China HSR News And Information: Original Translation

[AndrewJin]

Nice policy. How often do you travel by HSR Andrew ?

Nice policy. How often do you travel by HSR Andrew ?

Quite often.
Since Wuhan is in the very centre of China. It's much more convenient to travel from Wuhan to Beijing/Shanghai/Guangzhou/Shenzhen/Chongqing by HSR than by air, no more than five hours and much cheaper.

And Wuhan city agglomeration(30 million people) has a sophisticated and growing Intercity HSR network, so I quite often visit my relatives in the country around Wuhan or spend my weekends in a nearby resort. To take HSR is very easy in Wuhan, all three railway stations are linked by Metro and the nearest Hankou Station(in most cases I use this one) is only ten minutes from my home.

The growth rate of passenger volume of airplane is less than 10% annually in Wuhan, perhaps the slowest growing speed in all major cities in China. But HSR here, is at 30-40%.

Arrive in Chongqing, first time here!

 

[AndrewJin]

Excellent. Thank you.

As a side note, it might be prudent to ignore the troll above. You know how the level goes down when one engages that particular being.

Haha, no worries. My heart is hard enough.

I'm on the way to Chongqing Metro in Chongqing North Station. U know how exciting Chongqing Metro is!

Btw, if u don't have a 2nd-generation ID card, u cannot print or buy tickets in TVM. But u can use App or website to buy, change or cancel tickets, then print it in the ticket office of railway station or at a ticket agency.

 

[TaiShang]

China-made Train to Serve Olympic Games in Brazil

Greater economic and trade cooperation between China and ‪#‎Brazil‬ is expected to factor heavily into Chinese Premier Li Keqiang upcoming visit.

China CNR Corporation Limited, one of China's biggest train makers, already has seen successful ventures in the Latin American country.

The company is now busy manufacturing subway trains for the upcoming 2016 The Olympic Games in Brazil. This will be the first time for Chinese rail transit vehicles to serve the Olympic Games outside China.

Currently 64 trains made by China's CNR are operating in Rio de Janeiro, transporting some 680 thousand people per day.

 

[AndrewJin]

Too early for talks on railway route, protesters told
Protesters who took to the streets on Saturday to lobby for the planned Dazhou-Chongqing intercity railway to pass through their county have been told it is too early to discuss the route.

The line is designed to link Dazhou in Sichuan province with neighboring Chongqing. According to a notice on the website of the Sichuan Development and Reform Commissionon Monday, the line is "still being planned and has not been approved by the provincial and central governments".

Only after it is approved by the State can the railway route be discussed, said the notice, and then Sichuan will seek suggestions from the public on places the railway should pass through.

The notice was issued in response to the protest in Linshui, a county in Guang'an, on Saturday, when thousands of people took to the streets to voice their views to the Guang'an city government over the rail route. More than 30 policemen and staff membersfrom local government departments, as well as 38 onlookers were injured.

There are two options for the line. One passes through Quxian and Guang'an, the other through Dazhou and Linshui. The Guang'an government supports the first option, but residents in Linshui want the railway to boost economic development in their mountainous county.

The protest was one of several battles waged over railway routes in recent years, said Wang Hong, an information officer in Guang'an.

Dengzhou and Xinye are neighboring counties in Henan province. When the province planned the route of the Zhengzhou-Wanzhou High-Speed Railway last year, people inXinye started a high-speed railway protection movement. Members drove to differentparts of the county, using loudspeakers to chant slogans in support of their chosen station in the county.

Residents in Dengzhou who worked outside their home county put up banners at railway stations in major cities appealing for a station to be built in their town.

Finally, authorities in Henan compromised and set up a station between the two counties.

In March, about 100,000 residents of Shaoyang, a less-developed city in Hunan province, chanted, "The mayor has to step down if the Shanghai-Kunming High-Speed Railway does not have a station in Shaoyang," according to xinhuanet.com.

After both Shaoyang and its competitor Loudi, also a less-developed city in Hunan, lobbied fiercely, authorities agreed to set up a station in both cities.

"The reason why people take to the streets and their local governments lobby to win support of governments at higher levels is that they saw thriving cities and counties with only waterways go into decline as they lacked modern transportation facilities such as the railway," said Wang Zhaomin.

He is the executive deputy mayor of Xiangyang in Hubei province and his city managed towin a station on the Zhengzhou-Chongqing Railway last year, beating its neighbor andcompetitor Shiyang.

Cao Jun, an official with the Chengdu Railway Administration in Sichuan, said authoritieshad to consider people's suggestions and the cost of construction when planning railway routes.

"Now we only have an expressway," said one Linshui resident quoted by the Wall Street Journal. "We desperately need a railway to boost our economy."

pls read The modern railway protection movement of China
.

 

[AndrewJin]

Finally, that one was closed.
Let's move here @Rasengan

I took the HRS once in China, from Beijing to Shanghai

Frankly speaking, scenery along this line is boring...
Next time call me and join the Wuhan-Chongiqng-Chengdu HSR tour.
U will see

How long did the journey to Shanghai to Xinjiang take? Haha, I can imagine my friends complaining to me that the journey is too long. Next time I will force them to experience the hard seats and admire natural beauty on the way

4000km in 38 hours.....Hard seat was really a torture...
At last I decided to jump off at an intermediate station in Gansu Province thus having a chance climbing a glacier.

Kunming is a third tier city and I am sure eventually it will be linked to the HSR network, because this will be the future transport mode for Chinese citizen.

Yes, eastern sections of Shanghai-Kunming HSR(Shanghai-Changsha) is already in operation. This year, Changsha-Guiyang section will be opened, next year the final Guiyang-Kunming section.

 

[Rasengan]

Frankly speaking, scenery along this line is boring...

The scenery was actually okay in my opinion, however I was more fascinated with the HSR route to Shanghai and the speed it generated was phenomenal and the service provided by the stewards was exceptional. The problem with domestic flights in my opinion is that there is always a delay in China, however the HSR generally most of the time is on schedule. This is important for business purposes and also to respond to emergency scenario's in reaching your hometown from work at an affordable price. Have you ever taken the Shanghai Maglev Train, because it takes roughly 7 minutes for it to tour around Shanghai and is super fast.

Next time call me and join the Wuhan-Chongiqng-Chengdu HSR tour.
U will see

Those pictures are simply stunning and I love the greenery background, which complements the city to enhance its features. The scenery in those pictures reminds me of my ancestral village and the big green mountains that surround it, henceforth we are called Pothohari (Mountainous people). In'sha'allah (God Willing) I will be honored to join you, to experience the full tour of Wuhan-Chongqing-Chengdu HSR. Does the train stop in between cities along the way?

4000km in 38 hours.....Hard seat was really a torture...

The scenery must have been amazing along the route, because Xinjiang is considered the wild west of China and is very exotic. I have a high tolerance of being a patient individual, however may be in this particular occasion I would need to purchase a whole cartoon of Zhongnanhai cigarettes Furthermore, such a long journey stops your blood from circulating around the body properly, if you continue to stay in one position. What do you think of Uighur cuisine, its very different to traditional Han cuisine?

At last I decided to jump off at an intermediate station in Gansu Province thus having a chance climbing a glacier.

I have a good friend from Shanghai and his girlfriend comes from Gansu Province. How long did the process take to climb a glacier and do you need permission from the local government?

Yes, eastern sections of Shanghai-Kunming HSR(Shanghai-Changsha) is already in operation. This year, Changsha-Guiyang section will be opened, next year the final Guiyang-Kunming section.

The allocation of funding is it provided by the Central Government or is shared and calculated between the local Provinces. The scale of infrastructure projects at an accelerated rate in China is staggering and I think this is the real difference between the growth rate of China and India. China followed Rostow's economic development laws precisely to the letter, while India tried to skip a stage and now must find investment to solve its infrastructure crisis in the next decade. In Changsha are they still considering making the tallest building in the world in 90 days, using a pre-fabricated structural frame or has this project been scraped.

 

[AndrewJin]

Have you ever taken the Shanghai Maglev Train, because it takes roughly 7 minutes for it to tour around Shanghai and is super fast.

Of course, in 2006 and 2008. After that, I was in Shanghai for 7 years and never used that, since there is metro line 2 connecting Pudong Airport to the downtown. It's a remnant project of the fierce competition between pro-maglev vs pro-HSR. Who know what will happen if pro-maglev wins(former PM Zhu Rongji)?

to experience the full tour of Wuhan-Chongqing-Chengdu HSR. Does the train stop in between cities along the way?

Selective. There are 25 services from Wuhan to Chongqing daily. 6-7 hours, 8-11 midway stops, approximately 16-18 passenger stations in total.

a whole cartoon of Zhongnanhai cigarettes

Hard package or soft package?
(this will be asked by cigarette salesmen)

What do you think of Uighur cuisine, its very different to traditional Han cuisine?

Not just Uighur, I love all muslin food. Hui muslin Lanzhou noodle restaurant is almost in every community and on every street in China. There are at least 5 Lanzhou noodle restaurants within 1 km from my apartment, very reasonable price(beaf noodle 7-8yuan, beef with green pepper rice 9-10yuan)

I have a good friend from Shanghai and his girlfriend comes from Gansu Province. How long did the process take to climb a glacier and do you need permission from the local government?

That glacier is called July First Glacier, two hour from Jiayuguan(westernmost end of Great Wall)
Actually I didn't climb on the glacier, but a lot of people do, only the entrance fee is required.
Pls read my travelogue, u will know why I didn't have the energy to further climb up.
My Adventures Across China | Page 13

The allocation of funding is it provided by the Central Government or is shared and calculated between the local Provinces.

It depends. Trunk routes are mostly funded by central government. But if one provinces wants their planned route to be built faster, it's better to fund themselves with adjacent provinces, then every province will have a certain share in a joint company in charge of the line.

In Changsha are they still considering making the tallest building in the world in 90 days, using a pre-fabricated structural frame or has this project been scraped.

I don't know. In our regional forum of Hubei Province, this project is laughed at. Netizens in China smash each other by looking down upon other's projects and development....A lot of such pro-devloipment demonstrations for infrastructure firstly come from internet, and then bloody real one happens.... Not just combat between provinces, but between cities, counties, towns, districts...Opportunities are limited, now in my province two brother cities are like enemies, fighting for the second Shanghai-Wuhan-Chengdu HSR. In my city Wuhan, two districts were fighting for IKEA shopping centre. In my district, some communities are fighting for CBD's metro stations....

 

[Rasengan]

Of course, in 2006 and 2008. After that, I was in Shanghai for 7 years and never used that, since there is metro line 2 connecting Pudong Airport to the downtown. It's a remnant project of the fierce competition between pro-maglev vs pro-HSR. Who know what will happen if pro-maglev wins(former PM Zhu Rongji)?

Shanghai is a magnificent city and even during the 1920s, it was regarded by my western pundits as the jewel of Asia because it was full of glamour. The transformation of Pudong district can be summarized by the following two pictures and this gradual development took just 20 years My best friend from Shanghai articulated a famous quote from his city, to describe how fast things move "If you turn your head behind and look, then you will be left behind by others"
The Maglev train is a sophisticated piece of technology, which was predominately initiated by the local Shanghai government to project a milestone of economic growth, instead of pragmatism based on cost, revenue and profit. The amazing aspect of Shanghai, is that normally projects and polices are normally tested in the city first and if the pilot project is successful, then the Central Government actually implements it across the whole of China. What do you think of the Bund? In my opinion drinking a nice glass of soft drink and gazing at the illustrious buildings full of light at night across the harbor is a sight to behold.

Selective. There are 25 services from Wuhan to Chongqing daily. 6-7 hours, 8-11 midway stops, approximately 16-18 passenger stations in total.

Fantastic selection of services for the general public, who would benefit greatly in the long term. I wish Pakistan had something similar from Lahore to Karachi Do they serve any refreshments along the journey?

Hard package or soft package?
(this will be asked by cigarette salesmen)

Hard package is much better than soft package. I have smoked all types of cigarettes from China and I find them 100 times better than its western counter parts. This is because Chinese cigarettes are not full of chemicals and this can be demonstrated when no noise is created when you put it close to your ears, when the cigarette is burning away. The same process fails to occur in western cigarettes like Marlborough Red, Benson Hedges.

Not just Uighur, I love all muslin food. Hui muslin Lanzhou noodle restaurant is almost in every community and on every street in China. There are at least 5 Lanzhou noodle restaurants within 1 km from my apartment, very reasonable price(beaf noodle 7-8yuan, beef with green pepper rice 9-10yuan)

Have you ever tried Pakistani cuisine? Uighur barbecue is very similar to Afghan barbecue, as both cuisines take there influence from Central Asia. Lanzhou noodle is called stretchy noodle? Because I had something similar is Beijing, where the whole street was full of Hui restaurants. From your own prospective is it true that in the north of China people prefer noodles, while in the south of China people prefer rice? Personally I am a big fan of fried Ho Fun noodles with thin slices of beef.

That glacier is called July First Glacier, two hour from Jiayuguan(westernmost end of Great Wall)
Actually I didn't climb on the glacier, but a lot of people do, only the entrance fee is required.
Pls read my travelogue, u will know why I didn't have the energy to further climb up.
My Adventures Across China | Page 13

What a unique name the glacier is designated with. I guess it makes perfect sense when the Sino-Soviet expedition force was able to locate it on July the First A 30 hour train ride on a hard seat, would have the best on men too exhausted both mentally and physically to climb a full Glacier. By the way, I love the Panda face it honors the city of Chengdu which is known as Panda city

I don't know. In our regional forum of Hubei Province, this project is laughed at.

I have a friend from Nanjing and he said the same thing and was laughing his *** off, when I mentioned this project because it unrealistic and economically unfeasible to construct

etizens in China smash each other by looking down upon other's projects and development....A lot of such pro-devloipment demonstrations for infrastructure firstly come from internet, and then bloody real one happens..

Healthy competition among the different provinces is good to hear, because it initiates further growth with innovative bespoke solutions to infrastructure projects and raising the bar to improve the management and operational procedures of a city. However this should never translate to animosity, because all provinces are apart of China. I had a female friend from Beijing who use to hate Shanghai, because she thought they were too full of themselves with economic development. My Shanghai friend on the other hand looked down on Beijing, because he thought Shanghai people were better educated and more civilized Both of them were stupid and I had to give them a lecture on not stereotyping individuals from certain cities. Economic development is always important, however infrastructure projects should never be rushed since the planning process for the long term is imperative.

Opportunities are limited, now in my province two brother cities are like enemies, fighting for the second Shanghai-Wuhan-Chengdu HSR. In my city Wuhan, two districts were fighting for IKEA shopping centre. In my district, some communities are fighting for CBD's metro station

They should set up a football tournament and the winner should take the prize This outcome occurs in all countries due to economic interests. The two districts in Wuhan are fighting, because house prices will rise significantly for those who are within the vicinity of the Mall.

 

[AndrewJin]

What do you think of the Bund? In my opinion drinking a nice glass of soft drink and gazing at the illustrious buildings full of light at night across the harbor is a sight to behold.

I have been to the Bund at least 50 times. Every time I have some unhappy stuff I will go there for a walk. My route is different, start from a metro station north to the Suzhou River and then walk through the Origin of Band on the south bank of Suzhou River, before meeting the huge crowed at the crossing of Nanjing East Road I will leave the Bund.

Fantastic selection of services for the general public, who would benefit greatly in the long term. I wish Pakistan had something similar from Lahore to Karachi Do they serve any refreshments along the journey?

You can buy fruits, snack and boxed meal, free refreshments are only served in business class/vip class.

There is seldom non-stop services, a railway is not only designed for the terminal stations. For Shanghai-Beijing HSR which you experienced before(46 trains daily), 2 trains stops only at Nanjing, 3 trains stops only at Nanjing and Jinan, the rest 41 trains at 6-10 midway stations. However, more midway stops means more time, train G4 needs 4h48min(1 midway station), train G412 needs 5h56min(10 stops).

Hard package is much better than soft package.

First time heard that. I never smoke, but isn't it that soft one is pricer than hard one?

Have you ever tried Pakistani cuisine?

I don't think there is authentic Pakistani restaurant in Wuhan. Many differences from Xinjiang muslin cuisine?

Lanzhou noodle is called stretchy noodle? Because I had something similar is Beijing, where the whole street was full of Hui restaurants. From your own prospective is it true that in the north of China people prefer noodles, while in the south of China people prefer rice? Personally I am a big fan of fried Ho Fun noodles with thin slices of beef.

Yes, sketchy noodle, or La-mian(in Japanese Lamen).
Generally true. Although in Southern China you can also find noodle, but quite different. Noodle from the North, just similar to stretchy noodle, is "pure" noodle. In the South, noodle is mostly yellow alkaline noodle, further processed from white "natural" noodle.

Ho Fun(He Fen in mandarin) and other Fen(rice noodle) in Chinese has nothing to do with noodle, it is made from rice. Fried He Fen with beef is famous in Canton. In my city, the most famous breakfast is hot dry noodle, one of the four most famous noodles in China, only 4yuan. And we also have beef rice noodle, spicy!

What a unique name the glacier is designated with. I guess it makes perfect sense when the Sino-Soviet expedition force was able to locate it on July the First

Yes, it was firstly found on July 1st in 1950s. Next time you can travel there by HSR, all the way from Lanzhou to Xinjiang.

By the way, I love the Panda face it honors the city of Chengdu which is known as Panda city

I have a friend from Nanjing and he said the same thing and was laughing his *** off, when I mentioned this project because it unrealistic and economically unfeasible to construct

When netizens from Changsha show off their plan, I will show pictures captured in my neighbourhood. I will say to them, don't behave like Supa Powans, get thing done!

Healthy competition among the different provinces is good to hear, because it initiates further growth with innovative bespoke solutions to infrastructure projects and raising the bar to improve the management and operational procedures of a city.

Sometimes u got to use dirty tricks, 16000km HSR so far seems a big number, but divided into all the provinces, quite limited sources. And now it's critical time for the 13th 5-year plan, netizens are helping their weak local governments using dirty tricks, or projects will be stolen by powerful cities.

The two districts in Wuhan are fighting, because house prices will rise significantly for those who are within the vicinity of the Mall.

Higher prices, several thousand jobs, metro connection...
It was inaugurated on 30 April this year, never in my life have I saw a bigger shopping centre. It makes local shopping centres nervous. I don't know history will come again or not like in supermarkets, foreign supermarkets come, local become weak, then local brands learn and become better, at last Carrefour quits Wuhan. Anyway, Wuhanese welcome any foreign investments, one third of French investments to China is allocated in Wuhan. Competition makes the society better, either domestic or foreign.

 

[Rasengan]

I have been to the Bund at least 50 times. Every time I have some unhappy stuff I will go there for a walk. My route is different, start from a metro station north to the Suzhou River and then walk through the Origin of Band on the south bank of Suzhou River, before meeting the huge crowed at the crossing of Nanjing East Road I will leave the Bund.

The Bund has an excellent route for jogging in the morning, because it stretches over an area of one mile along the Huangpu River and the maintenance of old historical buildings is truly breathtaking, signifying the importance of Shanghai even in the 1920s. I was deeply impressed with the width of the roads in Shanghai and the management of traffic is vastly superior to Beijing due to the planning and operational procedures of the city. I wonder how Shanghai Disneyland will look when it opens next year in Pudong, will be a great asset and tourists attraction for the city in the future. The next decade will be imperative for Shanghai, because it has the opportunity to compete with other financial centers around the globe and eventually it will merge with the Hong Stock Exchange to achieve this goal.

You can buy fruits, snack and boxed meal, free refreshments are only served in business class/vip class.

I love the added features of providing a service which caters in delivering box meals, snacks and fruits when traveling on a long journey on a train. The most compelling aspect of that picture is the women stewardess helping a customer in a safe secure environment. There are many countries in Asia, where such form of liberation does not clearly exists as sexual harassment becomes the general norm.

First time heard that. I never smoke, but isn't it that soft one is pricer than hard one?

In my opinion I prefer the hard packet, because then my cigarettes don't tend to get squashed when I put them in my pocket. In China for some reason the soft packets are slightly pricer. In Chengdu nothings beats smoking Panda, because it was Deng Xiaoping favorite brand and its fairly strong. However, when I do have the opportunity to smoke Chinese cigarettes its normally Chunghwa on a average day.

I don't think there is authentic Pakistani restaurant in Wuhan. Many differences from Xinjiang muslin cuisine?

Pakistan is very similar to China, in the sense that each region has its own distinct flavor. For example Punjabi food is renowned across the world in containing dishes which are very rich in flavor and extremely spicy. This was one of the main reasons why I can easily handle Sichuanese cuisines, where as my Cantonese Hong Kong friend was crying like a baby and running to the bath room I still remember, like it was yesterday how he became disorientated with one cup of Maotai The Northern areas of Pakistan, has some dishes very similar to Uighur Muslims, especially that barbecue stick, however there spice is normally mild and they don't consider chicken as meat, because a man should eat lamb You would definitely love Pakistani cuisine. The first picture is a dish called Nihari and this takes more than 14 hours to cook. Second dish is called Sajji from the Province of Baluchistan and the meat is so awesome because its tended and soft due to a long period of cooking over a open fire. Third dish is called Lamb Karahi and is very spicy.

Yes, sketchy noodle, or La-mian(in Japanese Lamen).
Generally true. Although in Southern China you can also find noodle, but quite different. Noodle from the North, just similar to stretchy noodle, is "pure" noodle. In the South, noodle is mostly yellow alkaline noodle, further processed from white "natural" noodle.

Ho Fun(He Fen in mandarin) and other Fen(rice noodle) in Chinese has nothing to do with noodle, it is made from rice. Fried He Fen with beef is famous in Canton. In my city, the most famous breakfast is hot dry noodle, one of the four most famous noodles in China, only 4yuan. And we also have beef rice noodle, spicy!

Thank you, brother Jin in teaching me something new about China. I love fried Ho Fun with thin strips of beef, such a great combination, although normally I find Cantonese food to bland for my taste even though its good to eat it once a while. I love Chinese food in general because its full of diversity and flavour. For example my friend ordered a dish called bird nest soup and he urged me to try it before asking him to verify what the actual dish was. Surprising it was delicious and I had a shock on what it actually was I love the idea of eating a simple breakfast, full of flavour which only cost 4 yuan.

When netizens from Changsha show off their plan, I will show pictures captured in my neighbourhood. I will say to them, don't behave like Supa Powans, get thing done!

Haha, I love your analogy However we should be careful with the quote Supa Powans, because otherwise members from a certain country would simple whine on the idea that Chinese are stealing and copying there prestigious country logo Only they have the intellectual property rights of claiming to be Supa Powans

Sometimes u got to use dirty tricks, 16000km HSR so far seems a big number, but divided into all the provinces, quite limited sources. And now it's critical time for the 13th 5-year plan, netizens are helping their weak local governments using dirty tricks, or projects will be stolen by powerful cities.

From an outsiders prospective 16000 km of HSR is a colossal achievement and seems like a big number. However China is larger than Europe and its population is three times the size, therefore its critical to expand this project further. Smaller cities should have there fair share of opportunities in gaining access to these routes, because there would be an equal proportion of development across the sector and local grievances would be answered. Since Xi Jingping has come to power, corruption has been an important domestic policy because structural changes must transpire in China for it to proceed forward.

t was inaugurated on 30 April this year, never in my life have I saw a bigger shopping centre. It makes local shopping centres nervous. I don't know history will come again or not like in supermarkets, foreign supermarkets come, local become weak, then local brands learn and become better, at last Carrefour quits Wuhan. Anyway, Wuhanese welcome any foreign investments, one third of French investments to China is allocated in Wuhan. Competition makes the society better, either domestic or foreign.

The same outcome can be applied in European countries. In the United Kingdom decades ago local businesses were flourishing, however supermarkets destroyed there business due to economies of scale and offering a better selection of products. At the moment foreign supermarkets lack any comprehensive knowledge of the Chinese market, henceforth they have not penetrated enough market share. However this will change in the future, because all companies eventually evolve to the criteria of the consumers of that particular country. This is a big opportunity for e-commerce business ventures in China, because its taking off in Supa Powans

 

[AndrewJin]

Andrew Jin's trip:
Wuhan - Enshi Autonomous Prefecture - Chongqing Municipality
I have long anticipated to travel in Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture. The transportation from the provincial capital city of Wuhan to the remotest corner of Hubei Province was too much pain. Too much pain, deadly accidents everyday on the zigzag national highway, unbearable time( a whole day, less than 50kph), and overpriced coach. That was before Shanghai-Wuhan-Chongqing national expressway(G50) in operation in 2010. But still, 8 hours by bus on the brand new expressway oppressed people's desire to travel there, the last unexplored region in Hubei Province.

How does better transportation make a difference in boosting local economy and improving living standards? This can be best explained by this epic project of Shanghai-Wuhan-Enshi-Chongqing-Chengdu semi-HSR railway, a railway completed in 2010, which is thought to be much more complicated than Qinghai-Tibet railway (Enshi section). I would take part in a seminar in Chongqing and this was the best chance for me. I bought a ticket a couple of days prior to the days of seminar and headed west.

Part one, from Wuhan to Enshi
There are 29 services from Wuhan to Enshi. For a railway fan, I know how to choose. Some trains use CRH1 in which seats cannot be adjusted, some use CRH2, it's OK but not excellent. And I choose train D5997, which uses CRH380A, the best type mostly operating in full-300kph HSR like Shanghai-Beijing or Wuhan-Beijing-Guangzhou lines. I don't know why this semi-HSR(200kph, 160kph in Enshi) has the privilege.

Train D5997 starts from Wuhan Railway Station but will stop in Hankou Station, only 3 metro intervals from my home in Hankou which is at the northern bank of Yangtze River of Wuhan.

Hankou Railway Station, enlarged several times from the original european style of 1900s.

Hankou Railway Station's metro station (Line 2)
Cranes are the symbol of Wuhan, as in Yellow Crane Tower.
The design of new Wuhan Railway Station was from cranes.

When u tag off at the metro station, u don't have to go to the ground floor. There are TVMs and railway entrance in the underground floor, less than 50 metre from the metro station.

Waiting room on a typical Tuesday. A new Wuhan West Station is under discussion for 13th 5-year plan because existing three major railway stations are already in full use, to meet the demands of new HSR lines such as Wuhan-Xi'an HSR and the second Wuhan-Shanghai HSR.

Every train has a separate checking entrance and waiting space. Passengers are only required to check in 15 minutes before departure if the train starts from Hankou. For trains stops at Hankou, only several minutes before departure. The check-in will be closed 3 minutes before the train leaves. So you don't need to arrive at the station too early, I generally arrive at Hankou half an hour before the scheduled time, and use several minutes to print my ticket and for security/ID check. If time allows, I will buy some coffee and food in the waiting room. And, DON'T FORGET to get a free bottle of free Tibetan Spring!!!

 

[AndrewJin]

Check-in, down to the platform.

CRH380A, a little underemployed for this 200kph line, but best for us, D-class speed and price, but G-class luxury.
(G-class train is at 300kph, D-class train is at 200-250kph)

Even the second-class is very spacious and a socket is provided. That's why I choose train D5997(Wuhan-Hankou-several midway stations-Enshi-Lichuan, Enshi and Lichuan are both in Enshi Prefecture). First class has footrest and pillow, more spacious. Business class(less than 10 seats per train) has free food and just like first-class of airplanes. I have never tried business class, not my class.

Another CRH380 train in the adjacent platform, bound for Beijing.
(27 Bullet trains from Wuhan to Beijing terminates from Wuhan Station or Hankou Stations)

 

[AndrewJin]

The train is 110% full, some are standing. Those air industry lobbyists really need to see this picture and stop funding media and harming people's interests. And even standing tickets are sold out. Unfortunately, CNR and CSR have no enough manufacturing capacity for bullet trains to meet our demands, especially demands from Central China and Western China when most new trains are firstly operating in the East. We are not important, we use second-hand trains and they use brand new. @Shotgunner51 new CRH380D is, again, for you guys to enjoy first.

And this is not holiday or weekends. When people's traveling need is oppressed by lack of transportation, domestic market is also oppressed, at least Wuhanese don't have enough tickets to go to Enshi for a weekend excursion.

I was quite embarrassed years ago and still a little embarrassed today when I take my friends to Wuhan by train. Railway tracks in Wuhan were mostly lined by slums after slums. Now, redevelopment projects are everywhere and "slum dwellers" are moving to better apartments in better regions. And it calls for at least a decade to totally change them. @Rasengan Come here in another five years I will be more confident.
Chinese styles of "slums" along railways

Some slums are already replaced by parks

My train passed Han River, the biggest tributary of Yangtze River three times.
1st, in suburban Wuhan

2nd

3rd

 

[AndrewJin]

From Wuhan to Yichang, the second largest city, the train flies on Jianghan Plain, a major agricultural base of Central China.

Hubei Province(means north to the lake, Dongting Lake), another name is the province of a thousand lakes.

Stretch legs in a midway station.
Smokers will rush out even the train mostly stops for only 2 minutes in a midway station cause smoking inside will lead to automatic stopping. Smoking is allowed in some old non-A/C trains' connection.
Jinzhou City, where a lot of historic events related to Three Kingdoms happened, also the fourth largest city of Hubei Province(arguable among Jinzhou haters from her adjacent cities and competitors). Jinzhou's old city wall and other historic relics attract thousands of history buffs. @Rasengan

It takes 2 hours from Wuhan to the second largest city of Hubei Province, Yichang City where Three Gorge Dam is positioned. Wuhan-Yichang is the busiest intra-provincial passenger corridor in Hubei, with 50-60 pairs of bullets trains daily, and still lack of trains limit people's desire to travel and some are forced to take expressway coaches which are slow, expensive and uncomfortable.

Years ago, some so-called experts said people here in Hubei could not afford bullet trains. But they didn't know long-distance bus company sucked our blood by 150yuan in at least five hours and even pricer on holidays. Now, only 84.5/102.5yuan yuan for 2nd/1st class in 2 hours for 300km with decency and cosiness. People choose not by listening to hijacked silly media or renewed experts who receive bribery from China Airlines or Airbus.

On and off, that's how HSR works, different from city-to-city airplanes, beneficial for all the people along a railway, not just privileged people in big cities.

Yichang is the biggest railway hub in western Hubei

I want an apartment by the river, drinking selenium tea on the balcony

 

[AndrewJin]

From now on, the most exciting part came. Yichang-Enshi section of this railway, the most expensive railway per kilometre so far in China. People here had anticipated this railway for a century. When experts began to plan this railway in 1910s, 1950s and 1990s, technological limitation made it impossible even after building the epic Chengdu-Kunming Railway which is one of the most complicated railway projects in 20th century.

Quotes from Wikipedia
The 377 km (234 mi) long[4] railway crosses the remarkably difficult terrain of southwestern Hubei (Yichang City and Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture) and the eastern part of the Chongqing Municipality (Wanzhou District). The region has numerous mountains and is sometimes referred to as "the eastern edge" of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau.[5][6] Until recently, the region had no railways, and hardly any paved roads (beyond China National Highway 318, which the new railway more or less parallels).[7] The new (G42 Hurong Expressway) is being built along the same corridor as well (see Si Du River Bridge for an example of engineering that was required).

Out of the entire length of the rail line, 324 km (201 mi) are in Hubei and 53 km (33 mi) in Chongqing Municipality.[4] Owing to the difficult terrain, the project involves a large number of bridges (including two over the Yangtze River: the Wanzhou Railway Bridgeand the Yichang Railway Bridge) and tunnels. Out of the line's total 377 km (234 mi) length, 288 km (179 mi) runs on bridges or in tunnels. This made the line the most difficult and the most expensive (per kilometre) of all China's railways to date. At a cost of U.S. $9.01 million per kilometre, the per-kilometre construction costs were twice as high as those for the Qinghai–Tibet Railway which cost U.S. $4.35 million per kilometre.

The railway was first proposed by Sun Yat-sen in 1903, but construction was not started until 2003 due to the difficulties of the project.[10] According to the chief engineer, Zhang Mei, the line was the most difficult ever constructed in China.[10]

End of quotes, Let's start and hope you enjoy these photos!
@powastick @ahojunk @Azizam @Rasengan @Götterdämmerung @Shotgunner51 @TaiShang @Chinese-Dragon @Keel @cirr @Edison Chen @Luca1 @Nihonjin1051 @Gufi @Georgeclark @Rajaraja Chola @cnleio et al

The whole journey of Yichang-Enshi section is accompanied by national expressway G50(Shanghai-Chongqing Expressway), also one of the most difficult ever constructed expressway in China.

A typical Tujia village

A random valley, too many traveling sources await exploitation. Locals here rights to become rich. Environmentalists, pls give them room.
@Azizam I sincerely hope they do.

G50 expressway like a belt of mountains

Enshi Prefecture is famous for Karst landform.
I would visit a grand canyon in Enshi and later a huge karst cave on way back from Chongqing.