China reaches half of its 2015 high speed rail target, much more to come

[cirr]

By Jiang Yun Feng

14.03.2013

With the opening in December 2012 of the Beijing to Guangzhou high speed rail line, more of the country is now linked by rapid ground transport. However, the country is only half way towards its 2015 network target, there is much more to come in the next couple of years.

Any visitor to the countryside in China over recent years will have no doubt noticed large scale construction sites, tunnels being cut through mountain-sides, or new, as yet unused, elevated viaducts running across open countryside and alongside villages. This is all part of a project to open 18,000 km of dedicated high speed lines by 2015.

The Ministry of Railways has developed plans to build a total of over 40,000 km of new lines

The Beijing to Guangzhou line takes the total now to just over 9,300 km. It may not be the fastest of the lines, with trains initially running at 186 miles per hour, but it is the longest, not just in China, but globally.

It joins the Beijing to Shanghai route as a showcase achievement. This line was opened in October 2012, and now covers the 1,318 km in less than 5 hours.

The network development has not been without its setbacks, and criticism. Revelations of corruption related to the construction, and a serious collision of two high speed trains at Wenzhou in 2011 have not helped public opinion. Nevertheless the advantages this brings in connecting the country, and aiding the ever-growing number of travelers and migrant workers, makes it a popular and profitable project.

What comes next?

To reach the 2015 target there are ambitious plans for the coming years. The Beijing to Guangzhou line will be expanded to Hong Kong. There are new lines under construction from Beijing to the north east, linking the capital to the major cities of Shenyang and Harbin. A cross country high speed line will follow the course of Yangtze linking Shanghai, Wuhan and Chengdu.

Several new lines will connect the western regions around Xian, Lanzhou and Chongqing with the north and south. And there is even a line under construction out to Urumqi, along the course of the old Silk Road.

Beyond this there is still further expansion planned. The Ministry of Railways has developed plans to build a total of over 40,000 km of new lines, some traditional and some high speed. This includes filling gaps in the network in central and western China, and new lines into and around the Tibetan region.

It is a pace of development that most other countries can only dream of. There is growing concern though from the public over fast construction and safety issues. The government will be keen to avoid any further setbacks, and keep this development on track.

http://gbtimes.com/focus/science-te...ts-2015-high-speed-rail-target-much-more-come

 

[Developereo]

That's what I admire about the Chinese -- they do more and talk less.

China: 1000 actions, 1 word (rail link)
Pakistan: 1000 words, 1 action (Iran-Pakistan pipeline)

 

[cirr]

That's what I admire about the Chinese -- they do more and talk less.

China: 1000 actions, 1 word (rail link)
Pakistan: 1000 words, 1 action (Iran-Pakistan pipeline)

I sincerely hope that the following may materialize one day and as soon as possible。

China to fund regional railway hub for Pakistan

Submitted by smuhammad on March 18, 2013

PESHAWAR – China is to provide all financial and technical support in the construction of a regional railway hub for Pakistan.

The active promotion of construction of the railway project will connect Pakistan with Xinjiang region in China and will enhance the capacity of transportation between the two countries not only by land but also add to a new outbound transportation line for western China, said Director Pakistan Study Centre Sichuan University Chengdu China Dr. Chen Jidong while speaking as a key note speaker at a one-day seminar on prospects of Pak China Relations at University of Peshawar on Friday.

The seminar was arranged by the Department of International Relations (IR), University of Peshawar, in collaboration with Institute of Policy Studies, Islamabad.

He said that the project will benefit Pakistan, and will build trade and transport corridors by connecting South Asia, West Asia, Central Asia and Western China owing to the country’s geographical advantages.

Dr. Chen said that Pakistan has a railway network not younger than the year 1861, aging by the day and needs arduous upgrading. The project if pursued will transform Pakistan internal railway system and bring economic revival in the country.

Certain external powers are creating serious law and order situation in the province of Baluchistan, with the evil design to halt the expected development of the area through Gwadar port operations, said the Chinese strategic analyst Prof. Zhon Rong. He added the taking over of operations of Gwadar Port by a Chinese company in the recent past to go with the railway project, can transform Pakistan into economic giant of the 21st Century.

Let him tell the Pakistani people that Gwadar Port is first for the development of Pakistan and then any other country. The American withdrawal by end of 2014 would start the beginning golden period for Baluchistan, he added.

Responding to a question of IR student, he said let us not dispute something for the sack of personal disagreement, let’s do work than making noise, said Prof. Zhon Rong. Gwadar port will always belong to Pakistan. The Pakistani government has handed it over to a Chinese company because the Singapore Company who was in charge of the port operations in 2007 could not deliver the desired results, he added.

Now that Americans are seeing a face-saving exit from Afghanistan, it is believed that unrest in Baluchistan would decrease, and Gwadar operations would eventually succeed.

When a student inquired about the role of China in the post 2014 scenario, Dr. Chen Jidong said that China prefers participation of the Afghan people into the peace process. We have no favors or opinion to offer on talk of the Afghan government with the Afghan Taliban. The Chinese government wants to play a moderate and neutral role in Afghanistan.

The Chairman Department of International Relations said the old slogans of deeper than sea and higher than sky for Pak- China relations must be transformed into something tangible by boosting economic ties. If other regional countries can have alliances and organizations like NATO etc, why can’t we have IPC (India Pakistan China) or APC (Afghanistan Pakistan China) cooperation’s to boost regional peace and economy.

Director General Institute of Policy Studies Khalid Rehman, Secretary General Pak China friendship Syed Ali Nawaz Gillani and good number of students attended the seminar.

China to fund regional railway hub for Pakistan | PKKH.tv

 

[PITA]

That's insane how fast they're building that. I'm truly impressed.

It took the Canadian government 9 years to build a 80 highway where I am and tens of millions in cost overruns.

 

[djsjs]

the Ministry of railways is over.and a new world top 500 company is given birth.hope it will give better service as well as cheaper tickets

 

[45'22']

great going by china

 

[Fsjal]

the Ministry of railways is over.and a new world top 500 company is given birth.hope it will give better service as well as cheaper tickets

I heard the Ministry of Railways was corrupt. Is this true?

Anyway, that's good China is building more tracks.

 

[veekysingh]

good going guys , can anyone share ticket fares details?

 

[djsjs]

I heard the Ministry of Railways was corrupt. Is this true?

Anyway, that's good China is building more tracks.

the former minister Liu zhijun was caught for corruption

 

[eddieInUK]

I heard the Ministry of Railways was corrupt. Is this true?

Anyway, that's good China is building more tracks.

Yes, it is. MOR is like a small country, a political-business monster. Now its seperated into an agency and a company. Reform will harm somebodys interests, not easy to just say.

 

[Lure]

Great news for development of China. High speed railways can be an alternative for planes in the near future. Railways mean clean transportation.

 

[danger007]

wow that is great achievement by then...

 

[Ayush]

great achievements.

give the work to the chinese and you see...

 

[S10]

the Ministry of railways is over.and a new world top 500 company is given birth.hope it will give better service as well as cheaper tickets

I can tell you that price will jump, since the new company is for profit. You can't expect better service with lower price.

 

[eddieInUK]

great achievements.
give the work to the chinese and you see...

Not sure its good or not. It can be good but also maybe bad, since a government agency is removed while a new company is born, maybe the ticket will become very high.