China to slow down speed of bullet trains

[cross1993]

Those are just excuses.

2005, Wuhan-Guangzhou high-speed rail to start using, 6 years, without any major incidents. Now, some people say there are security issues high-speed rail. Some even say that high-speed rail will cause earthquake.

 

[ao333]

Zhao Jian, a transport professor at Beijing Jiaotong University, told China Daily that the speeds should have been slower right from the start.

"Because, at 300 km/h or less, the high-speed rail network can operate in a more economically efficient and safer way," he said.

The energy consumption of trains at 350 km/h could be twice that of trains at 200 km/h, he explained.

It's not the speed issue. The tickets were sold at high premium. But with genuine complaints about ticket prices, they were forced to cut margins with a small compromise on train peformance. But undercutting the peformance any further would equate these HSR to their conventional counterparts, at which point the people would just be paying HSR prices for conventional trains. The ministry has a fine line to walk.

 

[Akasa]

This is a disappointment that the technology is not being used to its full capability.

However, it's also a sign that the government is listening to the people more and is being more tolerant of civilian views.

 

[prototype]

the main problem for india to built HSR is not the high price but india does not have that industrial capability to do so. only industrial super powers like US. Japan, and Germany is able to do so. just look at india's current rail industry u can get the full picture``

Rubbish,industrial base had to know nothing with it,if I am not wrong China’s initial high speed trains were imported or built under technology transfer agreements with foreign train-makers including Siemens, Bombardier and Kawasaki Heavy Industries.China at that time never had any indigenousness base or expertise to build HSR.

India can do the same,no big deal,provided we have funds,given HSR need huge investments and currently in India can prove to be a failure if initiated due to high ticket costs.

 

[twoplustwoisfour]

It's not the speed issue. The tickets were sold at high premium. But with genuine complaints about ticket prices, they were forced to cut margins with a small compromise on train peformance. But undercutting the peformance any further would equate these HSR to their conventional counterparts, at which point the people would just be paying HSR prices for conventional trains. The ministry has a fine line to walk.

Speed is the issue simply because speed is directly correlated to cost, which in turn is correlated to ticket pricing.

 

[SpArK]

China recalls bullet trains in new blow to technology showcase | Reuters

 

[Cambodia Spirit]

Instead of slowing down the speed of the trains I would pay more investment into the research of upgrading the safety technologies. From that China will earn more respect from people!!!

Sadly, slower is not mean safer, the railways systems are having technical troubles and still not be fixed!!!

 

[GSK]

I took the high speed train two weeks ago between Shanghai and Jinan. It took 3hr50min one way, a 1000km distance, pretty fast and comfortable. I noticed, most of the time, the train run at the speed of 315km/hr, and on my way from Shanghai to Jinan, there were not many passengers (about two third of the train was empty until the train reached Nanjing, another big station not far from Shanghai), but from Jinan to Shanghai, the train was full all the time.

Yeah, the price is 400yuan one way, pretty high for those migrant workers if they need to travel quite often. There was a slower train between Shanghai and Jinan, but it was cancelled upon the high speed train is available, which makes me feel not good because many people have to take the high speed trains now.

But I still like high speed train better than aircraft, because it is much more comfortable, and the total travelling time is almost the same.

 

[lcloo]

To lower down ticket price, it is necessary to lower travelling speed. For those of you car owners will know that driving at 55km/hr will save great amount of fuel, driving at 130km/hr will see your petrol tank meter going down quickly. Non-car owners may refer to a jet flying at cruising speed agaisnt flying at after burner speed. Also maintenance cost per km travelled will also be reduced as the degree of wear and tear will reduce with speed.

Also at top speed, the ernomous amount of heat generated by friction on the rail track and train wheels can wear off steel wheel faster, as well as all other component parts that are prompt to wear and tear due to friction and heat. This result in shortened life of components and parts and induce higher safety risk due to unforseen breakage of components (eaxample, steel wheel broken off as in the case of a German high speed train some time ago).

 

[JingDong]

To lower down ticket price, it is necessary to lower travelling speed. For those of you car owners will know that driving at 55km/hr will save great amount of fuel, driving at 130km/hr will see your petrol tank meter going down quickly. Non-car owners may refer to a jet flying at cruising speed agaisnt flying at after burner speed. Also maintenance cost per km travelled will also be reduced as the degree of wear and tear will reduce with speed.

Also at top speed, the ernomous amount of heat generated by friction on the rail track and train wheels can wear off steel wheel faster, as well as all other component parts that are prompt to wear and tear due to friction and heat. This result in shortened life of components and parts and induce higher safety risk due to unforseen breakage of components (eaxample, steel wheel broken off as in the case of a German high speed train some time ago).

Yes, these are indeed the true reasons for reducing the speed.

In the language of mathematics, in the limit that speed of the train goes to zero, wear and tear of wheels goes to zero; life of components goes to infinity; price of tickets goes to zero.

Hence, as the speed of trains is reduced to zero, all chinese passengers can get the train tickets at zero price.