Why China Is so Good at Bullet Trains?

[shi12jun]

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

"1,200km for example Seattle to San Francisco the answer is 4 hours and 18 minutes at 350km/hr for only $84 US "

Is this round-trip?

That's actually not a great deal compared to 2 hours flying non-stop...at least in the US. I would suspect it is even cheaper in China.

If you picked a red-eye flight or one with stops it would be cheaper...as low as $39.

 

[Microsoft]

"1,200km for example Seattle to San Francisco the answer is 4 hours and 18 minutes at 350km/hr for only $84 US "

Is this round-trip?

That's actually not a great deal compared to flying...at least in the US. I would suspect it is even cheater in China.
View attachment 690135
If you picked a red-eye flight it would be cheaper.

eh idk if I buy that. You would usually need to give 2 hours for TSA to inspect your bumhole in and out and travelling to the airport can be costly too, I guess that applies to train station as well but train stations from my experience have been far more convenient.

 

[FuturePAF]

Property rights. In China the state can take “private property” more easily then in the west. They have to compensate people (as we see with “nail houses”; people that won’t sell unless offered enough money), but in general they build because it shows good gdp numbers from provincial party leaders to the central party committee and GDP growth. Also air corridors in China are very restricted, and the Chinese people have a long tradition of traveling home for key festivals, and trains are the most efficient means to move 100’s of millions of people in record time.

This is why the Mecca-Medina high speed train line was also build, to carry large numbers of people during peak times like Hajj.

High speed trains really work in the 200-400 mile markets; Too far to drive too short to fly, as is being done in Florida. Pakistan did right sticking to 160 kmph trains, and not super expensive high speed train, if we are to run on a sustainable business model (primarily freight and some passenger traffic). High speed trains are not sustainable; covering their own operating costs, except in one corridor in France and the Osaka-Tokyo Shinkansen.

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

eh idk if I buy that. You would usually need to give 2 hours for TSA to inspect your bumhole in and out and travelling to the airport can be costly too, I guess that applies to train station as well but train stations from my experience have been far more convenient.

They go through the same security procedures in China too for trains.

 

[Microsoft]

They go through the same security procedures in China too for trains.

damn thats crazy thank god that doesn't happen in US!

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

Property rights. In China the state can take “private property” more easily then in the west.

It's simply too much of a cost to reclaim developed US land vs undeveloped Chinese land. Plus $84 is not a huge savings over say $99 airfare to justify the enormous purchase/build/maintenance cost of all that track.

If we had HSR from San Francisco to Seattle for $84 it would probably fail to attract riders due to the extra 2 hours. I think Americans are less patient than Chinese when it comes to time vs money. We can't even deal with low hp cars.

 

[FuturePAF]

It's simply too much of a cost to reclaim developed US land vs undeveloped Chinese land. Plus $84 is not a huge savings over say $99 airfare to justify the enormous purchase/build/maintenance cost of all that track.

Put those prices might be the same for say a Las Vegas to Los Angeles route, and in that case the 90 minute Train ride might be cost effective compared to the slightly more expensive flight, if the passenger has to make the trip more than a few times a week, like a business commuter, as is the case with the Osaka-Tokyo Route. In Japan they have a culture of face to face business so trains work there

 

[Daniel808]

"1,200km for example Seattle to San Francisco the answer is 4 hours and 18 minutes at 350km/hr for only $84 US "

Is this round-trip?

That's actually not a great deal compared to 2 hours flying non-stop...at least in the US. I would suspect it is even cheaper in China.
View attachment 690135
If you picked a red-eye flight or one with stops it would be cheaper...as low as $39.

That's why your small cities and infrastructure in the middle dying.

With High Speed Train, Chinese small cities across the middle have growing economy. From services like local food business emerging and benefit the local people across that smal cities

That's the different culture between Chinese and americans.

Americans always think how I can benefit the most, doesn't care about other people.

Meanwhile,
Chinese people always think how can my journey and trip benefit other people

 

[CIA Mole]

Not to mention trains have greater capacity and are less likely to be late

And more comfortable.

I’d take the train here if they did it.

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

Put those prices might be the same for say a Las Vegas to Los Angeles route, and in that case the 90 minute Train ride might be cost effective compared to the slightly more expensive flight, if the passenger has to make the trip more than a few times a week, like a business commuter, as is the case with the Osaka-Tokyo Route. In Japan they have a culture of face to face business so trains work there

90 minutes is not bad compared to an hour flight.

That's why your small cities and infrastructure in the middle dying.

With High Speed Train, Chinese small cities across the middle have growing economy. From services like local food business emerging and benefit the local people across that smal cities

That's the different culture between Chinese and americans.

Americans always think how I can benefit the most, doesn't care about other people.

Meanwhile,
Chinese people always think how can my journey and trip benefit other people

Actually having small cities in the middle with stations only slows down your main train networks unless you have dedicated express tracks bypassing stations. This is one reason train ridership is low in the US. Everybody hates the stops in the middle or the slowing down through stations. Most people use non-stop flights. Most won't take a cheaper flight with stops in the middle.

You are correct on the mindset. In Asia your video of the train stopping to pick up his meal is considered a positive step. In the US it would be seen as a negative.

 

[fitpOsitive]

Loved it. Which country contributed the most in the this technology with China?

 

[FuturePAF]

Most Americans want to live in private homes in the suburbs and not in a central city. It’s a cultural thing. It’s a trade off. Larger homes but longer commutes. Also most American people don’t work in city cores; midtowns, anymore. The commute from work to home dictates a lot of infrastructure spending in the US, although I agree American infrastructure (such as nationwide real high speed internet) needs a serious investment of public funds, or else we will not be as competitive as other countries like South Korea or China.

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

Loved it. Which country contributed the most in the this technology with China?

High-speed rail in China - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

.

"China's early high-speed trains were imported or built under technology transfer agreements with foreign train-makers including Alstom, Siemens, Bombardier and Kawasaki Heavy Industries."

 

[fitpOsitive]

High-speed rail in China - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

.

"China's early high-speed trains were imported or built under technology transfer agreements with foreign train-makers including Alstom, Siemens, Bombardier and Kawasaki Heavy Industries."

So mainly Germany and Japan, as expected!!