Train journey into history
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E-mail China Daily, December 27, 2012
The world's longest high-speed rail line, which spans over half of China, began operating yesterday, further cementing the country's high-speed railway development ambitions.
![In a throwback to another era, an attendant whistles for passengers to board the high-speed train for Beijing at Guangzhou South Railway Station on Wednesday. The train was set for its maiden journey on the world’s longest high-speed track. [Photo/ China News Service]](http://images.china.cn/attachement/jpg/site1007/20121227/001372acd0b51245e69501.jpg "In a throwback to another era, an attendant whistles for passengers to board the high-speed train for Beijing at Guangzhou South Railway Station on Wednesday. The train was set for its maiden journey on the world’s longest high-speed track. [Photo/ China News Service]") |
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In a throwback to another era, an attendant whistles for passengers to board the high-speed train for Beijing at Guangzhou South Railway Station on Wednesday. The train was set for its maiden journey on the world’s longest high-speed track. [Photo/ China News Service] |
The opening of the 2,298 kilometer line was commemorated by the 9am departure of a train from Beijing to Guangzhou. Another train left Guangzhou at 10am.
Running at an average speed of 300km per hour, the new route cuts the travel time between the two cities from over 20 hours to about eight.
A total of 155 pairs of trains will run on the new line daily and alternative schedules have been made for weekends and peak travel times, the Ministry of Railways said.
There will still be 183 pairs of trains running daily on the old Beijing-Guangzhou line that runs parallel to the high-speed line, allaying concerns that the new line will increase passengers' travel costs.
A second-class seat on the new high-speed line costs 865 yuan (US$138), while a sleeper on the old line sells for around 430 yuan.
G801, the first train from Beijing yesterday, is comfortable and more passenger-friendly, according to reporters.
Zhang Wei, an electrical engineer from Cangzhou in Hebei province, left home at night and traveled three hours by coach so he could "have the unforgettable experience of being on the first train on the line".
He was impressed with the facilities and service, but not with the price. His first-class seat cost 1,383 yuan ($221), more expensive than an economy-class air ticket. Seats in the second-class cabin cost 865 yuan.
The new rail line has lured quite a number of passengers from airline companies.
Yang Zengyu, a businessman in the construction sector who boarded the train at Zhengzhou, said he prefers taking the train to Guangzhou than flying.
"A journey on the train is more pleasant. The price is fine. Also, the rail network has expanded so quickly that the trains go everywhere. Even for frequent flyers like me, railways are an attractive alternative," he said. "It would be even better if we could access the Internet on the train."
Lu Zemin, from Renqiu in Hebei, took a train to Beijing at 6 am to travel on the new line. "It used to take me 33 hours to travel on the train from Beijing to Guangzhou in the 1980s. During those 33 hours in a shabby, congested car, I had to crawl under the seat to sleep when I was really tired," he said.
"The journey time was cut to 22 hours several years ago. Now I can enjoy a nice nap and when I wake up I will be in Guangzhou."
One passenger, a retired woman who preferred not to be named, said she often took the train between Beijing and Zhengzhou to visit her mother.
"I've witnessed the designations of trains evolve from K to D, and now we have G, which means the speeds are increasing all the time," she said.
In China's rail system, a "K" designation indicates that the train bearing it runs at an ordinary speed. "D" means a train can travel faster than 200 km/h and "G" trains surpass 300 km/h, said an official with the Ministry of Railways
"The trains and stations are very advanced, featuring cutting-edge technology and passenger-centered equipment. And thanks to the Internet, buying a ticket is also much more convenient than before," she said.
Wang Hui, deputy dean of Shijiazhuang Tiedao University's School of Economics and Management said the train signals a new era.
"The Beijing-Guangzhou high-speed railway connects the economic area around Beijing with the Pearl River Delta.
"Considering the population and levels of development of the two economic zones, they are undoubtedly important engines for China's economy, therefore improving the transport system will definitely increase exchanges between the two in terms of investment, talent and information."
Tian Xuebin, an economic researcher at Hebei University of Economics and Business, said the new link will advance the economic integration of cities along the line, help optimize their industries and bring more opportunities.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Railways has retained cheaper, but slower, train services on the old Beijing-Guangzhou line for those who can't afford the comparatively expensive tickets on the new line.
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