Abstract: This article describes the ongoing progress of high speed rail in China. The author reports on a number of projects and partnerships, some international in scope, being undertaken to bring high speed rail lines into operation in China. The Chinese rail network has 72,000 km of track at present; by 2025 the network is expected to have 100,000 km of track in service. China intends to have a 12,000 km passenger rail service, primarily in the highly populated eastern part of the country: from Beijing and Tianjin to the north to Shanghai to the center, and to the whole of Guagnzhou (Canton)-Shenzhen-Hong Kong to the south. The author discusses cost and economic considerations, including concerns that focusing too much development on the eastern part of the country will leave the western regions lagging behind. Another section reports that the talk of a national high speed train, including two prototypes the Chinastar and the Pioneer, has basically evolved into a willingness to learn from other countries and their railroad industries. A final section considers the advantage of track on concrete slab and the use of high speed EMUs. One sidebar notes that China has decided to turn to foreign capital to modernize its network and will be offering minority shares in the national rail companies on the stock market in 2006 or 2007.
Publication Year: 2006
Publication Date: 2006-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
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