In the time UK decides, China will have 35 new High speed lines

[Metroland]

While work continues in Britain examining the case for building a new high- speed rail line from London to the West Midlands and North—which may be opened by 2025—China has announced plans to build 35 high-speed routes by 2012.

The China Daily newspaper quoted Zheng Jian, chief planner with the railway ministry, saying that around 13,000 kilometres of high-speed railways, capable of handling trains at between 200 and 350 kilometres/hour, could be completed and put into service by 2012. The construction of an additional 5,000-kilometres of high-speed railways will begin soon.

The newspaper said China’s railways were among the main beneficiaries of the government's 4-trillion-yuan (£350 billion) stimulus package.

New stations will go along with the new lines. By 2020, more than a thousand will be built or re-constructed. About 800 will be put into use by 2012, said the rail ministry.

At least five routes will be able to accommodate trains traveling at speeds of 350 km/h (220 mph), Zheng said. So far, China has built 185 km of track capable of handling 350 km/h trains, including the link between Beijing and Tianjin, which opened last August ahead of the Olympic Games.


The five lines include three north-south routes: Beijing-Shanghai; Beijing-Guangzhou (Hong Kong); and Beijing-Harbin (Dalian). The two east-west high-speed lines are Xuzhou-Lanzhou and Shanghai-Kunming.

The five lines along with three other lines with a designed speed of between 200 and 350 km/h, will become the trunk lines of China's future high-speed passenger rail network.

The Beijing-Shanghai rail line may end up being the fastest — the railway ministry said in a news release that the trip will take four hours, which means trains will need to exceed 350 km/h.

• Earlier this month, Railnews revealed that Professor Andrew McNaighton, chief engineer for the company examining the case for a new north-south high-speed line in Britain, had said the3 route would be planned to allow trains to operate at up to 400 km/h (250 mph).


http://www.railnews.co.uk/news/international/2009/06/25-china-hs-2012.html

 

[jon0844]

I bet they won't have a 35% increase in fares on them either.

 

[EM2]

Because the Chinese government don't really take any notice of their people, whether they'll be made homeless or have their livelihoods destroyed.
They'll do whatever they want, and don't care about who gets hurt in the process. Watch the titles of 'Have I Got News For You'...

 

[jopsuk]

Aye- it would also be interesting to know how many workers die during the construction.

 

[jon0844]

I've been to China and was quite surprised how different it was to the picture painted over here.

Mind you, we'd never be told how many people died would we!

 

[Metroland]

Proves there is no way the UK can compete with them, prepare to learn mandarin! lol

 

[whoshotjimmi]

Why do you think Windsor Castle is ringed with Chinese restaurants?! to coin a phrase

Seriously though, I went to school with a chinese kid who was convinced that China was taking over the world. Made a very sensible argument too!

High speed rail is probably something that is more appropriate to China given the large area covered. The benefits to China would be greater than those to Britain. Not saying Britain doesn't need it, just that China will have less issues justifying its creation.

The political situation in China is obviously a hurdle that is less problematic to the project than it would be here but I think the talk of deaths during construction is a bit out of order. There are nearly always deaths during large scale construction of this nature - wherever that may be in the world. I'm sure that the Chinese have construction methods that would not only ensure decent worker safety, but would make us look a little behind the times.

 

[jon0844]

I watched a documentary on how they built the swimming pool for the Olympics and they seem to have very strict building codes.

Obviously we see all the cheaply made goods (no doubt for clients that WANT cheaply made goods) and the counterfeit stuff, but when you're there you realise you could put them on a par with the (south) Koreans or the Japanese.

I also felt that, as long as you didn't have a 'Free Tibet' flag on you, you'd probably get less hassle from the police there than you'd get here. I know they were keen to paint a good picture for the Olympics, but I really don't think that they could go back to their old ways the second the foreign press left.

Maybe I'm just incredibly naive...

 

[poshbakerloo]

Its gonna take longer here because they have to work out were the tracks can go...we don't have much space!

 

[Aussie_Rail]

I admire the Chinese when it comes to building infrastructure, because they actually build it, they don't sit there for years spending more money on feasibility studies and umming and ahhing over whether it should be built. They just do it, no western country could ever do a project like that in the time frame they have set out.

Although a Chinese invasion of the world is probably something we don't want, I wish they would come to Oz and build a few things here that should have been built 20 years ago. The umming and ahhing is deafening here.

 

[bluemeansgo]

The Chinese are very good at examining craftsmanship and know what a good product is and a bad one.

Why? They generally have a good idea of how they are manufactured. They have an eye for quality. Some of the "cheap cheap cheap" stuff that we get here wouldn't pass for snuff in China. It's not that it doesn't exist, but even Chinese people want good quality. They just don't show it. They will live in adject poverty and look like it until one day: "bam" they buy a Lexus.

Of course, this is the minority. But even a minority in China is a lot of people.

Interestingly, it's been rumored that China's actual population is exaggerated. It's likely much less than is thought due to inaccurate census results and the product of people exaggerating up the chain.

India is probably the most populous nation.

 

[jopsuk]

I watched a documentary on how they built the swimming pool for the Olympics and they seem to have very strict building codes.

Maybe, but even with just the Birdnest stadium the authorities admitted two deaths in construction, but there's strong suggestions of at least ten more- just on that one building.

 

[D841]

Maybe, but even with just the Birdnest stadium the authorities admitted two deaths in construction, but there's strong suggestions of at least ten more- just on that one building.

How many fatalities were there in the construction of the Tibet line?

 

[jopsuk]

How many fatalities were there in the construction of the Tibet line?

Officially none. But then, officially, that's bound to be the case.

For all I admire the pioneering engineering spirit the Chinese have shown in recent times, it is still a highly controlled, oppressive and brutal regime.

 

[support-uk-rail]

I also felt that, as long as you didn't have a 'Free Tibet' flag on you, you'd probably get less hassle from the police there than you'd get here.
.

Chinese police are very concerned about how foreigners think, and they don't like cameras or ANYTHING that may question the government. And as a foreigner they constantly approach you and search you.... you get A LOT more hassle by police over there than over here. And, even worse, if you have an argument with them, with minor crimes, the policeman/woman chooses your sentence.

 

[jon0844]

I certainly didn't get hassled, arrested or sentenced when I was there - and I took loads of photos. I even declared myself as a journalist when I entered (and, unlike the USA, didn't need a special and expensive visa as a result).