China's railway mileage tops 100,000 km

[beijingwalker]

China's railway mileage tops 100,000 km
12-29-2013 03:08 BJT

China´s railway mileage tops 100,000 km CCTV News - CNTV English
Good news for millions of commuters just ahead of the country’s busiest travel season of the year. China’s railway network topped 100,000 kilometers in total mileage on Saturday, after several new rail links started operations.

Capturing a moment in history... as the first commercial high-speed train makes its maiden voyage from China’s southwestern Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.

The new rail line, slashing an estimated 15 hours per trip, can deliver passengers from the picturesque city of Guilin to the Chinese capital in just under 10 hours.

Though costing twice as much as a normal train ride, or about 800 yuan... there’s certainly no shortage of commuters thinking it’s worth the price.

And for others, even if there’s really no need for travelling, just experiencing this historical moment is enough to stand in line.

And across China on Saturday, new rail links started operation.. in places like the northeastern city of Harbin, the north-western city of Xi’an, and the eastern port city of Tianjin.

The new links added 2,000 kilometers to China’s railway network in just a single day, bringing the country’s total mileage to over 100,000 kilometers. Certainly a long way from when China opened its very first railway more than a century ago in 1876. Now the country boasts the world’s biggest railway network. And even the Chinese premier is playing his part by pitching China’s high-speed railway technology to the world.