ratio rises to 3.
With these higher margins for error, many fewer elephants turn white. At a ratio of 2, the share falls to 28%. If the ratio is assumed to be 3, the proportion of duds falls to just 8%.
The authors also assume that any traffic shortfall persists throughout its life. That is not always the case. Traffic on Yuan-Mo, for example, has rebounded, according to the road’s operator. By 2015 it was 31% higher than the ADB projected back in 1999. Around last year’s lunar new-year holiday the road handled record numbers. Some white elephants turn grey with age.
In the long view of 10-20 years there is an economic payoff vs China's borrowing costs and long term improvements to the country
http://www.nextbigfuture.com/2017/01/life-housing-and-business-are-following.html
In China’s three big population centres—the areas around Beijing in the north, Shanghai in the east and Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province, in the south—life and work have started to follow the sinews of the high-speed rail system. Trains were previously too infrequent, too slow and too crowded to allow for daily commutes. Now, each of these three mega-cities is developing commuter corridors. Little wonder: house prices in satellite towns and cities tend to be much cheaper. In Kunshan, for example, homes cost about 70% less than in nearby Shanghai. But the bullet train between the two cities takes just 19 minutes and costs a mere 25 yuan ($3.60). And Kunshan is just one of many options for those seeking to escape Shanghai’s high costs. There are now about 75 million people living within an hour of Shanghai by high-speed rail.
Surveys show that more than half of passengers on the busiest lines are “generated traffic”—that is, people making trips that they would not have made before. This is unquestionably good for the economy. It means the trains are expanding the pool of labour and consumers around China’s most productive cities, while pushing investment and technology to poorer ones. Xu Xiangshang, a dapper businessman, oversees sales of apartments built next to high-speed railway stations in less well-off parts of Anhui. These are less than half an hour from Nanjing, a prosperous city of 8m that is the capital of Jiangsu province. “Bullet trains are becoming just like buses,” he says.
The overall bill is already high. China Railway Corporation, the state-owned operator of the train system, has debts of more than 4 trillion yuan, equal to about 6% of GDP.
Less than a decade ago China had yet to connect any of its cities by bullet train. Today, it has 20,000km (12,500 miles) of high-speed rail lines, more than the rest of the world combined. It is planning to lay another 15,000km by 2025. Just as astonishing is urban growth alongside the tracks. At regular intervals—almost wherever there are stations, even if seemingly in the middle of nowhere—thickets of newly built offices and residential blocks rise from the ground.
But the network expansion now under way is even bolder than Mr Liu had envisaged. China has a four-by-four grid at present: four big north-south and east-west lines. Its new plan is to construct an eight-by-eight grid by 2035. The ultimate goal is to have 45,000km of high-speed track. Zhao Jian of Beijing Jiaotong University, who has long criticised the high-speed push, reckons that only 5,000km of this will be in areas with enough people to justify the cost. “With each new line, the losses will get bigger,” he says.
Some analysts question how much of it has been wisely spent. In a widely circulated study published last autumn, Atif Ansar of Oxford University’s Saïd Business School and his co-authors say the world’s “awe and envy” is misplaced. More than half of China’s infrastructure projects have “destroyed economic value”, they reckon. Their verdict is based on 65 road and rail projects backed by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) or the World Bank since the mid-1980s. Thanks to the banks’ involvement, these projects are well documented.
The ADB expected the Yuanjiang-Mohei highway (Yuan-Mo for short) to cut travel times, reduce traffic accidents and lower the costs of fuelling and repairing vehicles, adding up to a compelling economic return of 17.4% a year. By 2004, however, traffic was 49% below projections and costs were more than 20% over budget, thanks to unforgiving terrain prone to landslides.
As a rule, the ADB and World Bank will approve an undertaking only if they expect its broad benefits (the economic gains from reduced travel times, fewer accidents, etc) to exceed its costs by a large margin, leaving ample room for error. Mr Ansar and his co-authors assume this margin is 40%: they posit a ratio of expected benefits to costs of 1.4 for every project. They scoured the banks’ review documents for examples of cost overruns and traffic shortfalls. Given these assumptions, a project becomes unviable if costs overrun by more than 40%, traffic undershoots by 29%, or some combination of the two. Of the 65 projects, 55% fell into this category.
The authors’ conclusion, however, rests on their assumption about the margin for error built into the projects they looked at. Take Yuan-Mo, for example. Its projected benefits, over its first 20 years of operation, were several times greater than its costs. But as often with roads, the costs arrive early; the benefits are spread thinly over many years
At a discount rate equal to China's borrowing costs only 8% of the project are not economic and HSR traffic gains can lag for a few years
It is necessary to reduce the future payoffs by some annual percentage, known as a “discount rate”. The higher this is, the lower the value placed today on tomorrow’s gains.
So a lot turns on what rate is chosen. For historical reasons, the ADB adopts a high one of 12%. At that rate, Yuan-Mo’s ratio of expected benefits to costs equals 1.5, roughly in line with the authors’ assumptions.
But at a gentler rate of 9%, the ratio improves to about 2.
At a rate of 5.3% (more in line with government borrowing costs) the ratio rises to 3.
With these higher margins for error, many fewer elephants turn white. At a ratio of 2, the share falls to 28%. If the ratio is assumed to be 3, the proportion of duds falls to just 8%.
The authors also assume that any traffic shortfall persists throughout its life. That is not always the case. Traffic on Yuan-Mo, for example, has rebounded, according to the road’s operator. By 2015 it was 31% higher than the ADB projected back in 1999. Around last year’s lunar new-year holiday the road handled record numbers. Some white elephants turn grey with age.
In the long view of 10-20 years there is an economic payoff vs China's borrowing costs and long term improvements to the country
http://www.nextbigfuture.com/2017/01/life-housing-and-business-are-following.html
cirr
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Passengers may select seats on high-speed trains after Spring Festival
2017-01-13 15:22:33
CRIENGLISH.com Web Editor: Ding Xiaoxiao
Passengers can select seats on high-speed trains in Hainan province ahead of the Spring Festival. [Photo: xinmin.cn]
Some passengers on high-speed trains in China will be able to select specific seats ahead of the Spring Festival. The service has been trialed on some routes in southern China, and officials say it will be expanded.
"We are committed to developing the seat-selection function, as well as beds, by passengers. Based on the trial operation of high-speed trains in Hainan, more trains with the seat-selection function will be available nationwide after the Spring Festival," said Huang Xin, deputy director of the transportation bureau of China Railway Corporation.
The rail network across China, high-speed and traditional, is expecting hundreds of millions of passengers during the annual Spring Festival travel rush, known as Chunyun.
However, while seating and sleeping services are being improved, there are reports that meal services are not.
A packaged meal that's available on a high-speed train in China [File photo: Chinanews.com]
Fewer packaged meals are said to be available this year compared with last year.
According to the 12306 railway hotline phone number, the number of pre-packaged meals will be limited.
Passengers have often complained about the packaged meals, saying the taste is very poor.
http://english.cri.cn/12394/2017/01/13/3124s949642.htm
2017-01-13 15:22:33
CRIENGLISH.com Web Editor: Ding Xiaoxiao
Passengers can select seats on high-speed trains in Hainan province ahead of the Spring Festival. [Photo: xinmin.cn]
Some passengers on high-speed trains in China will be able to select specific seats ahead of the Spring Festival. The service has been trialed on some routes in southern China, and officials say it will be expanded.
"We are committed to developing the seat-selection function, as well as beds, by passengers. Based on the trial operation of high-speed trains in Hainan, more trains with the seat-selection function will be available nationwide after the Spring Festival," said Huang Xin, deputy director of the transportation bureau of China Railway Corporation.
The rail network across China, high-speed and traditional, is expecting hundreds of millions of passengers during the annual Spring Festival travel rush, known as Chunyun.
However, while seating and sleeping services are being improved, there are reports that meal services are not.
A packaged meal that's available on a high-speed train in China [File photo: Chinanews.com]
Fewer packaged meals are said to be available this year compared with last year.
According to the 12306 railway hotline phone number, the number of pre-packaged meals will be limited.
Passengers have often complained about the packaged meals, saying the taste is very poor.
http://english.cri.cn/12394/2017/01/13/3124s949642.htm
艹艹艹
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15yuan的高铁餐不要期望太高，，现在12306已经支持“饿了么” 可以预定外卖啦Passengers may select seats on high-speed trains after Spring Festival
2017-01-13 15:22:33
CRIENGLISH.com Web Editor: Ding Xiaoxiao
Passengers can select seats on high-speed trains in Hainan province ahead of the Spring Festival. [Photo: xinmin.cn]
Some passengers on high-speed trains in China will be able to select specific seats ahead of the Spring Festival. The service has been trialed on some routes in southern China, and officials say it will be expanded.
"We are committed to developing the seat-selection function, as well as beds, by passengers. Based on the trial operation of high-speed trains in Hainan, more trains with the seat-selection function will be available nationwide after the Spring Festival," said Huang Xin, deputy director of the transportation bureau of China Railway Corporation.
The rail network across China, high-speed and traditional, is expecting hundreds of millions of passengers during the annual Spring Festival travel rush, known as Chunyun.
However, while seating and sleeping services are being improved, there are reports that meal services are not.
A packaged meal that's available on a high-speed train in China [File photo: Chinanews.com]
Fewer packaged meals are said to be available this year compared with last year.
According to the 12306 railway hotline phone number, the number of pre-packaged meals will be limited.
Passengers have often complained about the packaged meals, saying the taste is very poor.
http://english.cri.cn/12394/2017/01/13/3124s949642.htm
TaiShang
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I do not know. I once tried food along Fuzhou-Jinan line and found it extremely delicious. Maybe I am not a picky person, but, it is definitely above average. Especially for the price.
If someone is on scholarship like me, one should be quite happy with the quality meal inside HSR.
ahojunk
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Tunnel breakthrough made along Beijing-Shenyang high-speed railway
2017-01-11 09:26 | Xinhua | Editor:Xu Shanshan
The Liaoxi Tunnel, is 13.2 km long and is the longest tunnel along the Beijing-Shenyang high-speed railway.
Aerial photo taken on Jan. 10, 2017 shows the exit of Liaoxi Tunnel, the longest tunnel along the Beijing-Shenyang high-speed railway, in Lingyuan City, northeast China's Liaoning province. The 13.205 km tunnel constructed by China Railway 12th Bureau Group is also the longest one within northeast China by far. (Xinhua/Yang Qing)
Construction workers celebrate the breakthrough of Liaoxi Tunnel, the longest tunnel along the Beijing-Shenyang high-speed railway, in Lingyuan City, northeast China's Liaoning province, Jan. 10, 2017. The 13.205 km tunnel constructed by China Railway 12th Bureau Group is also the longest one within northeast China by far. (Xinhua/Yang Qing)
Construction team celebrates the breakthrough of Liaoxi Tunnel, the longest tunnel along the Beijing-Shenyang high-speed railway, in Lingyuan City, northeast China's Liaoning province, Jan. 10, 2017. The 13.205 km tunnel constructed by China Railway 12th Bureau Group is also the longest one within northeast China by far. (Xinhua/Yang Qing)
Construction workers wave hands to their workmates on the other side after the hole-through of Liaoxi Tunnel, the longest tunnel throughout the Beijing-Shenyang high-speed railway locating in Lingyuan City, northeast China's Liaoning province, Jan. 10, 2017. The 13.205 km tunnel constructed by China Railway 12th Bureau Group is also the longest one within northeast China by far. (Xinhua/Yang Qing)
2017-01-11 09:26 | Xinhua | Editor:Xu Shanshan
The Liaoxi Tunnel, is 13.2 km long and is the longest tunnel along the Beijing-Shenyang high-speed railway.
Aerial photo taken on Jan. 10, 2017 shows the exit of Liaoxi Tunnel, the longest tunnel along the Beijing-Shenyang high-speed railway, in Lingyuan City, northeast China's Liaoning province. The 13.205 km tunnel constructed by China Railway 12th Bureau Group is also the longest one within northeast China by far. (Xinhua/Yang Qing)
Construction workers celebrate the breakthrough of Liaoxi Tunnel, the longest tunnel along the Beijing-Shenyang high-speed railway, in Lingyuan City, northeast China's Liaoning province, Jan. 10, 2017. The 13.205 km tunnel constructed by China Railway 12th Bureau Group is also the longest one within northeast China by far. (Xinhua/Yang Qing)
Construction team celebrates the breakthrough of Liaoxi Tunnel, the longest tunnel along the Beijing-Shenyang high-speed railway, in Lingyuan City, northeast China's Liaoning province, Jan. 10, 2017. The 13.205 km tunnel constructed by China Railway 12th Bureau Group is also the longest one within northeast China by far. (Xinhua/Yang Qing)
Construction workers wave hands to their workmates on the other side after the hole-through of Liaoxi Tunnel, the longest tunnel throughout the Beijing-Shenyang high-speed railway locating in Lingyuan City, northeast China's Liaoning province, Jan. 10, 2017. The 13.205 km tunnel constructed by China Railway 12th Bureau Group is also the longest one within northeast China by far. (Xinhua/Yang Qing)
AndrewJin
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I'm fine with that....
If one does not want to spend that money, can bring instant noodle or other food.
There is hot water available inside every compartment.
As @long_ has said, more delivery services are now available with APP.
TaiShang
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Yes. I saw people bring their food, as well. Mostly those who travel in groups-families.
But I prefer 便当。Single person's best friend.
TaiShang
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Jiujiang-Jingdezhen-Quzhou railway under construction
Source: Xinhua Published: 2017/1/14
Workers install electric wires at the construction site of Duchang section of Jiujiang-Jingdezhen-Quzhou railway line, east China's Jiangxi Province, Jan. 13, 2017. The railway line linking Jiujiang of Jiangxi and Quzhou of Zhejiang is expected to be put into operation in November of this year. (Xinhua/Hu Guolin)
Workers install electric wires at the construction site of Duchang section of Jiujiang-Jingdezhen-Quzhou railway line, east China's Jiangxi Province, Jan. 13, 2017. The railway line linking Jiujiang of Jiangxi and Quzhou of Zhejiang is expected to be put into operation in November of this year. (Xinhua/Hu Guolin)
Workers install electric wires at the construction site of Duchang section of Jiujiang-Jingdezhen-Quzhou railway line, east China's Jiangxi Province, Jan. 13, 2017. The railway line linking Jiujiang of Jiangxi and Quzhou of Zhejiang is expected to be put into operation in November of this year. (Xinhua/Hu Guolin)
Workers install electric wires at the construction site of Duchang section of Jiujiang-Jingdezhen-Quzhou railway line, east China's Jiangxi Province, Jan. 13, 2017. The railway line linking Jiujiang of Jiangxi and Quzhou of Zhejiang is expected to be put into operation in November of this year. (Xinhua/Hu Guolin)
Workers install electric wires at the construction site of Duchang section of Jiujiang-Jingdezhen-Quzhou railway line, east China's Jiangxi Province, Jan. 13, 2017. The railway line linking Jiujiang of Jiangxi and Quzhou of Zhejiang is expected to be put into operation in November of this year. (Xinhua/Hu Guolin)
Source: Xinhua Published: 2017/1/14
Workers install electric wires at the construction site of Duchang section of Jiujiang-Jingdezhen-Quzhou railway line, east China's Jiangxi Province, Jan. 13, 2017. The railway line linking Jiujiang of Jiangxi and Quzhou of Zhejiang is expected to be put into operation in November of this year. (Xinhua/Hu Guolin)
Workers install electric wires at the construction site of Duchang section of Jiujiang-Jingdezhen-Quzhou railway line, east China's Jiangxi Province, Jan. 13, 2017. The railway line linking Jiujiang of Jiangxi and Quzhou of Zhejiang is expected to be put into operation in November of this year. (Xinhua/Hu Guolin)
Workers install electric wires at the construction site of Duchang section of Jiujiang-Jingdezhen-Quzhou railway line, east China's Jiangxi Province, Jan. 13, 2017. The railway line linking Jiujiang of Jiangxi and Quzhou of Zhejiang is expected to be put into operation in November of this year. (Xinhua/Hu Guolin)
Workers install electric wires at the construction site of Duchang section of Jiujiang-Jingdezhen-Quzhou railway line, east China's Jiangxi Province, Jan. 13, 2017. The railway line linking Jiujiang of Jiangxi and Quzhou of Zhejiang is expected to be put into operation in November of this year. (Xinhua/Hu Guolin)
Workers install electric wires at the construction site of Duchang section of Jiujiang-Jingdezhen-Quzhou railway line, east China's Jiangxi Province, Jan. 13, 2017. The railway line linking Jiujiang of Jiangxi and Quzhou of Zhejiang is expected to be put into operation in November of this year. (Xinhua/Hu Guolin)
hexagonsnow
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I LOVE these mighty evil with red eyes in Hometown-WuHan!
TaiShang
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Jiujiang-Jingdezhen-Quzhou railway under construction
(Xinhua) 09:43, January 15, 2017
Workers install electric wires at the construction site of Duchang section of Jiujiang-Jingdezhen-Quzhou railway line, east China's Jiangxi Province, Jan. 13, 2017. The railway line linking Jiujiang of Jiangxi and Quzhou of Zhejiang is expected to be put into operation in November of this year. (Xinhua/Hu Guolin)
Workers install electric wires at the construction site of Duchang section of Jiujiang-Jingdezhen-Quzhou railway line, east China's Jiangxi Province, Jan. 13, 2017. The railway line linking Jiujiang of Jiangxi and Quzhou of Zhejiang is expected to be put into operation in November of this year. (Xinhua/Hu Guolin)
Workers install electric wires at the construction site of Duchang section of Jiujiang-Jingdezhen-Quzhou railway line, east China's Jiangxi Province, Jan. 13, 2017. The railway line linking Jiujiang of Jiangxi and Quzhou of Zhejiang is expected to be put into operation in November of this year. (Xinhua/Hu Guolin)
Workers install electric wires at the construction site of Duchang section of Jiujiang-Jingdezhen-Quzhou railway line, east China's Jiangxi Province, Jan. 13, 2017. The railway line linking Jiujiang of Jiangxi and Quzhou of Zhejiang is expected to be put into operation in November of this year. (Xinhua/Hu Guolin)
(Xinhua) 09:43, January 15, 2017
Workers install electric wires at the construction site of Duchang section of Jiujiang-Jingdezhen-Quzhou railway line, east China's Jiangxi Province, Jan. 13, 2017. The railway line linking Jiujiang of Jiangxi and Quzhou of Zhejiang is expected to be put into operation in November of this year. (Xinhua/Hu Guolin)
Workers install electric wires at the construction site of Duchang section of Jiujiang-Jingdezhen-Quzhou railway line, east China's Jiangxi Province, Jan. 13, 2017. The railway line linking Jiujiang of Jiangxi and Quzhou of Zhejiang is expected to be put into operation in November of this year. (Xinhua/Hu Guolin)
Workers install electric wires at the construction site of Duchang section of Jiujiang-Jingdezhen-Quzhou railway line, east China's Jiangxi Province, Jan. 13, 2017. The railway line linking Jiujiang of Jiangxi and Quzhou of Zhejiang is expected to be put into operation in November of this year. (Xinhua/Hu Guolin)
Workers install electric wires at the construction site of Duchang section of Jiujiang-Jingdezhen-Quzhou railway line, east China's Jiangxi Province, Jan. 13, 2017. The railway line linking Jiujiang of Jiangxi and Quzhou of Zhejiang is expected to be put into operation in November of this year. (Xinhua/Hu Guolin)
cirr
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China offers UK a model to get trains up to speed
By Chris Peterson | China Daily | Updated: 2017-01-07 07:36
A new high-speed Eurostar e320 train leaves the Channel Tunnel in Coquelles, near Calais, northern France, October 20, 2015. [Photo/Agencies]
If you want to travel from Kunming, capital of Southwest China's Yunnan province to East China's Shanghai, a distance of 2,252 kilometers, it will take you 11 hours and 15 minutes－and you can bet your train will leave and arrive on time.
If you want to travel the 664 km from London to Edinburgh, it will take you nearly five hours, the train will often be delayed and you will have to pay extra to guarantee a seat.
Traveling on China's new high-speed, state-of-the-art trains costs you an average of 100 yuan an hour, traveling at around 350 km/h. Roughly put, it means the ticket between Kunming and Shanghai should cost you about 1,115 yuan ($162) at current prices.
Taking that shorter London-Edinburgh route, which can turn into a nightmare journey, will cost you around 150 pounds sterling, about 1,272 yuan at the current exchange rate.
For the country that invented railways (1825, George Stephenson's Stockton-to-Darlington line in northeast England, in case you ask), Britain has not done them proud.
And if strikes, delayed engineering works, malfunctioning signals and poor infrastructure weren't enough, the government has just announced a 2.3 percent rise in rail fares across the board.
I commute to work every day and, as things go, I'm luckier than most. Southeastern, which operates my service, is a little better than some of the other operators, although each time I climb the stairs from the car park I seem to be greeted by "Southeastern apologizes for ...", followed by the latest delay, excuse or cancellation.
Reasons offered include unruly passengers, ice, snow, rain, leaves on the line, missing train crew and, believe it or not, strong winter sunshine in the drivers' eyes.
I've always loved trains, especially the mystery of steam. I confess to having a box full of Hornby Dublo model engines, those splendidly made electric models of the golden era of British steam. I have beautifully detailed models of the Flying Scotsman, the Duchess of Hamilton and designer Sir Nigel Gresley's Mallard, a streamlined monster that set the world speed record for a steam engine in 1938 and that has never been beaten.
I suppose it goes back to my childhood in the 1950s, when my father would take my mother and his sister by car (a 1937 Austin 14) from Oxford to Hartlepool, while we boys would go with my uncle by steam train, changing at Darlington for the two-hour run to West Hartlepool.
What a trip－chocolate, pork pies, fizzy drinks and a fresh comic book for the journey. Boyhood heaven.
All that, of course, was spoiled by a gentleman called Dr Richard Beeching, whose 1963 report on the state of Britain's railways resulted in a shortsighted slashing of 2,636 stations and 5,000 miles of track.
Britain's rail system has never recovered.
Since then, the nation's rail network has become a political football. Of all the public facilities, railways should be run by one central entity－it doesn't really matter if it is a state or private body.
After all, China, France and Germany, to name but a few places, all have one entity controlling their rail systems and their railways seem to work just fine.
Here, although the infrastructure is run by Network Rail, the services are run by a series of franchises awarded by the government, with varying degrees of success.
Try to buy a ticket and you will be faced with a bewildering array of choices.
No wonder many Britons opt to drive, overcrowding the motorways and adding to pollution.
Next time I'm in China, China Railway Co will be getting my business, that's for sure.
The author is managing editor of China Daily European Bureau. chris@mail.chinadailyuk.com
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/opinion...t_27886980.htm
By Chris Peterson | China Daily | Updated: 2017-01-07 07:36
A new high-speed Eurostar e320 train leaves the Channel Tunnel in Coquelles, near Calais, northern France, October 20, 2015. [Photo/Agencies]
If you want to travel from Kunming, capital of Southwest China's Yunnan province to East China's Shanghai, a distance of 2,252 kilometers, it will take you 11 hours and 15 minutes－and you can bet your train will leave and arrive on time.
If you want to travel the 664 km from London to Edinburgh, it will take you nearly five hours, the train will often be delayed and you will have to pay extra to guarantee a seat.
Traveling on China's new high-speed, state-of-the-art trains costs you an average of 100 yuan an hour, traveling at around 350 km/h. Roughly put, it means the ticket between Kunming and Shanghai should cost you about 1,115 yuan ($162) at current prices.
Taking that shorter London-Edinburgh route, which can turn into a nightmare journey, will cost you around 150 pounds sterling, about 1,272 yuan at the current exchange rate.
For the country that invented railways (1825, George Stephenson's Stockton-to-Darlington line in northeast England, in case you ask), Britain has not done them proud.
And if strikes, delayed engineering works, malfunctioning signals and poor infrastructure weren't enough, the government has just announced a 2.3 percent rise in rail fares across the board.
I commute to work every day and, as things go, I'm luckier than most. Southeastern, which operates my service, is a little better than some of the other operators, although each time I climb the stairs from the car park I seem to be greeted by "Southeastern apologizes for ...", followed by the latest delay, excuse or cancellation.
Reasons offered include unruly passengers, ice, snow, rain, leaves on the line, missing train crew and, believe it or not, strong winter sunshine in the drivers' eyes.
I've always loved trains, especially the mystery of steam. I confess to having a box full of Hornby Dublo model engines, those splendidly made electric models of the golden era of British steam. I have beautifully detailed models of the Flying Scotsman, the Duchess of Hamilton and designer Sir Nigel Gresley's Mallard, a streamlined monster that set the world speed record for a steam engine in 1938 and that has never been beaten.
I suppose it goes back to my childhood in the 1950s, when my father would take my mother and his sister by car (a 1937 Austin 14) from Oxford to Hartlepool, while we boys would go with my uncle by steam train, changing at Darlington for the two-hour run to West Hartlepool.
What a trip－chocolate, pork pies, fizzy drinks and a fresh comic book for the journey. Boyhood heaven.
All that, of course, was spoiled by a gentleman called Dr Richard Beeching, whose 1963 report on the state of Britain's railways resulted in a shortsighted slashing of 2,636 stations and 5,000 miles of track.
Britain's rail system has never recovered.
Since then, the nation's rail network has become a political football. Of all the public facilities, railways should be run by one central entity－it doesn't really matter if it is a state or private body.
After all, China, France and Germany, to name but a few places, all have one entity controlling their rail systems and their railways seem to work just fine.
Here, although the infrastructure is run by Network Rail, the services are run by a series of franchises awarded by the government, with varying degrees of success.
Try to buy a ticket and you will be faced with a bewildering array of choices.
No wonder many Britons opt to drive, overcrowding the motorways and adding to pollution.
Next time I'm in China, China Railway Co will be getting my business, that's for sure.
The author is managing editor of China Daily European Bureau. chris@mail.chinadailyuk.com
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/opinion...t_27886980.htm
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This is dated in May last year but has not been posted yet. Enjoy!
Railway Tunnel with China's Biggest Cross Section Completed in NW China
CCTV+
Published on May 31, 2016
A railway tunnel with the largest cross sectional area in China was completed Tuesday in the country’s northwest Gansu Province after more than seven years of construction.
Its maximum cross sectional area is 350 square meters, or 2.5 times the size of common railway tunnels, making it the largest ever constructed in China.
The 9,164-meter Xinchengzi tunnel is part of the railway line connecting the province's capital of Lanzhou with Chongqing Municipality in southwest China.
The complex geological structure on the northeast edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau where the tunnel stands make the excavation work extremely difficult, according to the tunnel’s contractor, China Railway 11th Group Co., Ltd.
The completion of the tunnel will greatly facilitate the operation of the Lanzhou-Chongqing railway line stretching 915 kilometers, said the contractor.
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Railway Tunnel with China's Biggest Cross Section Completed in NW China
CCTV+
Published on May 31, 2016
A railway tunnel with the largest cross sectional area in China was completed Tuesday in the country’s northwest Gansu Province after more than seven years of construction.
Its maximum cross sectional area is 350 square meters, or 2.5 times the size of common railway tunnels, making it the largest ever constructed in China.
The 9,164-meter Xinchengzi tunnel is part of the railway line connecting the province's capital of Lanzhou with Chongqing Municipality in southwest China.
The complex geological structure on the northeast edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau where the tunnel stands make the excavation work extremely difficult, according to the tunnel’s contractor, China Railway 11th Group Co., Ltd.
The completion of the tunnel will greatly facilitate the operation of the Lanzhou-Chongqing railway line stretching 915 kilometers, said the contractor.
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This is a very small CRH Depot, mostly likely in a tier 3 or tier 4 city.Some more amazing images (Galaxy Reavers)
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