China HSR News And Information: Original Translation

[AndrewJin]

8-year-old CRH!!!
CRH动车组八周岁：8年前的今天，CRH动车组正式投入载客运营

At 7.15am, 28 Jan 2007, Train N522(CRH2) left Hangzhou Station on time for Shanghai South Railway Station. And later, train N521, T708, T707 left Shanghai South, Shanghai and Nanjing respectively. It meant CRH-EMU officially start its duty in China.

Chinese high-speed railway has experienced ups and downs since 2007. Eight years later, CRH trains are now connecting every corners of China.

2007年1月28日7时15分，由CRH2-026A担当的N522次旅客列车从杭州站准时开出，驶往上海南站。随后，N521次从上海南站，T708次从上海站，T707次从南京站分别开出。标志着CRH动车组正式投入载客运营。时光荏苒，八年了，这其中有笑有泪，有酸有甜，但CRH动车组，已经开遍了神州大地。中国铁路高速（China Railway Highspeed）动车组，生日快乐!

Train No. N522, Hangzhou Railway Station

CRH only operated on upgraded old lines in 2007. This campaign was a part of the the sixth round of the "railway speed up campaign".

A summary table of six "Speed-up" campaigns(1997-2007)

CRH Network today, 16,000km by Feb 2015

 

[AndrewJin]

我国首条穿越秦岭大巴山区的高速铁路建设现场
Live from the construction site of China's first HSR that traverses Qin Mountains-Daba Mountains
我国首条穿越秦岭大巴山区的高速铁路建设现场_陕西传媒网

3月7日，山脚下，一根根的混凝土桥墩将人们的视线引向位于半山腰的西成客专清凉山隧道施工工地。据悉，正在建设的西安至成都客运专线是我国首条穿越秦岭、大巴山区的高速铁路，计划2017年的11月30日通车试运营。
Xi'an-Chengdu HSR is the first high-speed railway line which traverses mountainous regions of Qin Mountains and Daba Mountains, due on 30 November 2017.

西成铁路由西安至四川江油段和成（都）绵（阳）乐（山）城际铁路两段组成。西安至江油段线路的建设长度519公里，由中铁第一勘察设计院负责总体设计，并承担陕西省境内约340公里的勘察、设计任务，是全线难度最大的线路。项目自北向南穿越关中平原、秦岭山区、汉中平原和大巴山区，地质条件极为复杂，是中国目前拟建最为复杂的具有鲜明山区特点的高标准现代化铁路。
The geologically complicated landforms makes this line the most complex standardised modern railway so far.

据中铁第一勘察设计院工程师介绍，该项目穿越秦岭山区地段线路总长135公里，隧道里程高达127公里。西成铁路途径宁陕县新场、四亩地等乡镇，在宁陕县境内40公里、投资近50亿元，其中桥隧占到了98%。项目设计中的最长隧道和需解决的关键性技术路段均在宁陕县境内，最长的天华山双线隧道长达15.9公里（国内高铁中最长）；秦岭山区隧道群首次采用25％的大坡度（国内目前在建客专最大坡度为20％），且大坡道持续段落长达46公里，在我国拟建的山区高标准现代化高速铁路建设中是首次尝试。
Engineers introduced that the trans-Qin-Mountains section was 135km and thereinto 127km were tunnels. The bridges and tunnels constitute 98% of total railway length in Ningxia County with investment of nearly 5 billion yuan for 40 kilometre. The longest tunnel (Mount Tianhua Tunnel, 15.9km) is also located in this county, setting a new record of all HSR tunnels in China. Qin Mountains' tunnels are desgined with the sharpest railway slope(25%) so far and the continuous slope is 46km in length, which is the first trial within standard mountainous HSRs in China.

View attachment 202496

This Xi'an-Chengdu HSR is along the ancient Shu Roads(Sichuan Roads).
Shu Roads - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Shu Roads (蜀道) was a system of mountain roads joining the Chinese provinces of Shaanxi and Sichuan, built and maintained since the 4th century BC. Technical highlights were the gallery roads, consisting of wooden planks erected on wooden or stone beams slotted into holes cut into the sides of cliffs.

As the great poet Li Bai (705-762）wrote in his famous poem Shu Roads Are Difficult which every high school students in China will recite character by character:
Li Bai - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Sichuan Road
What heights!
It is easier to climb Heaven
Than take the Sichuan Road.
Long ago Can Cong and Yu Fu founded the kingdom of Shu;
Forty-eight thousand years went by,
Yet no road linked it with the land of Qin.
Westward from Taibai Mountain only birds
Wander to the summit of Mount Emei
But not until brave men had perished in the great landslide
Were bridges hooked together in the air
And a path hacked through the rocks.
Above, high peaks turn back the sun's chariot drawn by six dragons;
Below, the charging waves are caught in whirlpools;
Not even yellow cranes dare fly this way,
Monkeys cannot leap those gorges.
At Green Mud Ridge the path winds back and forh,
With nine twists for every hundred steps.
Touching the stars, the traveller looks up and gasps,
Then sinks down , clutching his heart ,to groan aloud.
Friend, when will you return from this westward journey?
This is a fearful way.
You cannot cross these cliffs.
The only living things are birds crying in ancient trees,
Male wooing female up and down the woods,
And the cuckoo, weary of empty hills,
Singing to the moon.
It is easier to climb to heaven
Than take the Sichuan Road.
The mere telling of its perils blanches youthful cheeks.
Peak follows peak, each but a hand's breadth from the sky;
Dead pine trees hang head down into the chasms,
Currents and waterfalls outroar over rocks,
Booming like thunder through a thousand caverns.
What takes you, travelers, this long, weary way
So filled with danger?
Sword Pass is steep and narrow,
One man could hold this pass against ten thousand;
And sometimes its defenders
Are not mortal men but wolves and jackals.
By day we dread the savage tiger ,by night the serpent,
Sharp-fanged sucker of blood
Who chops men down like stalks of hemp.
The City of Brocade may be a pleasant place,
But it is best to seek you home.
For it is easier to climb to heaven
Than take the Sichuan Road.
I gaze into the west, and sigh.
(p.s. The beauty of Chinese poems and words all gone)
噫吁嚱！危乎高哉！蜀道之难，难于上青天。蚕丛及鱼凫，开国何茫然！尔来四万八千岁，不与秦塞通人烟。西当太白有鸟道，可以横绝峨眉巅。地崩山摧壮士死,然后天梯石栈相钩连。上有六龙回日之高标,下有冲波逆折之回川。黄鹤之飞尚不得过,猿猱欲度愁攀援。青泥何盘盘! 百步九折萦岩峦。扪参历井仰胁息，以手抚膺坐长叹。

问君西游何时还，畏途巉岩不可攀。但见悲鸟号古木，雄飞雌从绕林间。又闻子规啼夜月，愁空山。蜀道之难，难于上青天! 使人听此凋朱颜。连峰去天不盈尺，枯松倒挂倚绝壁。飞湍瀑流争喧豗，砯崖转石万壑雷。其险也如此，嗟尔远道之人胡为乎来哉?

剑阁峥嵘而崔嵬，一夫当关，万夫莫开。所守或匪亲，化为狼与豺。朝避猛虎，夕避长蛇。磨牙吮血，杀人如麻。城虽云乐，不如早还家。蜀道之难，难于上青天，侧身西望长咨嗟!

Ancient Shu Roads

Modern Shu Roads

 

[Rajaraja Chola]

Yep. These cuties are designer for intercity serves like Guangzhou-Shenzhen and Wuhan-Huangshi. Their performance is similar to metro cars, easily speeding up and down. In that case, they are the most appropriate types for short-distance service with stops every 5-20km.

Technically and financially, these giants CRH380A are too "capable" for intercity services.
View attachment 201981
View attachment 201979 View attachment 201980
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@Rajaraja Chola This Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station is the most convenient one in Shanghai since the old Shanghai Station provides less intercity services although it is located in the very centre.

These looks cool. I should try bullet train really. Thanks for sharing

 

[AndrewJin]

These looks cool. I should try bullet train really. Thanks for sharing

You can have it at home, as I've translated, 8 years ago, CRH-EMU trains were operating on upgraded old lines in China. I've read there are some plans to speed up conventional routes in India, maybe the next priority is to design or buy some types of EMU and DMU which are both applicable to old lines.

 

[AndrewJin]

These looks cool. I should try bullet train really. Thanks for sharing

Diesel Multiple Unit(DMU), a useful and more economical choice for old lines.
Here are some made-in-China DMUs for the global market.
Argentina

Venezuela

Bangladesh

Narrow-gauge DMU for Malaysia @powastick (I'm not sure whether it is the right one)

Broad-gauge DMU for Georgia

For our own, double-decker DMU

Great-Wall DMU(u can take these trains from downtown Beijing to nearby Badaling Great Wall)

 

[Rajaraja Chola]

Diesel Multiple Unit(DMU), a useful and more economical choice for old lines.
Here are some made-in-China DMUs for the global market.
Argentina
View attachment 202611

Venezuela
View attachment 202616

Bangladesh
View attachment 202609

Narrow-gauge DMU for Malaysia @powastick (I'm not sure whether it is the right one)
View attachment 202612
View attachment 202618

Broad-gauge DMU for Georgia
View attachment 202615

For our own, double-decker DMU
View attachment 202613
Great-Wall DMU(u can take these trains from downtown Beijing to nearby Badaling Great Wall)
View attachment 202614

Chinese are doing feasability study on the Delhi-Chennai express train in India. I would love them to take and execute a project bringing their expertise into India

 

[AndrewJin]

Chinese are doing feasability study on the Delhi-Chennai express train in India. I would love them to take and execute a project bringing their expertise into India

A new HSR line or to upgrade the original one?

 

[Place Of Space]

A new HSR line or to upgrade the original one?

I heard news the plan is a new line. Chinese CNR and Japanese JR is competing with the project.

 

[AndrewJin]

I heard news the plan is a new line. Chinese CNR and Japanese JR is competing with the project.

I am a little doubted about its financial feasibility. Building HSR is growing more and more expensive every day. In China, at least 50% of the total investments are spent in people's compensation. And building a route is even simpler than maintaining a route.

 

[Place Of Space]

I am a little doubted about its financial feasibility. Building HSR is growing more and more expensive every day. In China, at least 50% of the total investments are spent in people's compensation. And building a route is even simpler than maintaining a route.

I agree with you. The Indian project will last for very long time. Building huge project in Indian is not an easy job. Chinese company should be very cautious about the risk. For example, ascertain the route of line, they would meet with the difficulty that local citizen refuse to sell their land. and so on.

 

[AndrewJin]

I heard news the plan is a new line. Chinese CNR and Japanese JR is competing with the project.

My suggestion for them is to give priority to upgrading old lines. Even for this, it's not easy. We've experienced 6 major speed-up campaigns from 1997 to 2007, step by step, very cautious. Like replacing railway crossings by bridges( Now you can see very few crossings in China), ensure a safe zone along the tracks(rail fences and exclusion of people) and upgrade signal system/computerised central control system. If there are no experiences in these sort of upgrading projects, it will be considerably dangerous to have a busy line like Shanghai-Hangzhou (for one direction every 5-10min a train).

 

[Place Of Space]

My suggestion for them is to give priority to upgrading old lines. Even for this, it's not easy. We've experienced 6 major speed-up campaigns from 1997 to 2007, step by step, very cautious. Like replacing railway crossings by bridges( Now you can see very few crossings in China), ensure a safe zone along the tracks(rail fences and exclusion of people) and upgrade signal system/computerised central control system. If there are no experiences in these sort of upgrading projects, it will be considerably dangerous to have a busy line like Shanghai-Hangzhou (for one direction every 5-10min a train).

Who knows? It depends on Indian strategy. Considering Indian population and west-east coastline economy connection, I guess it's necessary to build new line.

 

[powastick]

Railway in Malaysia isn't that profitable because of the smaller population. Plus I can drive faster to the destination than taking the train.

 

[AndrewJin]

Who knows? It depends on Indian strategy. Considering Indian population and west-east coastline economy connection, I guess it's necessary to build new line.

Yes, who knows. It's up t

Railway in Malaysia isn't that profitable because of the smaller population. Plus I can drive faster to the destination than taking the train.

Smaller population countries can also do well. The strategy is crucial, what kind of speed, what is the purpose, who is the target customer. Actually the size of Malaysia is similar to the size of an eastern Chinese province. Low-middle speed intercity systems are promising, as the case in some city clusters in China.
Metro-like CRH6 for intercity

 

[powastick]

Yes, who knows. It's up t

Smaller population countries can also do well. The strategy is crucial, what kind of speed, what is the purpose, who is the target customer. Actually the size of Malaysia is similar to the size of an eastern Chinese province. Low-middle speed intercity systems are promising, as the case in some city clusters in China.
Metro-like CRH6 for intercity
View attachment 202714

Malaysia currently has 150 km\h train if you count them as low middle speed. I have taken train with only 20 passengers . It was so unprofitable that it discontinued the 200 kilometer direct journey(Ipoh-KL). Instead they revert back to stopping at many station and still unprofitable. It makes the journey longer than bus. Bus cheaper and faster. KTM Malaysia is still losing around 300 million Yuan per year.