Wheelchairs get high-speed train welcome
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The Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway, scheduled to open next year, is preparing to meet the various needs of passengers.
The 16-car bullet train will have a special seat for passengers in wheelchairs in car No 5, together with a washroom and a passageway for them, Li Ruichun, chief designer of the train, told China Daily on Tuesday.
If more passengers in wheelchairs board the train, removable seats in the car will make space for them, he said.
Previously, passengers in wheelchairs have found it difficult to enjoy railway service.
Sun Shouling, a 90-year-old resident in Tianjin who uses a wheelchair, said she is happy to hear the news.
"I rarely took trains because it is really inconvenient to get on and off the train in a wheelchair," she said. "But now I'd like to have a try and visit my relatives in Beijing."
The new train on the Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway will also provide seven kinds of seats for passengers.
There will be private compartments, where sofas can turn into beds, and chairs like those in a plane's first class section that allow passengers to lie flat.
The 1,318-km railway, linking China's two biggest metropolises and running through China's prosperous eastern coast, is expected to serve more high-end passengers, said Li, explaining the reason for the variety of seat options.
The train will also include a dining car, which is not included in other bullet trains in China, said Li, who works for CNR Co Ltd, one of China's two major high-speed train manufacturers.
High-speed trains on the Beijing-Shanghai rail link will run at 350 km per hour, with a maximum speed of 380 km per hour. Travel time will be slashed to only four hours, down from the current 10 hours.
The high-speed rail service is set to compete with airlines on the country's most lucrative route.
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